“What are you planning to do?” asked Josh. “They’ll probably come for her any minute now.”
Brad pulled Grace into a sitting position and slapped the palm of her hand. “Grace. Wake up, baby.”
She blinked her eyes open into an unfocused stare. “Is it over? Can I go home now? I need to leave before my sisters find out.” She blinked a few more times and scrunched her nose. “Are you my doctor?”
Brad pulled her to her feet. “Come on. I’m taking you home.” She moved with him in a drunken stumble, leaning heavily on his arm.
Josh blocked the way. “What are you doing, Brad? You can’t take her out of the hospital.”
“I can’t let her go through with it, either. What do you suggest?”
“We can confront the doctor. Force him to postpone until she has certified counseling. Make him jump through the hoops.”
“But she’s already signed the papers. What if he won’t listen? I can’t take a chance.” He pushed past Josh, guiding Grace in the direction of the revolving door.
“Brad, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t take an admitted patient out of the hospital.”
“I’m a doctor.”
“It doesn’t matter, and you know it. Now let’s do this the right way. We’ll talk to her physician—”
A voice called out behind him. “Grace Marshall! Grace Mar— Hey, where are you taking her?” Brad glanced over his shoulder at the male nurse who glared back at him. He had to act fast. He scooped her up in his arms and trotted toward the exit.
“Wait! You can’t take her out of here! She’s admitted to the hospital already.” The nurse was bounding behind him.
Grace mumbled and burrowed into his chest as he scurried on, ignoring the alarmed cries that followed him. Through the door. Down the sidewalk. Where was his car parked? The doctor’s lot was around the building. He almost ran over a slim girl running toward him as he rounded the corner, skidding to a halt just in time.
“Brad? Is that you? Is that Grace? What happened to her?” Emily’s eyes were wide, and her hand was covering her mouth.
“I don’t have time to explain,” said Brad, glancing behind him at the nurse who’d continued the pursuit outside the building.
“Did she already have the procedure? Did something go wrong?”
“No, I stopped it. I’m not going to let her do it. I’ve gotta go.” He started running again, hefting Grace’s dead weight up to get a better grip.
Emily ran behind him. “Stop, Brad! She needs this. You’re a doctor—you should know.”
“I’m not letting her ruin her face! There has to be another way. We’ll get the police involved. We can even move away if we have to.”
“What are you talking about?”
The nurse, unfettered by any burden, was gaining on him. “Stop right there! That’s my patient!”
Pain shot through his ankle as his right foot caught on the curb, propelling him forward. Time slowed in his mind. He had to protect Grace—he couldn’t fall on her. Attempting and failing to regain his footing, twisting and turning, his body landed with a heavy thud on his back, cushioning Grace from the fall. He heard, rather than felt, his head hit the pavement.
Chapter Eleven
Josh’s face was inches away when Brad opened his eyes. “Good. You’re finally awake. Now I can yell at you. No, no, no—don’t close your eyes. You have to stay awake. Can you follow my finger with your eyes?”
Brad blinked at the blurry images before his face. “Where’s Grace?”
“Amazing... You remember that?”
“Remember what? Did something happen? I know I was l
ooking for her.” He tried to ignore the throbbing pain in the back of his head. He was in the emergency room, but for some reason he was lying on one of the beds instead of working. “What happened?”
“What day is it?”