The Cowbear's Christmas Bride (Curvy Bear Ranch 4) Page 10

  “What do we have?” the medic asked.

  “Female, early fifties, blow to the head. We’re not sure how long she’s been unconscious,” Tanner said.

  The second medic slapped a blood pressure cuff on her mom’s arm and started pumping it. He clipped something onto her finger.

  “Pulse ox, eighty-seven. BP eighty-five over fifty. We need to move her now. Get a backboard,” the second medic yelled.

  The first medic returned with a long, plastic board. They carefully moved her off of the makeshift splint, and after securing her, took off toward the helicopter.

  “Where are you taking her?” Hank yelled.

  “Bozeman.”

  “Can I go with you?” Carol asked.

  “No, ma’am. There’s not enough room. We’ll make sure the hospital calls you with an update,” the second medic said.

  “We’ll leave now,” Hank said. “We can be there in a couple of hours.”

  She nodded, unable to talk over the lump in her throat.

  “Do you need a police escort?” Tanner asked.

  “No,” Hank said.

  “Drive carefully. The roads are hell after last night’s storm,” Tanner said.

  “We will.”

  Carol grabbed Hank’s hand and dragged him toward the truck. He jogged alongside her. They split to jump in the cab. After locking their seat belts, he hit the gas. The truck fishtailed out of the parking lot.

  “Shit,” Hank said. “Tanner was right. The road’s slick as hell.”

  “Just get us there in one piece.”

  “She’ll get there soon. The doctors will be able to help her immediately. I’m sure they’ll have an update by the time we arrive,” Hank said.

  Carol scooted closer and rested her hand on his leg. She didn’t want him to take his hands off of the wheel, but she needed to touch him. The close proximity calmed her enough that she could breathe normally again.

  “Do you think she’ll live?” she asked in a broken voice.

  “She’ll have the best doctors in the area working on her.”

  She knew he couldn’t promise anything, but she wished he could say that her mom would be all right. If she died now, Carol’s heart would shatter into a million pieces and nothing could put it back together again.

  ***

  The drive to Bozeman took two hours. By the time they arrived, Hank’s hands were cramped from gripping the wheel so hard. He glanced at Carol, who had sat pressed up against him the entire trip. She clutched the fabric of his jeans so hard that when she finally released it, a small patch was still stretched out.

  As soon as he parked, Carol jumped out of the car and ran over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed until his ribs hurt. He returned the hug, knowing that she needed the comfort of human touch as much as he did.

  Guilt ate at him the entire trip. If only he’d gone back last night to get her. If only he’d insisted she come with them. Sure, she’d had a shotgun pointed at his head, but still. He should have found a way.

  “Let’s go find her.” Carol released him and wiped tears from her cheeks.

  “Okay, honey.”

  Inside the hospital, they followed signs to the ER. Hank approached the intake desk.

  “We’re looking for Victoria Fuller. She was brought in a couple of hours ago by medevac.”

  “What’s your relationship to the patient?” The lady squinted at him through thick glasses.

  “She’s my mom,” Carol said.

  “Who’s he?” the lady asked.

  “My husband,” Carol replied.

  Hank’s eyes went wide for a moment before he recovered. The intake lady glared at him as if he’d been the one to beat Vicki up.

  “Through those doors, room eight on the left,” she said.

  He grabbed Carol’s hand and walked toward the set of double doors. A buzzer sounded, then the doors swung open. He hurried down the sterile, white hall. The even-numbered rooms were on the left, the odd on the right. He found room eight and took a deep breath.

  Since he didn’t know what he was going to find, he ushered Carol in ahead of him in case he needed to catch her. When they walked into the room, Carol squeaked out a strangled cry. The hospital bed lay empty.

  “Oh God, she’s dead,” Carol shrieked.

  “Wait, honey. We might just be in the wrong room.”

  A nurse burst into the room. “What are you two doing in here?”

