Page 11 of Trial By Fire
"That doesn't sound so bad."
"It wasn't—until two customers came to check out and stood there because they didn't want to wake me."
I chuckle at the image. "The first trimester is rough. Dani's mom could sleep twenty hours a day, and it wasn't enough."
She shakes her head. "Well, I have to do better. I have too much to do to be falling asleep all the time."
I get having stuff to do but— "Your body needs rest, Lindsey. It's creating a tiny human. That's no small thing."
"I know, but—I've decided to move here, and I have to find a job and a place to live, get ready for"—she waves her hands in the air above her belly—"the tiny human. I don't have time to sleep."
I frown at that, hating that she's going through this alone. "I know this is none of my business, but the dad's not in the picture at all?"
She shakes her head. "No. And he never will be."
Okay then. Answers that question.
Sort of. I wonder about the circumstances, but given our near-stranger status, I can't ask—yet. Another visit or two and I'll cite family via the firehouse and Gabe through his relationship with Bronwyn just to get some details. Until then…
One of my docs walks in, and I watch when the man pauses to take a long, appreciative look at Lindsey.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Benjamin. Are you Mrs. McCallum?"
"No, I—I'm just a friend. Visiting and helping out with the girls. I'm Lindsey."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Lindsey."
"Doc?" I growl, making no bones about my tone. Lindsey and I might only be friends, but I've heard the good doc hit on every female under the age of eighty in the last week or so. He isn't for Lindsey.
The man's gaze shoots back to me, but he looks completely unbothered by my glare.
"Mr. McCallum, I have good news. Your labs all came back within range, and PT says you're managing the wheelchair well enough to go home—with conditions, of course. Otherwise, it's off to our hospital's rehab for you."
"I'm going home," I tell the man.
"If certain conditions are met then?—"
"What kind of conditions?" I ask, cutting him off so he'd get to the point.
"That you have home care, mainly," the man says.
"What do you mean? A nurse? Doc, I wanna get out of here, but I don't need a nurse."
"No, you don't," he agrees. "But you will need help. You have to stay off that leg other than for short trips to the bathroom. and you can't use crutches because of the burns. You'll need twenty-four-hour care at first. Someone to stay with you and help you with food, getting you to the bathroom, assist with bathing, drive you to your appointments and PT. That sort of thing."
"I can do it," Madi says from the doorway.
As much as I want to glom onto her offer, I can't. "You can't drive, sweetheart. And I'd say this person has to be of age."
"They do," the doc confirms.
"I appreciate the offer, Mads." To the doc I say, "I'll figure it out. How soon can I leave? Now?"
The little jerk chuckles at my readiness and shakes his head. "Tomorrow morning—if care is in place, and our care team can confirm who will be staying with you. They'll need to be here in person to get you."
"What about me?" Lindsey asks abruptly.
My head swings in her direction, and she looks as shocked by the words as I feel by the idea.
