Finding Pride (Pride Series) (28 page)

“
O
h God! Megan?” He picked her up, holding her close. He noticed blood running down the side of her head, she had cuts and pieces of glass in her arms. He was shaking now, uncontrollable. He walked several paces, looked back over his shoulder at two large men who stood over Derek. “Make sure he doesn’t go anywhere. Has someone called an ambulance?”

“This man isn’t going anywhere.” The larger of the two men said, rolling Derek to his back. “You got him real good.”

“I called the Police.” A middle aged woman said coming out of the office door. “Are you alright honey?” she asked Megan.

“I’m fine.” Megan said, but Todd was walking towards the Jeep. “Todd, where are we going?”

“Hospital,” he said and set her gently in the Jeep. “Damn cops and ambulances take too long.” He put her seat belt around her. “Tell them if they want my statement, I’ll be at Edgeview Hospital,” he said to the woman, who nodded in reply.

Several hours later, after being checked in to the hospital and having doctors look at her, Megan was lying back on a soft bed, resting in a private room.

The baby was alright.

She kept saying it over and over. They had listened to the heartbeat and it was nice and strong. Todd had cried when he heard it. Megan was so touched by his tears that she had broken down too.

She had a couple of stitches in her shoulder and head. They had removed lots of glass from her back and arms, but for the most part, the thick curtains had shielded her from most of the glass. Her hip was badly bruised and she had twisted her ankle, but other than that, she felt fine, she felt free.

Todd was pacing up and down the room mumbling about something, while the nurse took Megan’s blood pressure.

“The doctor wants you to take a sleeping pill to relax. He would like to keep you overnight.”

“Oh, no, I think I would like to go ho—“

“We’ll stay.” Todd broke in looking at the nurse.

Megan looked at his face and knew not to challenge him. “Thank you.” She told the nurse, when she had given her the pill and some water.

Just then there was a knock at the door. “Miss Kimble?” A tall young man in a Sheriffs uniform stood just inside the door. “I’m Sheriff Brogan; the doctor says it’s alright to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Come on in Robert.” Todd said from the corner.

“Oh, Todd, didn’t see you there. I would like a couple of minutes with you too.” The nurse quietly walked out after making sure Megan swallowed the small pill.

Todd walked over and sat next to Megan, pulling her bandaged hand into his own.

Robert could see that what ever the case had been, Todd would not leave her side.

“I just have a few questions about what happened. Do you feel up to answering them? It won’t take long.”

“She just took a sleeping pill.” Todd started in.

“I feel fine, go ahead.” Megan said, lightly squeezing his hand.

Ten minutes later after answering a dozen or so questions, Megan was feeling very sleepy. Todd had been telling Robert his side of the story, and she was drifting off listening to his soothing voice.

Todd could feel Megan’s hand grow lax in his as he finished telling what had happened at the Motel.

Robert finished taking notes. “Well, he’s a federal matter now. The Officer that he killed was a federal guard. He’s going to be put away for a long time.”

“That’s good.” Todd murmured looking down at Megan. She was pale; her hair was pushed back from her face. She had white bandages on her arms and shoulder. Then he looked down at the bandages on his own fists. Megan had been so concerned when she had seen that some of the blood on his hands was his own, she’d gone white, and then she’d demanded that he be fixed up as well.

“You did a fine job on that guy, knocked a couple of teeth out, and broke his nose. He’s in the hospital ward at the state facility. He’ll be there another few days then they’ll ship him back east.” Robert sat with Todd for another few minutes, until Iian and Lacey walked in, both carrying large vases of flowers.

“She’s asleep.” Todd whispered and signed, then ushered them both to come in.

“How is she?” Lacey asked walking over to Megan and looking down at her. She noticed that she was pale, but a few cuts on her hands, looked well. “How’s the baby?”

“They’re both fine.” He walked over and kissed his sisters wet cheek. “The baby is fine. We heard the heart beat,” he said with a proud grin.

Iian signed his questions, Todd answered, telling them both a shorter version of the story. By the time he was done telling his story, he was exhausted.

“Why don’t you lie down for a while? I can watch over her.” Lacey said, nodding towards the pull out bed. Instead Todd pulled his shoes off and scooted Megan over, so that her head rested on his shoulder. She didn’t even stir. Lacey covered them both up with a blanket. When Iian signed to her, saying that they should leave, she turned down the lights and headed out with her brother.

Dr. Stevens walked into Megan’s Hospital room the next morning followed by a tall blonde man who was wearing a white medical jacket. He had a stethoscope casually wrapped around his neck. When he looked up from the chart he was looking at, he gave Megan a quick smile showing off a perfect set of the whitest teeth she’d ever seen.

“Megan, how are you feeling?’ Dr. Stevens said, taking Megan’s attention off the blonde gentlemen. “I heard we had quite an exciting day yesterday?” He looked over the bandages that the emergency room had placed over her arms and hands yesterday.