  “Looking for Victoria Fuller,” Hank replied.

  “She’s in the OR. Won’t be back for a few hours,” the nurse replied in a curt tone.

  “What are they operating on?” Hank asked.

  “Broken arm. Cracked pelvis. Broken ribs. The orthopedic surgeon will be out to give you an update soon. She got damn lucky one of her ribs didn’t puncture a lung. What the hell happened to her?”

  “Her boyfriend,” Hank said through clenched teeth.

  “I can’t understand why these women don’t just walk away.” The nurse sighed heavily. “I know a lot of them have no one else, but there are women’s shelters, domestic violence programs.”

  “My guess is that they’ve been too beat down psychologically and don’t know how to leave the life they know,” Hank said.

  “I guess. All I know is that the day a man hits me is the day I leave. No second chances. No man should ever hit a woman,” the nurse said.

  “Agreed,” Hank said.

  “The OR waiting room’s just down the hall. Can I get you two anything? Have you eaten?” she asked.

  “Nothing since a quick breakfast,” Carol said.

  “I’ll bring you some sandwiches. We have a bunch in the fridge for patients, but I’ve given them to family too. You can’t get caught up in all the damn rules all the time. These administrators… anyway, I’ll be back.”

  Hank held Carol’s hand as they moved toward the waiting room. The small room contained several couches, a table with multiple chairs, and a huge flat screen TV. He chose the couch farthest from the TV and sat. He pulled Carol into his lap and held her tightly.

  “I can’t stand not knowing what’s going on in there,” Carol said.

  “I know. Trust me, if I could bust into that OR to get an update, I would.”

  “Sorry about the husband thing. That lady at the front desk had such a bitchy vibe. I didn’t want her to find an excuse to keep you out.”

  “I don’t mind,” he said. “I kind of liked the sound of it.”

  “You did?” She leaned back and looked at him.

  “I did.” More than he wanted to admit right now, especially in a hospital waiting room. Now wasn’t the time or the place to tell her how he really felt. There would be time for that later, he was sure of it.

  Minutes turned into hours. Hank picked at the crumbs in the now-empty sandwich wrappers. He could have eaten another three, but didn’t want to bother the nurse. She’d already been generous enough.

  The door opened and a doctor wearing a long white coat entered the room.

  “Are you Victoria Fuller’s family?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Carol sat up and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

  “She’s suffering from several different injuries. We set her arm and wrapped her ribs. Her pelvis had several hairline fractures. We removed a few shattered bone fragments laparoscopically, but fortunately, she didn’t need more invasive surgery. That said, the injury to her pelvis is going to take a long time to heal.”

  “Will she be okay?” Carol asked.

  “She will. It will take time though,” the doctor said.

  For the first time in hours, Hank relaxed slightly. The news wasn’t good, but it could have been a lot worse.

  “She has a concussion and will need to stay in the hospital for several days, but she’ll recover.”

  “Thank you so much.” Carol jumped up to give the doctor a hug. He patted her back awkwardly.

  “There’s another matter I need to discuss with you,” the doctor said wh
en Carol finally released him.

  “What?” Hank asked.

  “Your mom is a drug addict,” the doctor said.

  “What?” Carol asked.

  “We found track marks in her arm.”

  “Oh God,” she said.

  “I’m guessing you didn’t know,” the doctor said.

  “I had no idea.”

  “My guess is that she’s been using for some time. We’re running some tests to determine the drug, but I suspect methamphetamines,” the doctor said.

  “Meth?” Hank asked. He couldn’t believe she was doing such a dangerous drug. That would sure explain her irrational behavior toward Carol.

  “Yeah. It’s a big problem up here. It’s too easy for people to cook it in remote places in the woods. As soon as law enforcement busts one meth lab, another springs up. It’s a damn shame,” the doctor said.

  “What can we do to help her?” Hank asked.

