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“Don’t.” Tom gently grips my chin. He shines a light in my eyes and begins his assessment.
“I’m fine.” I bat him away, feeling self-conscious.
“Doc…” Tom’s tone turns serious. “I think you should come with us.”
“Why?”
He gestures to his throat. “That bruising concerns me. You need to be observed overnight.”
I feel my throat. It’s tender and bruised. Swelling. I swallow and note a lump in my throat.
“Where else are you hurt?” Fred places a blood pressure cuff around my arm and guides me to a seat.
I pull up my shirt. All three men wince. No, make that four.
My uncle wobbles into view, looking pale, emaciated, and enraged.
“This is what he’s done to you?” The shock of his expression makes him look paler than before.
I give a clipped nod, feeling self-conscious that my private life is no longer private. Give it a few days and everyone in town will know. Not the best way to make an impression.
“Abby, I agree.” Uncle Pete examines me. “The bruising on your neck needs to be watched. If it closes off your airway…”
“I know.” I roll my eyes and try to smile.
The scariest thing about this is that I took care of a man when I was a resident. Like me, he was in a fistfight. He was choked. Two hours later, we inserted a breathing tube because the swelling nearly closed his airway off completely.
“I also want to scan your abdomen.” My uncle is in doctor mode, triaging my injuries. “Let’s get her loaded up.”
Before I can protest, Drake comes over. He gathers me in his arms and carries me to the ambulance and waiting gurney. He places me down as gently as he can and brushes the hair out of my eyes.
“I’m going to follow them.” He glances over his shoulder. “And help your uncle.”
I get what he’s saying. My uncle’s too weak to make it on his own.
“Thank you.” I grip his arm, communicating more in a look than I could in a lifetime of words.
“I’ll see you later, city girl.” He shakes his head and cracks a smile. “You sure know how to make things interesting.”
“I try.” My smile is weak and getting weaker by the minute. Fred and Tom load me into the back of the ambulance while I drift in and out of consciousness.
RING
Over the next week, I slowly heal from my injuries. My neck swelled up, but not enough to close off my airway. I spent the first night under observation in intensive care. Two days on the step-down unit while they scanned and rescanned my abdomen. Initial concerns about a ruptured spleen didn’t pan out—thankfully. By day four, I went to the general medicine ward while neurologists watched me, and I regained my strength.
At the one-week mark, they release me.
And Drake is there to take me home.
He hasn’t left my side, sitting by me during the entire ordeal.
During the week I’m in the hospital, my uncle’s health sharply declines.
I sit with him in his bedroom, holding his hand as he takes his last breath. It seems as if half the town has stopped by. The news of his imminent death brought everyone by to say their final goodbyes.
Sara manages the visitors, ushering them out when the end draws near. The entire office staff is present, as are Drake and Bert. Under Sara’s watchful eye, they each say their final goodbyes and leave me to sit by his side.
Despite his struggle to breathe, a smile curls the corners of his mouth. Uncle Pete takes one last breath, then leaves me with peace in his heart. A dignified death speeds his journey to rejoin the love of his life in Heaven.
