Page 43 of Love Me in the Dark

“What’s happening? What’s wrong with her?” Cade asks.

“Call Neurology. We are moving,” the doctor says, not answering Cade.

“Why do the clouds blink?” I ask. “No… ugh… I need cheese. No… salad toppings!”

“Fucking answer me,” Cade demands as they start moving my bed.

“I think she has a brain bleed,” the doctor says. “I need to get scans. I will have a nurse update you as soon as possible. Okay?”

“Fuck. I love you so much, Nyx. Just hang in there, okay?” he says as I am pushed out of the room.

“The peach is here,” I say. “No… I’m a watermelon… C-Confused.”

“I know you are,” Dr. Rollins says as we move with the nurses. They are rushing, which makes me more worried. Why aren’t my words making sense?

“Minor brain bleeds can cause word salads,” he tells me. “It can put pressure on parts of your brain. You’re okay, Phoenyx.”

“Llamas,” I sigh. “I… ugh.”

“I know it’s frustrating,” he says. “Here we are. These wonderful ladies are going to take over. I am going to talk to the neurologist. Okay?”

“Okra,” I shrug.

Over the next thirty or so minutes, they do scans. Things calm down significantly when another man comes back in with Dr. Rollins. “Hi, Phoenyx, I am Dr. Song.”

“Hay bale,” I say, but then frown.

“That was close,” he smiles. “I’m sure you are scared, but you are okay. Let’s get you back to your group, and I’ll explain at once.”

“Lobotomy,” I say. “No. Cheese bucket… fuck.”

“No lobotomy needed,” he laughs. I smile and lay my head back. “I’ll walk with you guys.”

When we get back into the room, Cade jumps up. Everyone is here, including a detective. “Bluebird,” I say to him. “No… Fruit bar… Wheat bread.”

“I am Dr. Song,” he says. “I am the head of neurology.”

“Is she okay?” Cade asks as he, Callum, Tripp, Rook, and Knox hug me. My men kiss me gently, and they all look worried still.

“It’s Jesus,” I say. “No. Okra?”

“So, the CT scan confirms a minor brain bleed, likely from the concussion. It’s a small subdural hematoma,” he explains, looking between all the guys. “That’s what’s causing the confusion and difficulty speaking. Right now, it’s mild, and we don’t see signs of increased pressure on the brain, which is good. But we need to monitor her overnight.”

“So, she’s okay?” Knox asks, holding my hand in his.

“Yes. Most small brain bleeds like this resolve themselves. We will keep an eye on her neurological function to make sure that she does not experience any worsening symptoms,” he says.

“What if things get worse?” Callum asks.

“Then I will have to do surgery to relieve some pressure on her brain,” he says. “I don’t think we will end up there, but it’s always possible. We will keep her for a day to keep an eye on her… I read through her chart and see that she was in a medically induced coma for a week not too long ago. I sense that being here is the source of her anxiety. We will keep you two in the same room as long as she is stable. If she gets worse, she will be moved to ICU.”

“Okay,” Cade sighs and turns to me. I smile when he leans down and kisses my forehead. “You scared the shit out of me, Nyx.”

“The banana police fucked a tree,” I say with confidence, making everyone laugh. Cade cracks a smile, finally relaxing. “You think the piggy is happy, but it’s just wet… wait, no.”

“That’s… gross,” Cade laughs.

“I’m a pickle,” I yawn.