  “After we get confirmation, we should start a methadone treatment program. It’s the safest way to detox from methamphetamines.”

  “Will it cure her?” Carol asked.

  “No, but it will stop the biological addiction. The psychological addiction is a lot harder to contend with. I can recommend some good programs when we’re able to release her,” he said.

  “Okay,” Carol said. “When can we go see her?”

  “They’re bringing her to a post-op room so we can monitor her. As soon as we confirm the drug, I’ll send the nurse in with the authorization forms to start the addiction treatment. I want to get her on it as soon as possible before the withdrawal symptoms get really bad. Good luck to you folks. If you need anything, ask one of the nurses to page me,” the doctor said.

  After he’d left the room, Carol slumped back into the chair. Hank sat next to her and held her in his arms. He brushed a gentle kiss across her head. If he ever saw Trevor again, he’d kill him. His bear was in full agreement, so much so that his claws started to pierce the tips of his fingers.

  Carol took his hands in hers and stroked them gently. She knew exactly what he needed because she was his mate. There was no other explanation for their overwhelming connection. He would have done anything in that moment to take away her pain. The fact that he couldn’t do anything but hold her crushed his soul.

  Chapter 11

  Carol kept stroking Hank’s hands until his claws retracted. The last thing she needed was for his bear to come hurtling out. If the creature wanted to hunt Trevor down later and eat him alive, she’d have no problem with it. But right now, they needed to focus on her mom.

  “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to help her,” she whispered. The waiting room was still empty, but fear kept her from saying it any louder.

  “Why?” Hank asked.

  “She said she hated me and wished I hadn’t been born.” The words pierced her heart as sharply now as they did when her mom had first spoken them.

  “I don’t think she meant that. Drugs make people irrational. She wasn’t the one talking to you. It was the meth.”

  “I don’t have money for expensive treatments, and I’d have to move here. I’m not prepared for this. I can’t do it,” she said. The sheer enormity of what she’d have to do overwhelmed her.

  “I’ll help you,” he said.

  “You’ve already done so much.”

  “I’d do anything for you.” The concern in his eyes warmed her heart.

  “I’ve never tried to get close to anyone before. I always thought people would abandon me, so I never tried,” she confessed.

  “I won’t ever abandon you,” he said. “And once your mom gets clean, she won’t want to lose you either.”

  “How can you be so sure?” she asked.

  “Because my bear would take my head off if I let you leave.” He smiled. “And I’m sure that once your mom gets to know you, she’ll see the same qualities that I see in you. You’re a kind, generous, thoughtful, beautiful woman. Anyone who can’t see that is an idiot.”

  “My mom might be an idiot then,” she said.

  “No. She’s just sick.” He rubbed her back.

  The nurse walked into the room. “Your mom’s in room fifteen. She’s very drowsy, but you can come see her if you’d like.”

  Carol stood on shaky legs. Hank quickly put his arm around her, giving her a place to lean until the dizziness passed. He navigated the confusing hallways and found her mom’s room. They stopped just outside the closed door.

  “I’m afraid I’ll say something wrong,” she said.

  “I’ll be with you the whole time. If you need me to jump in, I will.”

  Love flared up from her heart to fill her entire body. In that moment, she realized he’d do anything for her. He’d already proven that every day since she arrived at the ranch. She never expected to fall in love with a cowboy shifter, but she was.

  She looked up at Hank, who locked gazes with her. The expression of pure love in his eyes melted the pain in her heart. With his help, she knew she’d be able to take care of her mom. He brought out a strength in her that she never knew she had. She couldn’t wait to tell him, but now wasn’t the right time. She needed to deal with her mom first.

  After giving Hank a soft kiss, she pushed the door open. A single hospital bed sat in the center of the small room. Bags of clear fluid were connected to metal racks. Various lines and tubes connected to an IV in her mom’s arm. Dark bags hung under her eyes, making her look so much older than her fifty years. The hard life that she’d lived was etched into the lines on her face.

