"Thank you," the woman chirped, scooping up the dog. "C'mon, sweetie."
"Isn't she cute?" Nellie giggled as she watched the two of them.
"Very." I smiled at the happiness rolling around the room today. "I'm going to head back and get prepped. We've got a spay today."
"Oh right." She waved as I hurried off down the hall to meet the techs who had undoubtedly prepared the operating room and the patient.
Harmon saw patients in room one, while the office burst to the busyness of everyday. I stole a moment to change into a pair of blue scrubs, donning the doctor getup I often avoided these days save for surgery. And with that, the day went on.
A few hours later, when I emerged from surgery, the office fell into the mid-afternoon lull. Nellie and Doctor Harmon sat at the front desk, sharing a plate of nachos. No one patroned the waiting room at all.
"No appointments right now?" I asked, helping myself to one of their tortilla chips.
"Believe it or not, nope. How's the pup back there?" asked Harmon.
"Doing good. She's recovering nicely. Jo and Becky are with her."
"Great," he said, enthusiastically biting down on a tortilla.
"Will, you got a call while you were in there." Nellie handed me my cell phone. "It rang a few times, so I picked it up. Some Detective Moreno looking for you."
"Who?" I thumbed through my phone and saw about six missed calls from the same unknown number.
"He asked for you to call him back as soon as you could." Nellie shrugged. "He sounded like he knew you."
"I don't know him. How long ago was this?" I saw the timestamps on the calls were all from the last twenty minutes.
"Not long. Ten minutes? Is it one of Dax's colleagues?"
"I—" I hadn't thought of that and just the idea of it set off a wave of panic. My tongue tingled in my mouth as I frantically returned the call. With shaking hands, I walked away from them and listened as the phone rang a few times before going to voicemail.
"You've reached the voicemail of Detective Eugene Moreno, Seattle Police Department. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you. In the event of an emergency, please call 911."
I hung up, and tried again. My heart pounded in my chest and Nellie followed me as I stepped out the side door of the building.
"This is Moreno," he answered and I nearly choked on my anxiety.
"Hi. Um. Detective. You called me? It's Willa Hart." My voice sounded breathless and I shook so hard that I could barely hold it together.
"Willa. Good." He sounded relieved and that only freaked me out more. "Are you acquainted with Dakota Stocker?"
"Yes. Is she okay?" Nellie grabbed my arm and I looked at her when a hot tear escaped down my cheek.
"She's okay, but she's been injured on the job. You were one of three numbers in her phone. How do you know her?"
"She's—she's my girlfriend." I choked on a sob. "Where is she?"
"In Seattle at UW Medical. Listen, Willa. She uh…" He paused, though I could hear some voices in the background. "She won't let the doctors help her and keeps shouting at them not to touch her. We need someone here for her."
My legs gave out and my knees hit the gravel. Nellie dropped with me, holding on to my elbow.
"She gets scared." I ran my fingers through my hair, as I tried to keep it together. "Get a female doctor. Female nurses."
Moreno grew quiet for a second then said, "She said get a woman doctor." I heard someone in the background reply, "I'll page Doctor Corwin."
"I'm going to come there. I'm—it's two hours out."
"It's okay. Listen, Willa. How does Stocker know Sali and Maggie? They were the other two names in her phone." Moreno sounded almost nervous when he asked.
"Friends. Um…a support group for law enforcement." At that moment, I didn't care about the confidentiality or anything. I just needed to get to Dax. "Why?"
"They're my sister-in-laws," he answered, rather flatly.
"Let me talk to her." I looked to Nellie and mouthed, "Call my sister."
She nodded and bolted back inside.
"Hang on. I'll try," he said. In the background, I could hear his hurried steps on the tile. "Stocker," he called out, but Dax just screamed at him.
"Don't touch me!"
My heart shattered to a million pieces. "Tell her you're not going to touch her no matter what."
He repeated what I said then added, "Willa is on the phone. She wants to talk to you. Stocker. Look at me. Willa wants to talk to you." The shouts stopped when he repeated my name. "Here. I'm going to hand you the phone."
A rustling followed and a moment later, the sounds of heavy breathing and sobs broke the line.
