Page 91 of Split Decision

"What's the problem?" I ask.

A tear drops from her eye, and she quickly wipes it away. "I can't sit down without help." Her hand moves to cover her incision area.

"I'll help you," I offer.

"If you'd just get my crutches, I can do it."

"I'm right here, you stubborn girl. Let me help you. Besides, I'm afraid that if I walk away now, you'll pass out and hurt yourself more."

Her shoulders droop in resignation. "Okay," she whispers.

I move closer and carefully lift her, then remain motionless for an extra moment or two, just holding her while I can. She feels so right in my arms, and I pray we haven't hurt each other beyond repair. As I place her back on the bed, it hits me how insensitive I've been over her injuries.

"Did I hurt you when I picked you up before? I didn't know about your incision," I say apologetically.

"No," she whispers with a shake of her head.

"What did they have to do?"

"They had to go in and stop the internal bleeding. Thankfully, my spleen hadn't completely ruptured, so they were able to save it."

"That's good news," I say, unsure of my own words. "Can I get you anything?"

"My crutches."

"Besides that."

"Then no," she refuses. "Yes. The phone."

"For what?"

"To get someone to come get me."

"Travis?" I ask, and I keep the edge out of my voice because I've earned the right to trust her on this.

She shakes her head. "Mack."

"He's busy."

"Yeah, you're probably right. So is Shane. I don't have anyone else to call."

"Shane is on his way back to Atlanta with Katie. Where's your cell phone?" I ask.

"In a million pieces on a dark, desert highway."

"Looks like you're stuck here then," I assert. "When did you eat last? You look very pale."

"I'm not hungry," she stubbornly refuses again. "I can call the front desk and get a room here. If I can just get my crutches, I'll be out of your way soon."

"You're obsessed with the crutches. You're fine right where you are. If I bring them in here, you'll just try to walk to the door again. Clearly, you're in no condition to do that, and I can't just stand by and let you get hurt. Why aren't you in a wheelchair, anyway?"

"I didn't want one." She shrugs. "And I want my crutches nearby because I'm totally helpless without them."

"You need rest, and you need someone to take care of you. Being totally helpless may be a good thing for you, so you'll learn to lean on someone else for once."

“My track record of depending on others isn’t great.”

ANDI