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He held her tight, almost squeezing the breath out of her.
This right here, this was why she rushed.
“I did. Where’s Bella?”
“Getting X-rays. I thought it’d take longer for her to go down. She’s been there about forty minutes now. They said they might do an MRI too.”
“Just covering their bases,” she said. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Food?”
“No. I’m hungry, and should have gotten something while she was gone, because I don’t want to eat or drink in front of her. She can’t right yet until they know if she needs surgery.”
“You said that. How is she taking it?”
“Not great. Or she wasn’t, but she’s better now. She’s in pain and that is the worst part. Marly, I’m pretty sure she’s going to need surgery. I’ve seen enough injuries in my life. We kept it covered as much as we could. I didn’t want her freaking out.”
“What happened?”
“Sit,” he said.
Marly pulled a chair closer to his. He explained what he was told, what Bella said also. “Just sounds like one of those freak things.”
“Sounds like it could have been much worse too.”
He turned when he heard a bed moving closer, then Bella said, “Marly, you’re here.”
She stood and moved closer to the teen, leaned down and gave her a hug on the bed. “I’d be nowhere else. I came as soon as I could.”
“I’m glad you’re here. I had an MRI, Colson. It was kind of neat and scary at the same time.”
“Scary how?”
“I have to stay still, but it’s really loud. I jumped a few times and then relaxed after.”
“Now it sounds like we just have to wait,” Marly said. “Colson, why don’t you go stretch your legs and I’ll have a little girl to girl talk with Bella?”
She could see he didn’t want to leave. “Go, Colson,” Bella said. “I need to ask Marly something. It’s a girl thing.”
“Guess I’ll do what I’m told,” he said.
The minute they were alone, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve got cramps. I’m afraid I’m going to get my period and I don’t have anything. And I’ve got to go to the bathroom too.”
She looked down and saw a temporary brace on Bella’s ankle so it wasn’t just flopping around. “Let’s talk to the nurse and see if we can get you in a wheelchair and into the bathroom. They’ve got to have pads in there also if you want to put one on just in case.”
“That’s what I thought, but I didn’t want to tell Colson. He’d get all nervous and jerky over it. Even if I asked him to leave, he wouldn’t. Normally I’m not embarrassed and pick on him.”
“But this time it’s different. Too much going on in your head. I get it. Hang on.”
She went to the nurse’s station, explained the situation and they said they’d send someone in in a few minutes.
By the time Colson returned fifteen minutes later, everything was taken care of and no one was the wiser.
“I’m hungry,” Bella said an hour later. “What is taking so long?”
She felt the same way, but wouldn’t eat in front of the girl. She’d grabbed a granola bar to eat in the car on the way here.
“Everything takes forever in the hospital,” she said.