“Yes. I’m fine…” She began but he just shushed her while he listened to her heart in a stethoscope.

When he was done, he said. “This is my grandson, Doctor Aaron Stevens,” he said with a large grin. “He’s going to be helping me out for a while.”

Dr. Stevens Sr. walked over and started poking at Todd’s hands while Dr. Aaron Stevens walked over and lightly shook Megan’s bandaged hand holding it a little longer than Todd liked.

“It’s a pleasure Miss Kimble.” The younger man said with another smile. “I hear from my grandfather that we’ll be neighbors. I’ve purchased the Bell place just down the road.”

Megan had yet to see the house, but she’d heard it was a large ranch house, that needed quite a bit of work.

“Oh, congratulations, please call me Megan.”

“Please, call me Aaron,” he said with a smile.

“I hadn’t heard that the Bells had moved.” Todd broke in, causing the young doctor to look over at him for the first time.

“They decided to downsize, since their children were all grown and married. They didn’t want to maintain such a large place.”

“Oh, are you married then?” Todd asked a little too eager.

“No.” He turned back to Megan. “The place needs quite a bit of work, the Bells had let it go the last couple years. It’s kind of a project for me.”

This news caused Todd to let out a small grunt of disapproval. He was still glaring at the mans back. Megan felt an urge to giggle at the jealousy written all over his face. Then the young doctor started looking over Megan’s bandages.

“We would like to do an ultrasound. There is nothing to worry about. Everything looks fine, the baby’s heart beat is strong, but just to be on the safe side.” Aaron said, continuing his exam of her arm and hand. Then he looked at the back of Megan’s head. She had a small bandage over the two stitches she had received. “You had a nasty bump here, are you feeling dizzy or nausea? Other than the morning sickness.”

“No, actually, I’m feeling fine today. They gave me my medicine early enough this morning, that I feel fine.”

“Good, your stitches look clean, you should keep these dry for a few days.” He looked down at her shoulder, where she had five more stitches. As he pulled her hospital gown down, Megan looked over at Todd and could see his eyes burning a hole in the young doctor’s back.

Dr. Stevens Sr. pulled Todd’s attention away asking him to move his fingers. “Gave the man a good whooping huh?” He chuckled. “From the sounds of it, he had it coming.”

“Yes sir.” Todd pulled his eyes back from the old man, to focus on the younger one, who was still checking out Megan’s shoulder.

Megan could heard him mumbling under his breath.

“My grandson is going to be taking over for me, when I retire next month.” At this Todd’s eyes went back to the old man.

“What? You can’t retire! I mean, who is going to deliver our baby?” Todd said. He knew he sounded childish, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want this young, good looking man to get within five feet of Megan, let alone deliver their baby. He looked back over at the man. He was
still
looking at Megan’s shoulder, her bare shoulder. His hand tensed in the doctor’s, he felt like walking over there and ripping the guys flashy smile right off his face.

Dr. Stevens saw the look and gripped Todd’s hands harder, causing Todd to wince slightly. The old man might be about a hundred years old, but his grip was that of a thirty year old.

“My grandson has been practicing medicine for eight years in California. Now he’s graciously accepted to take over my practice in Pride. Don’t worry my boy. I’ll still be around town, just doing a lot more fishing.” He smiled over at Megan and winked as he patted Todd’s arm.

“Well now,” Aaron said, straightening back up and replaced Megan’s gown over her bandaged shoulder. “It shouldn’t take too long for the ultrasound.” He walked to the door and pulled in a large machine on wheels.

Todd walked over and stood next to Megan,
over
Megan. Then he glared at the young doctor. “My
fiance
and I would like to be the first to welcome you to Pride.” Megan heard the stress, on the word fiance and stifled a giggle.

Aaron looked between the couple and instantly liked the man. Anyone who would put this small woman’s life and that of his unborn child before his own won merits in his book.

His grandfather told him the story of Megan. He’d looked through her medical file from her doctor out east. Her file was full of broken bones, and hospital visits. After reading page after page, he knew the hell she had conquered and gave the woman props for surviving and thriving. Now, it appeared she had found happiness, and he could tell by looking into Todd’s eyes, that she had found a protector.

Aaron smiled at the man. “Thank you, would you like to see your baby?”

Todd’s face turned a little white, then his chest puffed out and the silliest smile crossed his face. In that instant, Aaron knew he liked and respected Todd Jordan.

Megan had wanted some privacy with Todd, so she could tell him how she felt, but there was a blur of visitors after the duel Doctor’s visit. She liked both of them, the old and the young, especially after the younger made a point to go out of his way for Todd. He printed out pictures of the baby, which looked nothing more than a small blob to her. She really liked him, since he signed her release papers. She could also tell Todd had warmed up to him.