Worth the Risk (Worth It 2)

Gracie frowned. Visitors? Who would visit her besides her and the staff? “The doctor says if all goes as is he’ll pull me out of ICU tomorrow, but he expects me to stay for a few more days, possibly up to four. He also ordered more tests to make sure I’m all right after being unconscious for so long. They can’t really explain it.”

“Hmm. And you’re feeling all right?”

“I’m so tired, but I think a lot of that is side effects from the pain medication.”

“You should ask for more.”

“The doctor recommended a lower dosage of pain meds, actually.”

“Really? Well, I would think he’d want to control it better.”

“I think—I think he doesn’t want to risk anything when it comes to the…baby.” It was the first time she’d spoken aloud of her newfound discovery and it felt strange to say it. Think it.

There was a baby inside of her at this very moment. She and Hunter had created a child—together. It still baffled her.

“Ah, the baby.” Grandma smiled blissfully. “I cannot wait to hold that sweet little one. You’ll need a lot of help when she comes, too, I just know it. That’s why it’s best you stay with me.”

“Grandma, I can’t stay with you for the next…seven months. I have a job to get back to. Plus, just before the accident I received a promotion.”

Grandma’s lips tightened until they almost disappeared. “A promotion, hmm? That’s interesting. Well, you’ll just have to consider what you deem more important. Your job or your baby?”

“They’re both important to me,” she said carefully, wondering why her grandma was behaving this way.

“Yes, I would think your health and the baby would be of the utmost importance to you. And considering we’re family, well. Family takes care of each other. And I vowed once I found you again that I would always take care of you. Same goes for that precious baby growing inside of you too.”

“Mrs. Hayes, you’re not supposed to be in here!”

Both women turned their heads to see the same nurse who’d escorted Gracie’s grandma out of the room earlier standing in the doorway. She strode inside the room, her movements quick as she wrapped her hand around Grandma’s upper arm and helped her stand. “You need to come back to your room. You missed your dinner tray, and now it’s growing cold.”

“The food is horrible. I’d rather starve.”

“We know it’s not the best, but you still need to eat to keep up your strength. And your granddaughter needs to build her strength up too. The only way she can do that is with plenty of rest.” The nurse smiled in Gracie’s direction. “Now come on, let’s go back. You can visit her tomorrow when she’s on the same floor with you.”

“I want her in my room so I can keep an eye on her,” her grandma said as the nurse led her out of the room.

“Someone’s already occupying the bed next to yours, Mrs. Hayes.”

“I don’t care. Kick her out, find her another room. I want my Gracie with me.”

The nurse sent Gracie a beseeching look over her shoulder before she steered Grandma through the door.

Gracie closed her eyes the moment she left, tried her best to relax. Her grandma was acting so strange. Maybe it was just a reaction after the accident. They’d finally found each other and maybe her grandma felt like she was going to lose her again. She couldn’t explain it.

Didn’t want to expand too much energy on pondering over it either—she had bigger things to worry about. Like making a few calls to the outside world.

Within a few minutes of the nurse leaving, another one walked in, this one with a vial of her new pain medications. She inserted it directly into Gracie’s IV, chatting animatedly with her the entire time. She was older, matronly and liked to talk. Handed over Gracie’s fully charged phone to her without hesitation, thank goodness.

“Talk qui

ckly. They don’t like cell phones on in the hospital because of the interference with medical equipment,” the nurse said with a smile. “But I’m sure there are people you need to get a hold of, right?”

Gracie nodded, scanning her contact list “I can just get their numbers and make calls on the regular phone if you want me to.”

“Ah, that would work out better. No one can remember a phone number anymore. We store them all in our phones and don’t need to memorize them.”

“So true,” Gracie agreed.

“I’ll leave you alone so you can have some privacy and make your calls.” She set the hospital phone onto the high tray that sat next to Gracie’s bed. “Here you go.”