  “Mom?” she asked tentatively.

  Her mom opened her eyes into small slits, then closed them. Maybe she was too weak to talk yet.

  “Go. I can’t let you see me like this,” her mom whispered.

  “Mom,” Carol said as she gently touched her mom’s hand. “I’m here for you and I’m not leaving. I know about the drugs. I know about the abuse but I don’t care. I love you anyway and I’m going to take care of you.”

  “I’m a lost cause,” her mom said.

  “No one’s ever a lost cause,” Hank said.

  “I’ve got too many problems.”

  “We can help you,” he said. “We want to help you.”

  “We, hmm? I thought you two were just friends.”

  “We’re…” Carol hesitated. She couldn’t describe her relationship to her mom because she didn’t know how to define it. As soon as she could get a minute alone with Hank, she’d talk to him.

  “Well whatever you are, he’s a good man. Keep him. Don’t make the mistake I did of letting a good man go,” her mom said.

  The doctor strolled into the room. “Hello Victoria. How are you feeling?”

  “Like I got into a fight with a bull and lost, which is actually about right,” she said.

  “I’m going to have the nurse add some medicine into the IV in just a minute. You might be experiencing some withdrawal symptoms from the methamphetamines, but this will take care of that,” he said.

  “Don’t bring that up in front of them,” she snapped.

  “They already know,” he said. “The nurse will be in shortly.”

  After the doctor left, her mom tried to roll away from them, but the tangle of wires kept her from getting too far.

  “I know about the drugs mom, but we’re going to get you clean,” Carol said.

  “You know how many times I tried to stop? More times than there are stars in the sky. It’s no use. I should have just OD’d years ago.”

  “You’ve never had medical assistance before,” Hank said. “This will make it a lot easier, at least on the physical side of things.”

  “What do you mean? What other side is there?” her mom asked.

  “The emotional side,” Carol said. “We need to find out why you need the drugs in the first place.”

  “You going to head-shrink me? Good luck. I went to a group for a few years. Didn’t do nothing. Got back on the meth when a dealer started hanging out in the p
arking lot after the meetings.”

  “Bastard,” Hank said.

  “Yeah,” her mom agreed.

  After a few moments of silence had passed, Carol gave her mom’s hand a gentle squeeze.

  “We’ll figure out all the details later. Right now, I want you to get better. Get some rest and we’ll come back in the morning. Okay?” she asked.

  “If you keep insistin’ on helpin’, I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” her mom said.

  “That’s right,” Carol smiled. “You can push me away all you want, but I’m not leaving.”

  “I don’t deserve you, especially after all the terrible things I said to you. I didn’t mean it,” her mom said.

  “I know.” She leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. “We’ll be back tomorrow to check on you. I’ll leave my cell phone number with the nurse in case you need anything.”

  Her mom’s head rolled across the pillow toward Hank. “You take care of my girl.”

  “I will,” he said.

  “Can you do somethin’ for me?” her mom asked. “Can you ask them to keep Trevor out?”

  “He’s in jail right now, but I’ll make sure security knows just in case,” Hank said.

  “Good. I think I’m done with him.”

  Relief flooded Carol’s body. Her mother had just taken the first step toward healing. As she followed Hank through the halls to the truck, a seed of hope sprouted in her heart. Maybe she could find a way to stay and build a relationship with her mom… and maybe even with Hank too.

  ***

  Carol snuggled into Hank’s arms in the hotel room they’d rented for the night. He hadn’t wanted to drive back and forth between Bozeman and West Yellowstone. The trip was too long and too dangerous to be doing every day.

  She pressed her cheek against his chest and listened to the thump of his heart. Earlier, she’d been ready to confess her feelings, but to actually come up with the right words was harder than she thought it would be.

  “What are you thinking?” Hank asked softly.

  “I’m thinking about you… about us.” She felt his heart beat a little faster.

  “About us?”