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Rowan held onto Shine’s hand for as long as she could. She tried to remain calm in the operating room, but fear and worry got the best of her.

The doctor came in and tried for a pleasant expression. "Your heart needs to calm down. We aren't going to put you under, but we are going to give you enough of a sedative for you not to care. You won't be unconscious, but you will feel like you're floating."

Rowan bit her lower lip. “Thank you.”

"Okay, the nurse is pushing the medicine right now. You'll feel warm, and everything will start to calm."

She felt the drift first, followed by the warmth. The medical professionals began working on her ankle. She didn't feel anything, only some pushing and probing. The doctor was very occupied by her ankle and that went on for a while as she lost track of time.

She may have drifted off to sleep for a moment, but it wasn't long. Then, the doctor was standing by her side and squeezed her hand .

“We’re going to do the rape kit now. Are you okay with that?”

She gave a lazy nod, wishing none of this had happened. The reality left her horrified. The doctor asked everyone to leave other than one nurse. She was fast and efficient, not spending any extra time down there. After the doctor finished, she moved to stand beside Rowan and squeezed her shoulder.

“I know you know we have counseling services.”

“Did you see anything?” she slurred.

The doctor squeezed her hand again. “There is some bruising. You probably felt it.”

She had, but this was confirmation of what she already knew. The test was just for proof of DNA. Tears slowly leaked from her eyes. At least she had an idea what the bastard had done. The whole abduction thing was weird. He’d wanted her to sign a document so he could be reinstated at work, but he never produced the document.

What had been the end game? Why had he taken her hostage?

She was too tired and loopy to think about what happened. She wanted to see Shine, and she wanted to eat. Nothing else mattered. Later, after she had time to sit with everything, she could delve into her questions.

When they wheeled her back into the room, Shine and Griz were there. She didn’t know Griz well, but she was glad he showed Shine support by showing up.

Before Griz left the room, he moved to her bedside. “We’re all here for you. Shine will make sure you have our numbers so you can call if you need anything. I’ll be out in the lobby.”

“Oh, you don’t?—”

“I’m not leaving until they release you or determine when you can be released. We’ve got your back. ”

If you didn't know him, Griz was scary. The intensity rolling off him would keep people away. But Griz had a heart of gold. He just didn't let people see it.

Griz gave Shine a hug before he left the room. Shine leaned over and kissed her forehead. "The doctor said your ankle looks good. She thinks it will heal on its own, and you won't need a skin graft."

“Oh, I didn’t even know that was an issue.”

The door opened, and the doctor stepped in. "Okay, I'm happy with how your ankle looks. But you have to go see a doctor in the next two days to make sure it's healing. You have some heavy antibiotics on board. The infection should heal fairly quickly. I think you can check out and go home. Nothing around that ankle, though. So, no socks that come up and touch the bandage. It may take a few weeks for that to get to the point where you can put any cloth over it. No beach, no ocean, and no pool. Also, no long soaks in the tub. You have to keep it dry."

She nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“My pleasure. My information is in your paperwork along with my report. Your doctor can contact me if they need. I have a burger and fries coming your way. Eat as much of it as you can.”

“Thank you.”

The doctor left, and Rowan tried to take in the information she'd been given. She was going home. Her gaze flew to Shine as panic rose.

“I can’t go home.”

“You’re staying with me. It will be okay.”

“Oh God, my office. I can’t go back there. He knows where that is.”

Shine sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure something out. You don’t have to go back to work yet. You can take a bit of time and figure out what to do.”

He was so calm against her rising panic, and for a moment, the struggle felt real. It could go either way for her. Blowing up and having a raging fit wasn't too far of a possibility. Instead of reacting, she drew in a deep breath, trying to lean into his calming presence. The peace he exuded calmed her racing heart. Her body relaxed, and she sank against him. Maybe everything would be okay. Maybe she could recover from this horrible chapter and move on.