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“Okay, Ms. Winter,” Steven responded.
I hurried to the school phone on the wall by the door and dialed the extension to the nurse. She had only just picked up when I started talking. “One of my students fell off a desk. I was able to soften the blow a little, but her head hit the floor.” Tears threatened to break free, but I forced them back. I needed to be professional. I needed to stay calm. I needed to pretend I’d feel the same way if it had been any other child.
Tremors began in my hands and I clenched them so tight my knuckles holding the phone turned white.
“Is she conscious?” The nurse asked, breaking through my revolving thoughts of Zoey’s face as she fell. Guilt twisted and turned my stomach while acid fought to break free of my throat.
“Yes.” Thank goodness for small miracles.
“Is there any other apparent injury besides the bump I’m sure is forming on her head?”
“Not that I can see.”
“I’ll be right there. Call the parents and let them know that I’ll likely recommend she go to the hospital as a precaution. I’ll call 911 on the way to your room. Expect the ambulance to be here in the next five to ten minutes. Don’t move her.”
“I don’t know if her dad can get here within that time.” Beckett was going to lose his mind with worry.
“Then you should be the staff member to ride in the ambulance with her if he can’t arrive in time. She knows you best.” She hung up.
I picked up my cell phone and reluctantly dialed Beckett’s number as I made my way across the room to Zoey. Each ring felt like an eternity.
Kids now surrounded Zo, treating her like a patient.
“Hey, we need to get stuff to fix Zoey,” one of the boys yelled out.
“I’ve got tape,” Violet held out a roll.
Zach leaned in toward Zoey. “Do you think you broke anything? Maybe we could wrap the tape around it.”
Zoey snorted, and then winced. “I hit my head. Nothing’s broken.”
Each ring of the phone was an eternity. “Wren?” I breathed a sigh of relief that he picked up after the way we’d left things.
I savored the sound of his voice for a second before I spoke. “Beckett, Zoey got hurt. We’re calling an ambulance to come take her to the hospital. I think it would be faster if you met us there.”
A rustling told me he was on the move, and then he yelled out to his secretary that he had to go. “What the hell happened?”
“She stood up on a table and fell off. She whacked her head on the ground.” I swallowed hard to force down the lump in my throat.
“Shit. Is she bleeding?” His voice sounded panicked. Not that I blamed him.
I rubbed my hand up and down my arm, working to chase away the chill that had invaded me. I was back by her side after shooing away the kids. “No, but her head hurts. We want to get her checked out to be sure she’s okay.”
The wail of the ambulance sounded close. Zoey thread her fingers through mine. “Tell Daddy I’ll be okay. You’re here.”
“How could you let this happen? I trusted you to keep her safe during the day,” he barked, not reacting to Zoey’s words. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t hear her or had ignored it.
I stifled the sob wanting to push its way out of my mouth. He was right. I’d screwed up.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital.” The anger in his voice ripped through me, leaving me vulnerable and weak.
It took me a second to realize he’d hung up.
* * *
“Riding in an ambulance is the coolest!” Zoey exclaimed as the EMTs took her vitals.
She seemed to be doing all right, but our school took possible head injuries seriously. “It is pretty cool, but honestly, I’m not crazy about the reason we’re in it. You scared me, Zo.”