“Yeah, they sure as hell do. Especially when they want you to think they’re not there to hurt you,” Daniel said.
Brandt walked over and pulled back the curtain, peering outside from the window closest to the door. He opened the door wide inviting in Natalie and Vince. “Y’all come on in.”
“Once Avaleigh texted me that Emmalyn was here in bed but still unconscious, I made Vince bring me over here,” Natalie said. “I know Delilah has medical training, too, but I just needed to be here to help if I was needed.”
“Thank you for coming. I know the basics, of course, but I’ve never worked trauma,” Delilah said. “Other than standard vitals, I’m not familiar with the trauma she’s been through.”
“I am, more than I care to admit. Can I take a look at her?” Natalie asked, looking from Brandt to Delilah and then Avaleigh.
“Yeah, come on. I’ll take you in,” Brandt said.
Brandt tapped on the bedroom door lightly and opened it. “Hey, Natalie’s here. Can she take a look at Emmalyn?”
Barron looked up at Brandt, his brain cells barely firing.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Everly said.
Barron looked over at Everly while she spoke, then nodded. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”
“I’m gonna go back and help in the kitchen,” Brandt said.
Natalie first checked her vitals, then took out a stethoscope and listened to her heart. Afterward she checked her blood pressure. “Her blood pressure is a little low.”
“He drugged her,” Barron said.
“Do you know with what?” Natalie asked.
Barron looked at her like she was crazy.
“Of course you don’t. Sorry,” Natalie said as she checked Emmalyn’s finger tips, then folded back the bottom of the quilt and comforter covering her and checked her toes. “Her finger tips and toes are purplish, and splotchy, but that indicates the blood is flowing back into them. That’s good. You probably won’t know for a few days if there’s any permanent damage or not.”
“We don’t even know for sure what happened. We’re just lucky they found her,” Everly said.
“She’s not going anywhere alone ever again,” Barron stated matter-of-factly.
Everly smiled.
“He’s right. She’s not,” Bam said firmly. “And neither are you!” he said, pointing at Analise.
Everly reached out and patted Analise’s hand to reassure her.
“She’s got a wound on her head,” Analise said quietly.
Natalie covered Emmalyn’s feet and moved up to the head of the bed to check Emmalyn’s head wound. “Can I have a damp cloth?”
“Sure, I’ll get it,” Everly said. She came back moments later with a warm cloth and handed it to Natalie.
Natalie used it to gently clean away some of the dried blood to get a better look at the wound. “It looks like it’s already started healing.” Natalie gently prodded the wound feeling forany deformities on the skull. “I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary.”
“He used the freezer to bash her head,” Barron said.
Bam started snarling softly.
“Dad and Daisy healed her, and Tempest helped, too. I’m pretty sure that her skull would have been healed if it was damaged,” Analise said.
“I’m going to check for a concussion,” Natalie said. She opened her bag and took out a flash light. She lifted Emmalyn’s eyelids one at a time and checked her pupils for dilation and response time. “If she’s concussed, I’m sure it’s already been tended to. Especially with Bam and Daisy and Tempest all three healing her. The low blood pressure lets me know she’s still got whatever drug he gave her in her system, but it’s not dangerously low.”
“She’s going to be okay?” Barron asked.
