Chapter Four
I sighed, and started. I figure it wouldn't get any easier the longer I wait. Besides the faster I told him and the faster he gave me an exam the faster I could get dressed and maybe get a nap.
"He backed me into a corner. I reached behind me to grab the counter. I was farther away than I thought, and I lost my balance and fell on my hand. He closed in so quickly it took me a minute to be able to try to stand again. When I tried to go around him, he grabbed my hair and ran my face into the cupboard. I fell, and he landed a few kicks and punches. That's all I remember." I said looking back at my lap.
"You lost consciousness?" He asked, and grunted when I nodded. "I'm going to look at your torso now, I'll have to open the gown." he said as he stood and stepped closer.
I let the gown droop down, just covering my breasts. An emotion flashed over his face too fast for me to catch it. He gently touched my shoulder looking around my back.
"I have to press on your back, it'll probably hurt based on the bruising." he said as he gently placed his hand on my back.
He slowly added more pressure, I winced as it hurt, but he made his exam quick and to the point.
"Are you having trouble going to the bathroom?" he asked. I shook my head. "And no blood in your urine?"
"Not anymore." I said quietly.
"When did it stop?" he asked, moving to see my face.
"Yesterday." he grunted again at my response.
"I need to see the front," he said, gripping the gown.
At my nod he pulled it down. I saw a heated look cross his face. I felt my face getting warm, and he continued his exam. He sat back down, and looked at me.
"Your hand, I'll need to unbandage it." I nod, and he gently grabs my wrist.
He gently unwraps it, and supports it with his other hand. It was bruised and had swelled more while I drove. He scowls as he looks at it, and gently puts it down on a pillow he had placed in my lap.
"I need to x-ray this. It's most likely broken and I want to confirm it." I nod again, his touch playing with my head.
His touch is warm and soft. Nothing like Josh. A familiar buzz hums through my arm as he holds it. A feeling I hadn't felt since him. He looks at me and his gaze turns heated. He feels it too. He clears his throat and sets my arm down after rewrapping it. He returned back to my head and examined the cut. He pulled out a tube and swab and rubbed it.
"This cut looks a little more angry than I would like. I'm taking a sample to check what kind of infection is brewing, but I'll start you on an antibiotic to get started. I don't think we need any x-rays-except for your face and arm. It's mostly just bruising, and considering it's been a few days it could be worse, in about a week it should look better. Your nose will take longer to heal. But the bruising will look better. But, it doesn't look too displaced, so it doesn't need to be reset. I'll confirm that after the X-ray. Two questions that make me sick to ask, so I'm just going to be blunt. Did he force himself on you?"
"Not this time." I said, cringing as I realized I should have just said no.
"We'll revisit that. For the x-ray, is there any chance you could be pregnant?" he growled.
"Yes." I couldn't look him in the eyes. “That was the major push for me to leave. I had lost one baby because of him, I couldn't lose another.”
"Ok, we need to get a urine sample today, we will run a test to check before the x-ray. I want to be sure there's no more blood. If there is, we'll check again in a few days. Sometimes after trauma there is some, but it'll stop on its own-which is what it sounds like has happened. I'll help you dress, and then we'll get the x-ray, sample, some meds, and you can rest." I nod, and start to pull my pants on.
Once I dressed, I used the attached restroom for the sample. He greets me with a few pills and a small paper cup of water.
"Just some pain medication and an antibiotic, all safe if you are pregnant. The x-rays are localized and we will use double aprons to protect your abdomen, it shouldn't harm the baby if there is one." He walks me to x-ray. A few minutes after they take it, he comes out and says I'm all set. The break in my nose isn't misaligned. We went back to the exam room and he put a cast on my arm, he chose purple, my favorite color. We were walking back to the car when a nurse handed him a slip of paper. He looks over it and his eyes darken in anger.
"Looks like you are with a child. Do you know when your last period was?" He asked not meeting my gaze.
"Early last month." I said looking at my feet.
"So about 8 or 9 weeks along. I'll let the OB in the office know and she'll get you in to confirm and check on things. At this point the baby is still deep in your pelvis so it shouldn't have been hurt." He walked me out to my car, and he helped me in and got behind the wheel.
"Where are you taking me?" I ask as he turns away from downtown.
"You'll be staying at my house. I have a few spare rooms. It was the original plan before we discovered you were the person John was sending our way. We knew you were in rough shape, so we figured staying with me would be the best bet." he explained as he drove.
"Are you a doctor now?" I asked.
"Physician assistant. I was licensed in the military. I work part time at the clinic, and do most of my work with KT Security. Where my specialty was battlefield medicine, it made sense for me to accompany them. Just in case." he threw a wink my way.
"Oh." I said, blushing.
"Sleep, it's almost half an hour to my house. I'm sure you're exhausted, and sleep helps the body heal." He said, I nodded and leaned my seat back a little and relaxed into it. The motion of the car, and medication lull me into a sleep. I vaguely recognize his hand on my hand where I set it on the console. The last thing I remember was him speaking.
"You don't have to worry anymore, I've got you little one." he says quietly. I'm not sure if I was supposed to respond so I don't. I just let myself drift into sleep.