"Dax, honey. Hi." I covered my face, folding myself over my knees as I held in my cries. "Let them help you, baby. I'm coming there right now."
"Willa," she whispered through her crying.
"I'm here, baby. Let them help you."
Something clicked in the background and Dax shouted, "Don't touch me!"
"I'm not touching you," said a gentle female voice. "I won't touch you. I'm Doctor Corwin, Dakota. Do you have a headache?"
Dax's sobs continued, but her shouts stopped.
"Answer her, baby. Tell her," I encouraged, gulping down my own tears so that she couldn't hear my crying.
"Yes," answered Dax, and I imagined her grabbing her head.
"Who are you talking to there?" the soft voice asked her, and there was a pause. "Give her double Lorazepam."
"No." Dax let out a quiet yelp as she cried. "Willa."
"I'm here, baby. I'm so sorry you're hurt. I love you, Dax." I pulled at my hair, holding my breath to keep myself quiet.
"Willa? This is Doctor Corwin." The woman's voice became clear on the line. "We've had to sedate her."
"What happened to her?"
"We think she has a concussion and some bruises. Nothing major, but her level of upset prevented us from helping her. What's your relation to her?"
"She's my girlfriend." I sobbed openly now and heard the crunch of tires come to a halt beside me. "Please help her."
"We're going to help her. Does she have mental health issues we should know about?"
"No. I mean, yes, but not psychosis. She—she's had trauma. Anxiety." I looked up when a pair of sneakers appeared beside me and found my mother's worried expression bearing down on me. She pulled me into a hug and I all but latched on to her.
"Okay. Any medications? Drugs?" asked Corwin.
"None that I've ever seen. No drugs. She doesn't like men touching her unless it's on her terms." I sniffled and Mom urged me toward her car. I nodded, standing up and scrambling into the passenger seat. Mom tore off as soon as I closed the door.
"That's good to know. We're going to get her some tests right now that she's asleep. Ask for me when you get here, okay?" Doctor Corwin's tone soothed me some. "She's going to be alright."
"Okay." I cried softly. "Thank you."
"Of course. We'll see you soon. Drive safely."
I hung up and cried quietly while trying to not hyperventilate. Mom reached across the console to pull me to her. "Where are we going, little girl?"
"Seattle. She got hurt at work," I said, sobbing into her shoulder. "The doctor said she'll be okay, but she's so upset."
"Easy, darlin'. We'll get there." Mom pressed her lips to my forehead. "We'll get to her."
"Nellie called you?"
"Sage's house number. She's still at work. Jake is with Macie."
"I'm so scared for Dax." I sobbed so hard I melted into the seat.
My mind envisioned horrible things. Bumps and bruises could be from small or big things. Good or terrible things. Nothing would take away this fear or my worry until I saw her for myself.
***
"What do you need, Doctor?" asked the nurse at the front desk of the emergency room.
"Sorry?" I swiped at my cheeks and her brow furrowed.
"Doctor, are you alright?" She stood from her sea
t, her bushy eyebrows narrowing with concern.
"I'm not a doctor—I mean, I am, but—" I shook my head, holding up my hand. "Is Doctor Corwin here? My girlfriend, she's hurt. She's…" I lost it at that point and Mom rubbed my back.
"We're here for Dakota Stocker. Doctor Corwin instructed us to ask for her," said Mom.
"Oh. Okay. One moment." The nurse's gaze turned skeptical as she glanced to the phone then lifted it.
I swung around and Mom caught me in a hug. "It's alright, darlin'." She smooched my cheek, her hands moving up and down my back in soothing strokes. "I know you're worried. Right now, Dax is going to need a partner whose feet are steady on the ground. She's going to look to you, and if you're panicked, she will, too."
"Like puppies." I sniffled as I leaned back to look at her.
"Just like that." She handed me a tissue at the same time that she wiped the tears from my cheeks. "Take a few deep breaths. It will be alright."
"I'm worried," I blubbered as I cleaned myself up.
"It's okay to be worried. I'm worried, too," she said, though with a gentle smile that spoke of her strength. In that moment, she was absolutely mothering me and I needed that more than I thought.
