Page 40 of Heartbeat Harmony (Hearts in Hawthorne #2)
“That’s good to know.” Eli checked the teenager’s eyes, saying, “Follow my finger with both eyes, Fred.” He was pleased to see that Fred did so without any problems.
“Any numbness or tingling?”
“I’m not numb. Still tingling a little in my back from the hit. Man, that lineman came out of nowhere.”
“I agree. Can you tell me what today is?”
“Game day. Friday.”
“And where we are?”
“Our stadium. In Hawthorne.”
“Good. Spell world for me, but I want you to do it backward.”
Frowning, the quarterback said, “D, L, O, W.”
Fred had missed a letter, but Eli wasn’t too worried. “Repeat these numbers back to me. Thirty-eight. Twelve. Two. Ninety-seven.”
The athlete reversed the last two. Again, not uncommon with a mild concussion, which seemed to be what Fred had experienced.
“Good job, Fred. We’re going to take you to the locker room now.”
He signaled for the stretcher, and Fred was carted off the field.
The stands, which had gone totally silent while he’d spoken with the quarterback, now sounded with applause from both sides.
Autumn had told Eli this was the polite thing to do after an athlete had been injured and left the field, and he was glad the young man was receiving recognition for his efforts tonight.
Blanche and her husband accompanied them to the locker room, where Eli went over exactly what a concussion was.
“A person doesn’t have to lose consciousness for it to be a concussion. Fred doesn’t think he did. Has he ever suffered a concussion before?”
“Never,” Blanche said. “And he’s played football a good ten years now.”
“That’s good to know. His speech isn’t slurred.
He does have a headache and some nausea, though.
I’d like to go ahead and send him to Triple H overnight for observation,” he shared with the couple.
“I’ve already administered a SAC test, which is a standard assessment of concussion. I’ll let them know Fred’s results.”
“Do I have to go to the hospital?” Fred asked.
“If Dr. Carson thinks that’s what needs to happen, then you’re going,” Mr. Biggerstaff said firmly. “Does he need to go by ambulance?”
“No, you can drive him to Triple H. No stops in-between, though.” He smiled at Fred. “Unless you need to barf.”
“Guess that means I’ll miss tonight’s dance,” the teen said glumly.
“There’ll be plenty of dances in your future,” Eli assured the athlete. “Let me call ahead and give Triple H a heads up that you’re coming in. Since it’s late, go straight to the ER. They’ll get you all taken care of. I’ll stop by tomorrow morning to see you.”
“Aren’t you getting married tomorrow, Dr. Carson?” Mr. Biggerstaff asked.
“Not until late afternoon. Plenty of time for me to stop by and check on Fred. Right now, I need to get back to the game. You never know when I might be needed.”
He left the locker room and returned to the stadium, calling the ER on his way to let them know the Biggerstaffs were on their way.
He told them he didn’t think Fred’s concussion was severe since the boy had been speaking and making good sense, but it was purely a precaution on his part, wanting Fred to remain overnight for close observation.
Eli had come to know a lot of these football players in the last few weeks.
Giving them their physicals. Attending practices.
Watching them play two games. He wanted all the boys to have the best care possible.
First, he found West on the sidelines and gave him a brief report, letting him know that Fred was doing fine and would be admitted overnight at Triple H to be on the safe side.
“I’ll go see him first thing tomorrow morning,” West said.
Eli turned, looking into the stands, his gaze connecting with Autumn’s. He gave her a thumbs up and saw she visibly relaxed.
The Hawks scored twice more in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. One was a run from the six-yard-line. The other touchdown came on a scramble by the backup quarterback, David Jordan, who was known for his aggressive running.
West shook hands with Eli after the game, thanking him for being on duty and taking such good care of Fred Biggerstaff.
“No need to come to the locker room. I’ll give the team the news about Fred.”
He went into the stands, where Autumn and her family waited for him.
“Fred is going to be all right?” Meg Sutherland asked, her face full of concern.
“He will be. Thankfully, it’s the first concussion he’s ever suffered. He was talking fine and even walking in the locker room. His balance was good, but I had his parents take him to Triple H to stay overnight. I’d rather be safe than sorry when it comes to someone’s health.”
Eli shook his head. “I guess there was a little more excitement tonight than I thought would happen.”
“You were out on that field before I could blink,” Joe Sutherland told him. “I think the whole town is impressed how quickly you moved to help Fred.”
“All in a day’s work,” he said, slipping an arm around Autumn’s shoulders.
They walked to his car together. He would drive her to her parents’ house tonight to spend the night, tradition dictating the bride and groom not see one another the day of the ceremony.
“I assume you’ll be going to the hospital tomorrow morning to check on Fred,” she said.
“Part of the job.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “That means you need to stay away from Triple H.”
Before he could open the passenger door for her, her fingers clasped his nape and pulled him down to her for a long, slow kiss.
“It’s going to be hard for me to keep away from you all day tomorrow,” she teased.
“Not any harder than it’s going to be for me to keep away from you. I’m addicted to you, Autumn Sutherland. To the curve of your breast and the scent of vanilla which always seems to cling to your skin. You’re one habit I never want to kick.”
“I wish it could already be tomorrow,” she told him.
“Just think. This time tomorrow night, we’ll already be man and wife. In bed and making love for maybe the third or fourth time.”
She laughed. “You must have a lot of stamina, Dr. Carson.”
He framed her face with his hands. “I’d go to the ends of the earth for you, Nurse Sutherland.”
Eli kissed her—and thought about how he’d be a husband soon.