He, Taylor, and Lexi followed the doctor into a room with a table and a few chairs. The doctor closed the door behind them.
“We’re both advanced life-support paramedics,” Eric told him, hoping that would encourage the doctor to get to the point and not talk to them like they were two-year-olds.
“The good news is that she’s conscious with no neurological deficits that we can see. She knows who she is. She knows where she is. She knows that she was maid of honor at your wedding. She doesn’t remember what happened, which isn’t surprising. That’s very common with concussion.”
“Oh, thank God!” Lexi looked like she might cry from sheer relief.
Eric took this in. “So what’s the bad news?”
“She’s got a skull fracture. It’s a simple linear fracture, and scans show no sign of subdural hematoma or swelling. She’s having some nausea and dizziness, but that’s to be expected. Mostly, she’s got a very bad headache. Because she was out for so long, I’d like to keep her here overnight, keep her under observation, try to get her comfortable.”
“Thanks so much.” Taylor shook the doctor’s hand.
But Eric couldn’t stand it any longer. “I want to see her.”
Chapter 20
Victoria feltsomeone stroke her cheek and opened her eyes to find Eric looking down at her. “Eric.”
“Hey.” The smile on his lips did nothing to hide the crease of worry between his brows. “How do you feel?”
“My head … hurts a lot.”
“You’ll be getting another dose of morphine in about twenty minutes.”
She reached out for his hand. “I’m so glad to see you.”
He gave her fingers a warm squeeze. “Lexi and Taylor are here, too, remember?”
“They are?”
“Hey, Vic.” Lexi appeared beside Eric, still wearing her wedding gown, Austin beside her. “We’re still here.”
Vic didn’t understand. “Weren’t you supposed to be on a plane?”
“We canceled our flight,” Austin told her. “We’re going to stick around until we know you’re okay.”
“But why … how?” It was all so confusing.
Eric stroked her forehead. “Do you remember why you’re here?”
Of course, she did. Except that when she tried to recall what had happened, her mind went blank. “No.”
Eric exchanged a glance with Lexi and Austin. “You got a bad bump on the head and have a concussion and a skull fracture. You’re having some problems with short-term memory, but that’s not unusual.”
She looked from Eric to Austin and Lexi. “I ruined your wedding, didn’t I? I ruined your honeymoon.”
“No!” they said together.
“No, sweetie, you didn’t ruin anything. Don’t think that for a minute.” Lexi reached out to touch her knee.
“You’re a hero to everyone in Scarlet now,” Austin told her.
“I … I am?”
Then Eric told her how she’d run out to the street in front of the inn to protect Bear from some meth-head bullies who were trying to steal his cake and how one of them had shoved her, sending her toppling backward into the street.
“You hit your head hard, and you were out for at least ten full minutes.”