I nodded and focused on my breathing until I settled down. We waited a few minutes before Doctor Corwin appeared. She wore scrubs and a lab coat, with her brown hair down long. The nurse pointed us out to her and she turned, her smile almost as soft as my mother's. Two doctors with steadfast demeanors surrounded me and it settled my insides some.
"Willa?" Doctor Corwin asked, glancing between me and Mom.
"Yes. Hi." I extended my hand and she shook it. "This is my mother, Eileen."
"Good to meet you." They shook hands as well.
"You're a physician?" Corwin asked, gesturing to me.
"What—oh." I cleared my throat when I glanced down at myself. I hadn't realized I still had the stethoscope around my neck. "Veterinarian. My Mom is though."
"Well, Dakota will be in good hands then. She's doing just fine. Would you like to see her?"
"Yes. Thank you, Doctor." My breath caught in my throat at the news.
"You can call me Stella. C'mon." She nodded and we followed her down the hall.
Only after a few paces did her name stand out to me. "Are you related to Alice?"
"Yes." She glanced over at me, her brow furrowed. "You know my wife?"
"From the support group," I said, swiping at a stray tear that managed to escape. "You know Dakota then."
"I do. Glad we've cleared all of that up." She paused in a quiet hallway, holding up a single finger. "I believe her mother is with her now." Stella nodded toward the open door where I could hear the sharp tones of Mrs. Stocker.
"Her mother? Who called her mother?" All the tears faded, only to be replaced by anger.
"She's her next of kin on file," said Stella, her brow furrowed.
I looked to Mom whose lips pursed to a thin line as she urged me closer to the door.
"Honestly, Dakota. I don't know how you get wrapped up in these things." Rowan's critical words balled my hands to fists. I made to storm in there, but it was Mom who beat me to it. She swooped into the room with both me and Doctor Corwin on her heels.
Dax sat at the edge of the bed, pulling her boots on. She must've abandoned the gown and dressed. Her gaze remained on the floor, as if she hadn't noticed our entry. I swept over to her, crouching in front of her. The minute she saw me, her entire body seized and she covered her face.
"It's okay, honey. I'm here." I stood up to hug her and she wrapped her arms around my waist.
"Rowan, I'd like to speak with you outside for a moment." Mom came to stand beside Mrs. Stocker, folding her arms over her stomach.
"Eileen." Mrs. Stocker blanched, as if my mother rose from the dead in front of her.
"If you'd please." Mom gestured toward the door and Mrs. Stocker glanced to Dax, before stepping out with her.
Doctor Corwin joined us by the bed, her expression remaining concerned. Dax squeezed me tighter and I held her to my chest, kissing the top of her head half a dozen times.
"What happened, honey?" I asked, tucking her tangled hair behind her ears.
"A rough tackle," she said, sniffling. She wasn't crying though, and her frozen, sad expression dampened her features. "I have a concussion."
"And a cracked rib. She was knocked out," offered Corwin. "She's going to need to rest for awhile."
"We can handle that." I smiled at my girlfriend, finally allowing myself to breathe knowing she was okay. "Did you catch the bad guy anyway?"
"Yeah." She smirked, finally meeting my gaze. "With my limp body."
I laughed at that. "Did you know Detective Moreno is Sali's brother-in-law?"
"No." Her brow narrowed. "Really?"
"Yup." I stroked her cheeks and she sighed, flinching for a moment before squinting. "Pain?"
"Light." She nodded and rested her forehead against my chest. "I'm so tired."
"We gave you a lot of medication, Dakota. You'll be sleepy for a bit," Stella said, her hand falling to Dax's shoulder. She tensed, but didn't pull away. "I'd prefer if you lie down until I discharge you."
"I want to leave now." She squeezed me again and I tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Where's your bump?" I asked, attempting to distract her away from leaving just yet.
"Back of my head." She reached up to touch it and I followed her fingers. Sure enough, a thick lump made itself known beside a stitch or two.
"You're all lumpy." I brushed my lips over her forehead and she nodded.
"I'm dizzy," she said, and Doctor Corwin squeezed her shoulder.
