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"He can stay. He's my boyfriend."
The nurse nods. "Okay, hun, before I call the doctor to come and stitch this for you, does she need to do any other exam? Did the person who did this to you do anything else we should know about?"
I already know that she's asking if he raped me. I knew as soon as Archer got me in the car he'd been waiting for this answer. Possibly to berate himself again for 'not making Grey suffer.'
"No. I do not need any further evaluation. Just my ribs to make sure nothing is fractured. It doesn't feel like it, though." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Archer let out a breath, almost like he was holding it, waiting for my answer.
"Okay, hun," the nurse says, "We will get this all stitched up as soon as possible. The CT scan might be a little longer of a wait. Just rest for now. Take a nap if you can. The doctor will wake you
up when she comes in. Although I'm sure that this one will not be leaving your side anytime soon."
I give her a smile and say thank you. Finally, me and Archer are alone.
"She's right, you should take a nap. I'll be right here the whole time. Although I don't think I can keep Cordelia or Nisa from coming up right away. I'm going to call Nisa now. Are you okay with me being outside of the door?"
I nod, and he walks out, shutting the door behind him. So, he wasn't on the phone with Nisa. Who was he on it with? Who was so important to call at that very moment? A minute or two later, Archer comes back. "Why are you still awake?"
"I was waiting for you. But now I think I'm going to take a nap. I feel so tired."
He comes up to me and kisses my head. "Go ahead. I'll be here when you wake up." With that, I turn my head and fall into a deep sleep. The best I've had in a while.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Archer
I'm holding onto Daphne's hand in the hospital, and I have no plans on letting her go. She's still sleeping. The doctor who did her stitches just left. It pained me to watch her go through more agony. The numbing needle and then the stitches themselves. I could tell on her face that the couple of them hurt. But she took it without complaints.
I look at her face where that fucking asshole slapped her. She's going to be bruised for a couple days. I'm scared to kiss her. One for not truly knowing what he did to her, and two, I don't want to hurt her. That cut on her bottom lip looks horrible. I'm surprised she didn't need a stitch in it.
When I called Nisa, I told her not to ask questions when she came. Not yet. I still haven't told Daphne that she cannot tell anyone that I killed him. I think Nisa has an inkling of what I did. But she is keeping herself far away from it. She doesn't want to know something that could jeopardize her career. Liam is taking care of it. And when Liam takes care of something, nothing is ever found unless he wants it to be.
Nisa told me she would bring Cordelia up first thing in the morning. So, Daphne has the first night getting the much-needed rest she needs. I think it's a good idea. If Cordelia was here, Daphne would stay up the whole time. She believed her sister to be gone. I hate keeping Daph from seeing her, but she needs to get some strength back. I get a text and take out my phone. It's from Liam.
Liam: Finished the concrete pad for you. Only took about two hours.
Archer: Thank you, I appreciate the help. I'll be sure to pay you when I see you next.
Talking in code is always so weird to me. Sometimes I think, 'Well, now that he did one for me, I guess I'm in his game for at least one more ride.' But when it comes to Daphne's safety, I would be in it for so much longer if that's what it takes. The nurse comes in to check Daphne's vitals and write them down. I hate hospitals. It reminds me too much of death. And it can get a little annoying when they check on you every five seconds. I should get some rest, too. This chair isn't the comfiest thing ever, but I've slept in worse. I get myself situated and start to drift off.
***
I wake up, forgetting where I am. But then my muscles start to ache, and I know that I'm in the chair at the hospital. I open my eyes, and I find Daphne looking at me. Her mouth is open a little bit. She looks like she has been up for a little bit. How long was I out for?
"You should be getting the rest, not me," I say as I push myself up so I'm not slouching anymore.
"They took me for my scan. You slept through the whole thing. I would beg to differ on who needed the sleep. How long have you been up? It's been four days, and how many of those days did you actually get some rest?"
She's right. I hate that she's always right. "I probably slept only a couple hours each day. I'm sorry I fell asleep."
"Don't be sorry. You obviously needed it. Anyway, I was gone for most of your sleep, so it's okay. They said they were bringing me breakfast, so I just decided to stay up. Plus, you are so attractive sleeping."
"Were you watching me sleep?"
She turns red, "Yes, I was." She says it with confidence. Like, I'm really all that to look at when she's the one who's a stunner.
"Nisa and Cordelia are coming up today."
She looks pleased about that. "When do you think they'll be up? Do I look okay?" She starts to comb her hair with her fingers. Of course, she doesn't want them to see her like this.
