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“Yes, ma’am,” Charlie said and moved to the sink.
Doctor Julian pointed at the orderly. “Bring me two hospital gowns, the longer they are, the better for her,” he said.
The orderly bolted out of the room, glad to have something to do.
Charlie was drying his hands when he saw a sliver of wood in the heel of his hand and showed her.
“You left a splinter.”
Wyrick glared. “You can pick that out tonight after dinner.”
He grinned, because her sarcasm meant she was back enough to keep him in his place.
Doctor Julian dispersed the nurses, then paused at Wyrick’s bedside.
“I want you to know that this incident might be the most definitive moment of my career. As long as I live, I will never measure up to the healer you instinctively are, and I honor you,” he said, then walked out.
Wyrick swallowed past a lump in her throat and closed her eyes.
Charlie sat back down on the stool beside her and laid a hand on her arm, just so she’d know he was there.
A short while later the orderly came back with two gowns and a wheelchair. Wyrick used one to cover her front, and the other to cover her butt. Then he wheeled her out through the ambulance entrance, seated her in Charlie’s Jeep and then they were gone.
Charlie glanced at her once as they were leaving the parking lot. She had the seat reclined, her eyes closed and he guessed she was doing whatever it was she did to pull herself back together. He hated to disturb her, but he also knew she didn’t like surprises.
“I assume you don’t want to go back to Detter House with your butt hanging out, so I’m swinging by home first.”
“My butt is not hanging anywhere. Can we please get a Pepsi on the way, and may I please have my phone?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Charlie said and dug it out of his pocket and laid it in her hands, then started looking for a fast-food drive-through.
By the time they got back to the old mansion, Wyrick had downed a Pepsi and an order of fries, and was feeling more like herself.
“I won’t be long,” she said as they entered the house.
“Are you going to have a fit if I walk you to your room?” Charlie asked.
She sighed. “Must I keep reminding you that I do not have fits? I’m not dizzy, but I understand your concern. So yes, you may accompany me to the door.”
Charlie wisely kept his mouth shut, but kept a close eye on her stride and demeanor. One stumble. One dizzy moment, and he was putting her ass to bed whether she liked it or not.
When they got to her room she paused, and then reached out and laid a hand on his arm.
“Once again you have saved my life. I have no words other than thank you. I won’t be long. And you might want to call Detectives Floyd and Mills. I don’t think we should go back without them.”
“I don’t need thanks. I just need you to keep breathing. I’ll call them while you’re changing,” he said and went inside his room to keep from putting his arms around her.
Wyrick heard an emotion in his voice that she didn’t recognize, and attributed it to her healing his hands. She had no idea how deeply that had affected him.
Twelve
Charlie sat down on the side of his bed, stared down at the palms of his hands again and then shook his head and picked up the phone. But his first call wasn’t to the police. He pulled up the contact number, then made the call. It rang twice and then a woman answered.
“This is Millie. Please tell me you have good news,” she said.
“I have news. We still don’t know where Rachel is, but we did find out how she was abducted,” Charlie said.
Millie groaned and started crying. “I knew it in my heart, but hearing it hurts. What can you tell me? How did you find out?”