“Logan.” Dr. Evans cuts in. Calmly walking over to me, she places her hand on my arm. “Bella is in surgery and stable for now. I wanted to bring you to the family room so we could discuss her condition in private. I’m sorry that my instruction alarmed you.”
I slump my shoulders in relief, “Is she going to be okay?” I ask.
“Right now, Bella is stable, but she’s not out of the woods yet. If you all will follow me I will explain her condition to you.”
Nodding we follow the doctor into a private room. I sit and listen to her describe Bella’s injuries. “She has seven lacerations to her chest and torso that will require at least 200 or more stitches, she’s being sewn up now. I repaired the femoral artery in her leg. Whoever tied the belt around her thigh saved her life. Had it not been for that she wouldn’t have made it to the hospital. She’s still unconscious and will most likely remain that way awhile. I want you to keep in mind that even though she’s stable, she is still in serious condition and will be admitted to the ICU for a few days. Bella also had some bruising on her hips and along the inside of her thighs indicating possible sexual assault.”
My body tenses at the mention of rape. “And?” I ask.
“The examination determined she wasn’t raped.” Dr. Evans assures.
“When can I see her?”
“Once Bella is moved to the ICU, she will be allowed one visitor at a time. I’m also going to suggest a counselor come talk to her when she is awake. Bella will most likely have some issues and trouble dealing with the level of damage that has been done to her body. Recovery will be a very difficult road for her. I called in a favor and had the best plastic surgeon in the state come in, he’s working on Bella now. I’ll go check on his progress and send someone to take you to her as soon as possible.”
“What about the girl that was brought in with Bella? How’s she doing?” Reid inquires. Shit, I completely forgot about her. My only focus has been on my woman.
“Sofia has a broken arm and a significant amount of bumps and bruises. She’s awake now and was able to tell us her name and give some information about what’s happened to her. She seems to be a strong girl. I’m going to work on finding her family.”
“Thanks, Dr. Evans,” I say offering her my hand, “and I’m sorry about before. When we first arrived, I meant no disrespect.”
Accepting she replies, “You’re welcome, Logan. Given the situation, your actions were to be expected. You only wanted what was best for the person you care for and believe me, you’re not the first person to question my credibility, and you won’t be the last.” She says in a bit of a teasing tone to lighten the mood. Standing up, Dr. Evans makes her way to the door and adds, “There are a couple detectives in the waiting area asking to speak with someone about the incident involving Bella and Sofia.”
Before I can reply my father cuts in.
“I’ll take care of it,” he says immediately leaving the room.
“Excuse me there, Dr. Pretty,” Quinn draws from the corner of the room. “Would you mind showing me where I can get some coffee?”
The doctor’s face flushes red as she stammers, “Um, sure.” I watch as he walks out of the room throwing a wink over his shoulder as he trails behind the poor unsuspecting woman.
“Fucking Quinn, can’t take his ass anywhere,” Reid scoffs.
It’s been two days and Bella still hasn’t woken up. The plus is that she is no longer considered critical and has been moved to a regular room. Dr. Evans has been coming by every few hours to check on her progress, and she assures me Bella will wake up when she’s ready. My father has arranged for Bella to have a private room while she’s here, and he’s gotten Jake, Quinn, and Reid situated in a local hotel. With things quiet back home, they refuse to leave until Bella can come home.
It’s almost 9:00 am, and I’m expecting the guys any moment for their first visit of the day, so when the door opens I’m expecting to see my brothers, but what I get is Alba—a very angry looking Alba. She appraises her sister for a moment before she turns her fiery eyes to me. This is not the sweet, timid little sister we have come to know. “You,” she seethes pointing a finger at me. “TWO DAYS my sister has been laid up in this hospital without me. TWO DAYS you assholes have instructed Gabriel to keep me home.”
“Alba—” I begin to speak, but she cuts me off.
“No! If any of you ever try to keep me from my sister again, I will nut punch every single one of you!
”
With a brow lift and amused look on my face, I look over at Gabriel who is quietly standing by the door, and I can’t help but chuckle. Her attempt at being intimidating is about as effective as Bella’s.
“She has a fire,” he states.
Whipping her head around Alba growls, “Gabriel!”
“Cariño, sweetie,” He rasps drawing out the ‘r’ making his accent sound even stronger. I watch in amusement as she turns red. Deciding to give up on her intimidation tactic, Alba turns her attention back to Bella. Walking over to the bed she sets her purse down, and then very carefully crawls into bed with her sister.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Bella
Day Three
A low murmur of what sounds like a TV starts to pull at me, rousing me from sleep.