Chapter 6

Leigh Anne was heartbroken and deathly afraid of surgery and hospitals. It made her recall the last time she had to stay in the hospital—alone.

Theo slowly creaked the door open as she wiped the tears from her face. He had stepped out to check on Gretel. Usually, Leigh Anne would be opposed to having him know where she lived, let alone step foot into her tiny oasis, but she couldn’t let her best friend starve.

“How’s Gretel?” Leigh Anne asked in a groggy tone. The drugs were doing their job.

“She’s fine and fed. No worries. It looks like you’re ready to be carted off...”

“Shut it, Mr....”

And she was out like a light. Seconds later, the orderlies and the nurse came to take her to the operating room.

Theo may have been a familiar stranger. But now, he was getting to see Leigh Anne Klein more than a woman he wanted physically. He was beginning to care for her genuinely. Even though she actively pushed him away, reluctantly tolerated his presence, and vehemently abhorred the way he stepped into her bubble, he was sincerely more intent on weaseling his way into her heart. And if that meant he had to get used to that little demon cat’s claw marks down his arms, then so be it.

Hours passed, and Theo woke up to find she was back from surgery but still asleep. He saw her shoulder down to her fingers, wrapped up and held in place by a sling.

“Well, hello there. How did you sleep?” In walked the doctor whom he met while in the ER triage.

“Yeah, I’ve slept in better chairs. But I guess it’ll have to do. How did the procedure go?” Theo looked at her as he watched the doctor check Leigh Anne’s vitals and shoulder.

“It went well. We reattached all the separate tendons and cleaned up some new tears that didn’t appear on the X-ray.” Dr. Lewis avoided Theo’s gaze as he marked some notes on her chart. “This sling holds the arm slightly away from the side. It’s called an abduction sling, and it holds the tendons in a more relaxed position.”

“How long is she to wear this sling?” Theo asked while running his fingers through his hair. “I’m trying to think of ways to make her useful.”  He flashed her a sly grin.

“Six weeks, Mr. Collins. I highly recommend she avoid intense movements or activities during that time.”

“I assume she’ll need physical therapy?” Theo asked as Leigh Anne stirred in the bed. “How long do you expect she’ll need?”

“Good question. We’ll discuss that tomorrow at discharge, but generally speaking?” Theo nodded at Dr. Lewis’s candor. “Four to six months. She has ignored this injury for a long time. I’m surprised she didn’t experience pain before today. Whatever got her to this point made the previous injuries worse.”

This accusation made Theo nervous. This wasn’t her first injury? What else is she not telling him? Sure, they weren’t close, but they weren’t strangers either. Granted, they haven’t had many conversations, and he wasn’t here until recently, but this whole time being here with her, she made it seem like this one assault with Morgan was the only time she had been injured.

“Thanks, Dr. Lewis. We will see you in a few hours.”

With a curt handshake and a quick nod, Dr. Lewis left Leigh Anne and Theo in the dark room as she rested, and he waited for the sun to rise.