Healing Her Heart
Book 1 in the Crystal Lake Series
ePub Edition
ISBN: 978-0-9894139-2-3
Copyright © 2013 by Laura Iding writing as Laura Scott
Cover art by The Killion Group, Inc.
Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.
✍️ This article is collected from this book 📚
“Larissa, I put a new patient in room four for you,” Merry Haines, the Hope
County Hospital ER charge nurse, called out.
“Okay.” Larissa Brockman finished documenting on her recent discharge and
then pushed away from the computer. The hour was well past midnight, but the
ER remained incredibly busy on this Memorial Day Friday night. Or rather,
Saturday morning.
She crossed over to room four but then stopped abruptly in the doorway as
she saw the familiar face of her patient. Annie Hinkle, a fifty-year-old woman
looking a decade older than she should, was seated on the gurney cradling her
right arm against her chest.
No. Not again. The tiny hairs lifted on the back of her neck in alarm. This was
the second time Annie had been here over the past month. The last time was for
a black eye that she swore was not caused by her husband, Kurt’s, fist.
What would be her story this time? Larissa took a deep breath and let it out
slowly before entering the room. “Hello, Annie.”
“Hi.” Annie’s gaze barely met hers before skittering away.
“What did you do to your arm?” Larissa asked, keeping her voice gentle as
she approached. She had the distinct impression the woman was on the edge and
wouldn’t hesitate to flee if cornered.
“I fell off the front porch—you know how klutzy I am.” Annie refused to
meet her gaze but kept staring down at her arm as if the injury might heal itself if
she concentrated hard enough.
“I don’t think you’re klutzy at all,” Larissa murmured. “Show me where it
hurts.”
“Right here,” Annie said, removing her left hand to reveal a darkly mottled
bruise encircling her wrist. Larissa felt a little sick looking at the injury, knowing
there was no possible way this had happened from a fall. She could clearly
envision a man’s large hand squeezing hard enough to cause this. She’d be
surprised if there weren’t a few broken bones hidden beneath the horribly
discolored skin.
“Okay, I’m going to get you a cold pack for that, and I’m sure the doctor will
want X-rays, too.” She kept her voice calm with an effort. “Do you need
something for pain?”
Annie lifted her shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “Maybe a pain pill would
help.”
Larissa nodded, thinking the poor woman needed far more than a pain pill.
She batted a wave of helplessness aside. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” she
asked. “Maybe you hit your head? Or your ribs?”
“No, just my wrist.”
“All right, I’m going to check in with Dr. Allen, and then I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.” Annie’s gaze jerked away, causing Larissa’s stomach to knot
painfully.
She recognized the signs and symptoms of abuse. Only too well. Dark
memories from the past threatened to overwhelm her, and she fought them back
with an effort. Struggling to keep her emotions under control, she grabbed an ice
pack from the supply rack and then went searching for Dr. Gabe Allen, the
physician in charge of the patients on her team.
He was on the phone talking to the inpatient hospitalist about a patient he
wanted admitted. She hovered nearby, waiting until he finished his call. He hung
up the phone and flashed a warm smile. “Hi, Larissa, what’s up?”
His smile was far too attractive, an effect she’d been fighting for months now.
So far, she thought she was hiding her feelings pretty well.
“I need you to
examine my patient in room four,” she said in a soft tone in a voice. “I’m
convinced she’s being physically abused.”
Gabe’s smile faded. “Are you sure?”
She’d only been a nurse here at the Hope County Hospital for six months, but
she’d thought she’d proved her competence by now. She scowled. “Trust me,
I’m sure.”
Gabe gave a terse nod. “All right, let me finish up this inpatient admission,
and I’ll be right over.”
“Thanks.” She hurried back over to Annie’s bedside, squeezing the disposable
ice pack between her hands to activate the chemical reaction inside. “Here, place
this around your wrist, okay?” she instructed. “Dr. Allen will be here shortly.”
Annie winced but didn’t say anything as she placed the cold pack over her
wrist.
Larissa struggled to find the right words that might break through the
woman’s wall of denial. “Annie, you don’t have to put up with anyone hurting
you. We have programs that can help keep you safe.”
“No one’s hurting me,” Annie swiftly denied. “I told you I fell off the porch.”
Her voice rose with indignation, and instinctively, Larissa knew she needed to
back off or the woman might bolt.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I just don’t like the idea of anyone hurting you.” She forced
a reassuring smile. “You’re such a nice woman, and you certainly deserve to be
treated as such. Oh, look, here comes Dr. Allen now.”