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She blamed it on this freaking cold.
Master Derek had deposited her in the infirmary with the admonishment to rest and listen to the nurse. Then he’d disappeared.
After assessing her, the nurse had called Doctor Nelson, who was currently scolding her about not telling someone earlier that she wasn’t feeling well.
“I’m sorry,” she said when he paused. “I just… didn’t want to be a bother. And I didn’t think there would be a hotel doctor.”
“Rawhide Ranch is different from a hotel. We take good care of our guests. If you’re not feeling well, you tell someone. So we can help you.”
She sniffled. Shoot. What was wrong with her? Was she about to cry?
“Sorry. I’m just… I’m?—”
“Overwhelmed and ill. You said you started vomiting when you first got here.”
“Yes. But I stopped vomiting after a day.”
“And then you got this cold?” he asked.
“Yeah. It seems my body isn’t very happy with me.”
“You’re part of a band? And you’ve been touring for the last five months?”
“Yes.” She’d gone through this with the nurse who must have given him a basic rundown.
“All right. I think you were probably exhausted when you arrived here, and your body decided to hit you with everything at once. That can happen when you’ve been pushing too hard and then you stop.”
Yeah. That’s what she’d figured, too.
“Do you know the last time that you urinated?”
Okay. She hadn’t expected that question.
“Um. No.”
He exchanged a look with the nurse.
“Is something wrong?”
“I think you’re likely dehydrated. I’m going to hook you up to an IV to see if that helps. I also believe you have bronchitis. I’ll take a swab of your throat, too. But you, young lady, are rather ill.”
Great. Just what she needed. “Oh.”
“Oh, indeed. I’m going to give you some antibiotics in the IV to get you started. I think you’ll start to feel much better soon.”
“Do I… shouldn’t I leave?” she asked.
“Leave?” he asked. “Why would you leave? Oh, you want to go back to your room? I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not when you’re on your own. Unless you have someone to take care of you?”
“Um. No. I don’t.”
What about Brand?
Brand didn’t want to take care of her. Brand just wanted to… scold her? Maybe control her? Was that it? Was he just such a control freak that he couldn’t stand the idea that she’d left without telling him where she was going?
But that didn’t make sense. They’d had breaks before, and he’d never chased her down like this.
Had he really been worried about her?
