Elise walked into the examining room just as Brodi was slipping his shirt back on.
"Brodi! Thank God! I was so worried!" She ran to him and threw her arms around him, pulling back only when she saw him wince.
"Did I hurt you? Oh my god, I'm so sorry."
"It's OK, Elise. Relax." Brodi laughed, amazed that he even felt like laughing. "It's just a few stitches. I'm fine."
"Stitches?" She grasped his upper arms and looked him up and down. "Where? What happened?"
Brodi wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. "Hey, hey, take it easy. Lauryll went for blood, and she'd have gotten a lot more of it if Nate hadn't been there."
"Well," she said as she stepped in between his knees as he sat on the examining table. "I hear he's not the only hero today. Rahzel said you made it possible for him to get me away."
"Speaking of," began Brodi as he held her face in his hands and leaned in to kiss her, "how are you? I've been asking, no one would tell me anything."
"I'm fine. Bit of a drug hangover, bored as hell with the fluid drip they had me on. But no harm, docs say I can go home." She kissed his cheek. "You?"
"Drug hangover, bored with the drip, stitches hurt like hell. But yes, I think I can go home. Waiting on my release papers."
Elise let Brodi circle his arms around her again, and she rested her head on his chest. "Why?" se whispered. "Why did you risk yourself like that?"
Brodi rested his chin on top of her head and sighed. "She would have killed you, Elise. I had to do something. I'd have let her do anything to me, just to keep you safe."
Brodi released Elise as there was a quick tap at the door. In walked the same ER doc who had treated Elise.
"Ah, Miss Riggs. I see you've found your friend. E's been asking for you."
Elise gave Brodi one last kiss on the cheek and moved away. "Dr. Barron. Yes, I found him. Thank you."
"Well, Mr. Ford, how are you feeling?"
"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure."
The small redhead nodded. "Understandable. Let me see the bandages."
Brodi dutifully lifted his shirt and let her examine the white square taped to his side. "Good. It looks good. The stitching went well, and it wasn't too deep. I'd change the bandages every day at first, more often if it bleeds through or gets wet. You should rest and not move around too much for 2 or 3 days…so I'd say it's doctor's orders to kick back and read or watch a few movies." She stepped back and pulled his shirt down for him. "I have painkillers and antibiotics waiting for you at the nurses station, as well as packages of bandages. You can go home now if you'd like."
Brodi nodded. "Yes, please. No offense, but I've spent far too much time here lately."
The doctor chuckled, looking at him over the rim of her glasses. "I noticed that. I looked through your file to make sure I wasn't overprescribing or giving you something that you might be allergic to. You're rather tough to kill, Mr. Ford. Let's keep it that way, shall we?"
"Now that is doctor's advice I am more than willing to take."
"Good. Here are your discharge papers and aftercare instructions. Do you have any questions?"
Brodi shook his head.
"All right then, you can go. Your friends are waiting in the lobby at the end of the hall. Give the discharge papers to the nurse at the desk outside and she'll give you your supplies. Come back if it's not healing properly or if you tear the stitches open, if you start running a fever, or if red streaks start coming from the wound site. Basically just use common sense. If something doesn't feel right, I'd rather you get it checked out and find out it's nothing than to ignore it and wind up in the hospital again as an in-patient. Got it?"
Brodi nodded.
"Good. You are free then, my dear. You two take care of each other, OK?"
Brodi thought he saw a little bit of a blush on Elise at that comment. He smiled to himself as he hopped down off the examining table, then the floor seemed to move and he lurched forward. Both the doctor and Elise grabbed for him.
"Whoa, easy there. We gave you something to counteract the drugs you were giving, but it may take a while for them to get out of your system. You're probably still weak from blood loss, too. Maybe I should get a nurse to bring a wheelchair."
"No," Brodi shook his head. "I can walk."
Dr. Barron sighed. "OK. Just…slow and easy, OK?"
Elise stepped forward and took Brodi's arm. "I've got him covered. I can help him to the car."
The doctor nodded and opened the door for them to leave, and neither Brodi nor Elise felt guilty about hoping it was the last time they'd need to see anyone in this place for a while.