Ah.
“He’s been here as much as he can making sure this one at least eats once a day. I texted him earlier to let him know you were awake, so he may come and introduce himself at some point. But right now, we need to get you to radiology, and this one needs to go eat.”
He doesn’t look happy, but he steps back as she unhooks me and moves the bed out into the hallway to take me radiology.
“Nothing’s going to hurt,” she assures me as another nurse helps her to maneuver the bed into the elevator. “In fact, you’ll probably sleep through it. As I said, sleep is your friend right now. So relax, and if you need to sleep, do that.”
My first instinct is to fight sleep out of fear. But Joe is in jail. He can’t get to me. This is not West Virginia where he has friends and family to come at me. I’m safe.
So I do what she says and close my eyes. I am really, really tired. I let myself fall asleep, knowing that no one can hurt me.
Hutch made it safe for me.
Joe’s in jail.
I’m safe.
CHAPTER 46
Hutch
“Good practice today,”Coach Baptists, the Raptors head coach, says as I finish up my work with Coach Bennedict, the center position coach. “I was afraid three weeks away from the ice might slow you down, but that isn’t the case.”
“I appreciate you guys allowing me time to make sure my girl was okay, and the fucker wasn’t getting out of jail to harass her any time soon.”
“How is she?”
“Coming home today. I’m going to pick her up at the hospital as soon as I shower.”
He smiles. “Go on then. I know you’ll feel better when you have her home and away from the press.”
“Fuckers,” I mutter. “They have hounded the hospital staff and if it wasn’t for the private security stationed on her floor, they might have gotten to her. She doesn’t need any of that shit right now. She has enough PTSD from the attack.”
Coach nods sympathetically. “Best get your ass in gear then.”
I waste no time in going to the locker room, taking off my gear and then hurrying through a shower. Collin’s waiting impatiently by my locker as I dress. He’s as excited as I am to get her home.
“Hurry. She’s gonna be sitting there with two guards who won’t talk to her, and it’ll make her uncomfortable.”
I finish tying my shoe laces and grab my stuff. Collin follows me out to the Jeep and it’s not long before we’re pulling into the parking garage of the hospital. I text Cora who promised to come to bring us up through the staff entrance to escape the reporters.
It’s not long before I see her and Collin and I get out of the car. I have my girl roses and a new phone, but I left those in her room at the house. She hates crowds and I warned Jenny to not let the entire campus come. The roommates and their boyfriends. That’s all. And Will if he can manage to stand up without puking. His concussion was nearly as severe as Daisy’s.
“She’s ready to bust out of here.” Cora smiles and waves us over to the staff elevator. “She’s been complaining for the last hour.”
“Is she puking again?” Collin asks, looking down at his sneakers. She’ threw up all over him a few days ago when she sat up too fast.
“No puking for the last forty-eight hours or she wouldn’t be cleared to go home.”
“But she can still puke on me?”
“Yes, Collin, if she gets too dizzy, she can still puke on you.” She sighs. “You’re a grown ass man. You can deal with a little puke for your sister. Robbie’s been puked on several times and he’s not complaining.”
“You stay back, I’ll deal with moving her.”
“Thanks man.”
“I got you, bro.”