"It's part of it. Are you nauseous?"
"A little."
"What the hell happened to you, Rowan?" I heard my mother shout suddenly. All three of us looked to the door. No response followed, so Mom continued. "That woman in there needs a mother. She has always needed a mother. Instead, you decided to rip her away from her life to follow your quest for a golden prick. She deserves better, then and now."
Dax's eyes widened with mine. Doctor Corwin stood, her stance protective as she moved to the door. A nurse with reddish hair swept into the room, and came to stand beside Corwin, the two sharing a glance.
"What do you know about my life, Eileen? Where were you when things went down?" Mrs. Stocker tossed back. "And I know how to parent my child."
Mom scoffed loud enough for us to hear. "That child is thirty-five-years-old with a broken spirit because of what happened to her and all you had to offer was blame. She didn't ask to be tortured, Rowan. Now you come here and ask how she gets 'wrapped up in these things' and dismiss her pain. All you have done is dismiss her pain and blame her for it. That's not what a mother does." Mom's voice trembled with her rage. I hadn't heard her lose her shit like this in years. "Underneath that hard exterior, that you contributed to, is a kind, gentle, and wonderful human being. You might not love that kid, but I do. And so does my daughter. And I'll be damned if I'm going to sit back and watch you diminish her to nothing in front of my eyes."
"Of course I love her," Mrs. Stocker spat. "Of course I do."
"Then get off your sanctimonious ass and act like it."
Silence fell and I pulled my gaze from the door back to Dax. Tears streamed down her cheeks and the weight of her pressed against me. She cried quietly while covering her face, and I wrapped her in my arms. Mom appeared again, her face red with fury, as her stomping feet stopped beside us. She grabbed both of us in a hug, her palm on Dax's cheek. Mom nudged her chin upward and, reluctantly, Dax looked at her. A soft smile curved Mom's lips and she smooched Dax's forehead.
"We're glad you're alright, darlin'," she said, as if the argument in the hall never happened. "Willa was beside herself, but I put her right."
"I'm still a little left, to be honest," I teased and it made Dax smirk.
Doctor Corwin gestured to the door and I nodded, giving her the all clear to step out. She and th
e nurse exited, but I could tell they didn't go far by their shadows in the hall.
"I want to leave," said Dax, drawing my attention back to her.
"We'll get you out of here as soon as the doctor says so, honey." I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip. "Let them discharge you."
"Now." She closed her eyes and her fingers dug into my back. "Dizzy."
"I got you. Come lie down, please." I urged her back into the bed with Mom's help and she seemed to settle. When I made to shift my position, she grabbed me so hard I nearly lost my balance. "I'm right here." I climbed on to the bed with her, and Mom sat by our feet.
My insides settled when I knew Dax was okay, but my heart continued to slam its worried melody behind my rib cage. Dax rested her head on my shoulder, her eyes still closed, as she held onto me. I met Mom's gaze, and her brow remained smooth which told me of her ongoing agitation. She offered me a firm nod and I returned the gesture.
When I looked to the door of the room, Mrs. Stocker stood there silently watching, with red-ringed eyes.
***
"Head back," I encouraged as I settled Dax into bed with an ice pack on the pillow. She listened to me, though she never let up her grip on my knee. While she had a bath earlier, I dressed the mattress in her soon-to-be new room with the clean linens. The comfort of the new mattress wrapped around us like a fresh hug.
"I'm still dizzy."
"That'll go on for a bit, honey," I said, then helped her drape the second ice pack over her ribs. "Yesterday we were complaining about having to work today. Now, you're on medical leave. It's kismet."
She laughed and met my gaze. "I'm not sad about it."
"Me either. I took the rest of the week off. Harmon's taking my patients again."
"He's really accommodating."
"He's an eager young thing." I smiled as I watched her relax in the pillows. She wore only a long T-shirt and a pair of boyshorts tonight and I pulled the blanket over her lap. "We tend to frontload the routine appointments, and reserve later in the week for surgeries and other stuff. So it's not much to add to one person."
"Well, I'm not sad about that either," she said, letting out a soft sigh. "You look wrecked, by the way."
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