The Crush by Sandra Brown

Author:Sandra Brown
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense, Adult, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Thriller
ISBN: 0446527041
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2001-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

The instant she stepped off the elevator she saw the roses.

It would have been impossible for her to miss them. The bouquet had been placed on the ledge of the nurses’ station. Nurses and aides had obviously been awaiting her arrival to see her reaction. All were wearing expectant smiles.

“They’re for you, Dr. Newton.”

“They were delivered about half an hour ago.”

“You could barely see the delivery boy behind them. Aren’t they gorgeous?”

“Who’s your secret admirer?”

“He’s not a cop.” This from the policeman that Wesley had posted outside Wick’s ICU. “No cop could afford them, that’s for sure.”

Rennie didn’t give the bouquet another glance. “There must be some mistake. They’re not for me.”

“B-but there’s a card,” one of the nurses stammered. “It’s got your name on it.”

“Get rid of the roses and the card. The vase. All of it.”

“You want us to throw them away?”

“Or distribute them among the patients. Take them to the lobby atrium, the chapel, put them on the dinner menu. I don’t care. Just get them out of my sight. I need Mr. Threadgill’s chart, please.”

The group, no longer smiling, dispersed. The policeman slunk back to his post. One of the nurses carried away the heavy arrangement. Another passed Rennie the requested chart and bravely followed her into Wick’s cubicle.

“He’s been waking up for longer periods of time,” the nurse told her. “He hates the spirometer.” Patients were forced to blow into the machine periodically to keep their lungs clear.

His vitals were good. She checked the dressing covering his incision. He moaned in his sleep when she peeled the bandage off to take a look. After replacing the bandage, she asked the nurse if he’d had anything to drink.

“Just the ice chips.”

“If he asks for something again, let him have sips of Sprite.”

“Widschumburohn.”

Rennie moved to the left side of the bed, the one he lay facing. “Come again?”

“Burohn. In the schpirte.” Barely moving his head, he tried to locate her with his single eye. To make it easier on him, she sat on the edge of the chair beside the bed.

“Do bourbon and Sprite mix?”

“Don’ care.”

She smiled. “I think you’re well medicated already.”

“Not enough.”

The nurse bustled out to get the Sprite. Wick readjusted his head so that his face wasn’t half buried in the pillow. “Did you do this to me, Rennie?”

“Guilty.”

“Then you’re off”—he winced, sucked in his breath—“off my Christmas card list.”

“If you can joke you must be feeling better.”

“Like hammered shit.”

“Well, that’s what you look like.”

“Ha-ha.” His eye closed and it remained closed.

Rennie stood up and applied her stethoscope to several spots on his chest.

“Are you getting a beat?” he asked, which surprised her because she thought he had drifted off again.

“Loud and strong, Mr. Threadgill.” She sat back down in the chair. “Your lungs sound clear, too, so keep blowing into the spirometer when the nurses ask you to.”

“Sissy stuff.”

“But pneumonia isn’t.”

“Rennie?”

“Yes?”

“Was I shot?”

“Stabbed.”

He opened his eye again.

“With a screwdriver,” she told him.

“Damage?”

“Considerable but reparable.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“My balls hurt.”

“I’ll see that you get an ice pack for them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.