Chapter 4

Dave had taken off in the middle of his shift and Kerry Weaver was pissed. When Dave pulled up and asked one of the nurses for a gurney, she started to yell at him but he cut her off, "Not now, chief. She's unconscious"

"What happened Dave?" seeing Kayla's still form removed from Dave's car.

"Not sure chief. She called me and I found her like this"

"Why didn't you call for an ambulance?"

"She was lucid until she lost consciousness."

Luka stooped any further argument by announcing that Kayla had just stopped breathing. He intubated and they moved her inside. At the entrance of the ER; Luka spotted Peter, "Peter, her wrist is pretty bloody; you'll need to examine it."

Once they got her into the trauma room Kayla began to stir, panicking at the breathing tube. "Kayla, calm down we had to help you breathe" After which Kayla relaxed against the bed and faded back into unconsciousness.

"Kovac, help me unwrap her wrist, so I can see where the bleeding is coming from." Peter snapped. When the bandages were removed; peter was growling, having seen that the stitches from today's surgery were pulled out. After a couple of hours Kayla was stabilized and moved to a private room on another floor of the hospital until she awoke.

Later

As Luka and Peter sat waiting for Kayla to wake. "I just don't understand why someone would want to hurt her. How much longer do you think until she wakes?"

"Well, she's on a low dose of painkillers for her wrist and ribs, so that shouldn't be preventing her from waking up. If she doesn't wake up soon, I'll run some tests; maybe the concussion is worse than we thought." Peter said, hoping that was not the case. An hour later Peter left, the requested tests showing that nothing was wrong, Luka remained. When Luka heard stirring from the bed, he rose from the chair and spoke gently to Kayla. They had been able to extubate in the ER, so that helped. "Kayla, just open your eyes." He was rewarded with Kayla's half opened eyes.

"Where am I?" She spoke while trying to sit up, stopping when pain shot through her ribs, which were badly broken.

"Take it easy, you're in the hospital" Luka spoke while pushing the call button to bring a nurse into the room. When the nurse entered the room she quietly spoke, "Anything I can help with?" seeing Luka at her patient's side.

"She's awake, but needs something for the pain and a new ice pack for her wrist." Luka spoke despite never taking his eyes off Kayla. A few minutes later the nurse returned with the requested items and Kayla slowly fell back to sleep.

The next morning Peter approached Kayla's room; immediately noticing that Luka was asleep but Kayla was at least halfway awake. "How are you feeling Kayla?"

"What happened to me?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"My father lunging at me"

"Ok, when you were found at your apartment you had some cuts and bruises which have been cleaned up, he tore the stitches from yesterday's surgery, gave you a concussion and broke a few ribs. We'll keep you here until tomorrow for observation and then we will see about getting you home."

"I remember seeing blood on my wrist"

"Now, I have to ask did your father do this by himself?"

"I'm not sure" she spoke while starting to cry which only made her ribs hurt.

"Take it easy, Kayla" he spoke gently then called a nurse to give her a sedative. As he left Kayla, who had fallen asleep the police approached him.

"Is she awake?" one of the officers asked.

"Not at the moment"

"Has she said anything at all about the attack?"

"Not much, she's been pretty out of it"

"What are her injuries?"

"Well she has a concussion, several badly broken ribs, lots of cuts and bruises and her attacker ripped the stitches from yesterday's surgery."

"Excuse me, what surgery?"

"Yesterday, her father's boss showed up here and chipped a bone in her wrist."

"Ok, can you have someone contact us when she's awake?"

"Yes, however when you do speak to her, I'll need to remain in the room as she may try to move around which is a bad idea at the moment"

"That's fine"