Page 44 of The CEO

“She won’t hate you. I’ll make sure she sees you every day, and you can kiss her and love on her while I hold her. It will be okay. I promise.”

She shook her head. “You can’t promise that. She’s too little to understand anything but Mommy doesn’t want her.”

I really need to buy a child-rearing book and make him read it.“That’s not what she’ll think. We might be surprised at what she understands. If we explain that Mommy’s hurt, she might understand. She is getting older now. She’s almost nine months, after all.”

“She’s still a baby. She won’t understand why I can’t hold her and comfort her. It’s going to be a nightmare.” Bree wanted to cry again but refused to give in to her mood.

“Bree, sweetheart, I promise it won’t be that bad.” He gently pushed her hair back behind her ears. “You’ll still get to hug her and kiss her and make sure she knows you love her.”

She looked at Adam. He was so handsome, and he knew it. What was he doing with her? Why had he been so quick tochoose her? And why did he keep calling her sweetheart? Was it because she was injured?

Timony picked that moment to come back in. “Time to take you to your room. How are you feeling? That shot should have taken effect by now.”

Bree nodded. “I do feel better…as long as I don’t move.” She grinned then remembered her conversation with Adam. “Do you know when I’ll be able to lift my baby?”

“How old is he?”

“She’s nine-months-old.”

Timony smiled and touched Bree’s arm. “She’s at the point where she’s very squirmy and moves a lot. You can’t handle that without beaucoup pain. It would be best if you didn’t even try until the doctor says you can.”

“All right. Thank you,” said Adam.

Timony unhooked the blood pressure cuff and took the oxygen meter off her finger. The IV stand was attached to the bed so she didn’t need to unhook the IV from Bree. Then Timony pulled the bed out of the curtained-off room and began to push it.

Adam walked behind her. “How will you get her into the bed in the room?”

“Another nurse or nurse’s assistant, a CNA, will be there to help me. We’ll literally grab the sheet she’s on and pull it across onto the other bed. We can’t have her trying to get up yet, that includes to use the restroom. She’ll have to use a bedpan.”

“I just want her to have the best care possible.”

Timony answered him. “Trust me, Mr. Kincaid, we give all of our patients the best care possible, whether they can pay or not. You obviously can pay, but that doesn’t mean the care she will receive is better than it would be for someone who is unable to.”

Bree could hear the disdain in her voice.

Adam held up his hands in front of himself. “I realize that. I didn’t mean to disparage you or your fellow nurses and CNAs.”

Timony shrugged. “It’s all right. Most people make the same assumption—that money equals better care. It doesn’t—all it gives you is a better room.”

“I’m okay with that,” said Adam.

The room she rolled Bree into was plain. A bed, small dresser, recliner, a silver rolling tray and a roll-away tray to go over the bed were the only pieces of furniture. A TV hung on the wall in front of the bed. The room did have a view of the mountains, which was nice.

A young brunette woman waited in the room.

“This is Ginger,” said Timony. “She and I are going to slide you over to the bed. You just lay there and don’t try to help. It will only make it more difficult for you and for us. Understand?”

Bree nodded. “Got it. Don’t help.”

Timony unhooked Bree from the IV. Then she and Ginger moved to the opposite side of the bed, leaned over and grabbed the sheet Bree lay upon, then pulled her over onto the bed.

“There, see? Wasn’t that easy?” asked Timony.

“Yes,” Bree admitted. “It only hurt a little, but the morphine kept me mostly comfortable.”

“Good. It’s doing its job, then.”

A female doctor came in just as Ginger was leaving.