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“I am, honey. I was just so worried about you that, for a second, I let it get to me.” She kissed the top of Zoey’s hand. “Which is silly because you are strong and resilient. Nothing could keep you down. Just like your mom.”
“Do you really think I’m like her?” A hopeful smile flitted across Zoey’s face.
Marjorie’s head tilted. “I see so much of her in you. She was smart just like you are Zo, and I think that she saw things so much clearer than I ever did.” She glanced at me and held my gaze. Her silent communication made me think that maybe she and Glen were willing to work with me now instead of against me.
I ran a hand down my face. If this was an olive branch, I needed to swallow my pride and accept it. And at least try to see if there was a way forward for us. I gave her a curt nod.
She mouthed,“Thank you,”before going back to talking to Zoey.
Glen shifted uncomfortably on the other side of the hospital bed. “Glen, why don’t you take a seat here.” I gestured to the plastic chair to my left.
He grunted his thanks and sat down.
“Hello, Mr. Hunter… oh, I didn’t realize you had more family joining you. I’m Dr. Ricci.” She waved to all of us. “And hello, Zoey.”
“Hi.” Zoey smiled at her.
“Zoey, I heard you fell today,” the doctor said and waited for Zoey to finish her statement.
“I fell off my desk at school and I hit my head.” Zo grimaced.
“Does it still hurt?”
“Yeah, right here, and it hurts when I move my head sometimes. But it would have been a ton worse if my teacher, Ms. Winter, hadn’t caught me.”
“Is that so? Well, then you are certainly a lucky girl.” She grinned. “I’m going to do a few things to check your reflexes and your vision. I want to see if there are any obvious signs of a concussion, and then as a precaution, I’m going to send you in for a CT scan.”
Zoey’s nose wrinkled. “What’s a CT scan do?”
“That is an excellent question.” As Dr. Ricci answered Zo, she began the physical part of the exam. “A CT scan tells us if you have any swelling in your head or if maybe something is bleeding.”
“Uh, do you think I have all that?” Zo’s voice wavered.
“Honestly, based on what I’m seeing here, I don’t think so, but we like to be extra sure. Okay?”
“Okay.” Zoey looked at me, her eyes pleading for me to say yes. “Daddy, I really want Ms. Winter here.”
I had no idea if Wren had stuck around. “Zo, she might have left to go home.” Although, now that I thought about it, she didn’t have her car with her.
Marjorie shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “I, ah, think that she might still be here. We didn’t stop to say hi, but she was sitting in the waiting area when we ran through there to the emergency room.”
I shifted. I couldn’t leave Zoey.
“Beckett, if it’s okay with you, Glen and I can stay with Zoey if you want to go speak to Ms. Winter. We’ll make sure they don’t bring her for the scan until you get back.”
“Thank you.” I appreciated her gesture. Before I turned to leave, Marjorie waved tissues at me.
“You might want these.” I only wondered why for a moment before thoughts of finding Wren before she left consumed me.
I nodded my thanks and stepped away from the curtain area. “I’ll be right back, princess.”
“With Ms. Winter,” she insisted.
“With Ms. Winter.” With a determined gait, I made my way through the emergency room and out the doors to the small waiting area beyond. Where Wren sat sobbing.
Fuck. I’m such an asshole.
It had hurt too much to see her or talk to her when we got here, so, like a child, I ignored her presence. I needed to make things right. As I got closer, I saw the tears mixed with eyeliner tracking down her cheeks and heard the hiccuping jags that she was clearly trying to stifle.