“They’re family.” Murphy pushed the button for six. “Where else would they be? Now, about three years past I broke an arm and cracked my head playing football. I couldn’t get rid of one sister, but another would be at the door. My mother stayed for two weeks, no matter what I did to boost her on her way. And to tell the truth, I was glad to have them fussing around me. Don’t go off in a mad rush,” Murphy warned as the elevator stopped. “Irish nurses run a tight ship. And here’s Lottie.”
“Gracious, you must have flown all the way.” She came forward, her smile all reassurance. “She’s doing fine, they’re taking grand care of her. Rogan arranged for her to have a private room so she’d have quiet and privacy. She’s already fretting about going home, but with the concussion, they’ll want to keep an eye on her.”
“Concussion?”
“A mild one, really,” she soothed, leading them down the hallway. “It doesn’t seem she was unconscious for more than a few moments. And she was lucid enough to tell the man at the car park where Maggie was waiting. Look here, Brianna, you’ve more visitors already.”
All Gray could see was Brianna, white against white sheets.
“Oh, Gray, Murphy, you shouldn’t have come all this way. I’ll be going home shortly.”
“You’ll not.” Maggie’s voice was firm. “You’re staying the night.”
Brianna started to turn her head, but the throbbing made her think better of it. “I don’t want to stay the night. Bumps and bruises is all it is. Oh, Gray, the car. I’m so sorry about the car. The side of it’s all bent in, and the headlamp’s smashed, and—”
“Shut up, will you, and let me look at you?” He took her hand, held on.
She was pale, and a bruise had bloomed along her cheekbone. Above it, on the brow side of the temple was a neat white bandage. Beneath the shapeless hospital gown he could see more bandages at her shoulder.
Because his hand began to tremble, he drew it away, jammed it in his pocket. “You’re hurting. I can see it in your eyes.”
“My head aches.” She smiled weakly, lifting a finger to the bandage. “I feel a bit like I’ve been run over by an entire rugby team.”
“They should give you something.”
“They will, if I need it.”
“She’s skittish of needles,” Murphy said and leaned over to kiss her lightly. His own relief at seeing her whole showed itself in a wide, cheeky grin. “I remember hearing you howl, Brianna Concannon, when I was in Dr. Hogan’s waiting room and you were getting a shot.”
“And I’m not ashamed of it. Horrible things, needles. I don’t want them poking me more than they already have. I want to go home.”
“You’ll stay just where you are.” Maeve spoke from a chair beneath the window. “It’s little enough to have a needle or two after the fright you’ve given us.”
“Mother, it’s hardly Brianna’s fault that some idiot Yank couldn’t remember which side of the road to drive on.” Maggie’s teeth clenched at the thought of it. “And they, with barely a scratch between them.”
“You mustn’t be so hard on them. It was a mistake, and all but frightened them to death.” The drumming in Brianna’s head increased at the idea of an argument. “I’ll stay if I must, but if I could just ask the doctor again.”
“You’ll leave the doctor be and rest as he told you.” Maeve pushed herself to her feet. “And there’s no rest with all these people fussing around. Margaret Mary, it’s time you took your baby home.”
“I don’t want Brie to be alone here,” Maggie began.
“I’m staying.” Gray turned, met Maeve’s gaze steadily. “I’m staying with her.”
She jerked a shoulder. “Sure it’s no business of mine what you do. We missed our tea,” she said. “Lottie and I will have something downstairs while Rogan arranges to have us taken home. Do as you’re told here, Brianna, and don’t make a fuss.”
She leaned over, a bit stiffly, and kissed Brianna’s uninjured cheek. “You were never a fast healer, so I don’t expect this time to be any different.” Her fingers rested, for just an instant where her lips had, then she turned and hurried out, calling Lottie to follow.
“She said two rosaries on the drive here,” Lottie murmured. “Rest yourself.” After a parting kiss, she trailed after Maeve.
“Well.” Maggie let out a long breath. “I think I can trust Grayson to see that you behave yourself. I’ll find Rogan and see how we’ll deal with getting them both home again. I’ll come back before we go, in case Grayson needs help.”
“I’ll go with you, Maggie.” Murphy patted Brianna’s sheet-draped knee. “If they come to poke you, just turn your head away and close your eyes.
That’s what I do.”
She chuckled and, when the room emptied, looked up at Gray. “I wish you’d sit down. I know you’re upset.”
“I’m fine.” He was afraid if he sat, he’d go one better and just slide bonelessly to the floor. “I’d like to know what happened if you’re up to telling me.”
“It was all so fast.” Indulging the discomfort and fatigue, she closed her eyes a moment. “We’d bought too much to carry, and I was going to fetch the car and drive it around to the shop where Maggie was waiting. Just as I pulled out of the car park, I heard someone shout. It was the attendant. He’d seen the other car coming for mine. There was nothing anyone could do then. There wasn’t time. It hit on the side.”
She started to shift and her shoulder twanged in protest. “They were going to tow the car away. I can’t remember where.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ll take care of it later. You hit your head." Gently he reached down but kept his fingertips a breath away from the bandage.
“I must have, for the next thing I remember, there was a crowd around, and the American woman was crying and asking me if I was all right. Her husband had already gone to call an ambulance. I was fuddled. I think I asked that somebody get my sister, and then the three of us—Maggie, the baby and me—were riding off in an ambulance.”
“Gracious, you must have flown all the way.” She came forward, her smile all reassurance. “She’s doing fine, they’re taking grand care of her. Rogan arranged for her to have a private room so she’d have quiet and privacy. She’s already fretting about going home, but with the concussion, they’ll want to keep an eye on her.”
“Concussion?”
“A mild one, really,” she soothed, leading them down the hallway. “It doesn’t seem she was unconscious for more than a few moments. And she was lucid enough to tell the man at the car park where Maggie was waiting. Look here, Brianna, you’ve more visitors already.”
All Gray could see was Brianna, white against white sheets.
“Oh, Gray, Murphy, you shouldn’t have come all this way. I’ll be going home shortly.”
“You’ll not.” Maggie’s voice was firm. “You’re staying the night.”
Brianna started to turn her head, but the throbbing made her think better of it. “I don’t want to stay the night. Bumps and bruises is all it is. Oh, Gray, the car. I’m so sorry about the car. The side of it’s all bent in, and the headlamp’s smashed, and—”
“Shut up, will you, and let me look at you?” He took her hand, held on.
She was pale, and a bruise had bloomed along her cheekbone. Above it, on the brow side of the temple was a neat white bandage. Beneath the shapeless hospital gown he could see more bandages at her shoulder.
Because his hand began to tremble, he drew it away, jammed it in his pocket. “You’re hurting. I can see it in your eyes.”
“My head aches.” She smiled weakly, lifting a finger to the bandage. “I feel a bit like I’ve been run over by an entire rugby team.”
“They should give you something.”
“They will, if I need it.”
“She’s skittish of needles,” Murphy said and leaned over to kiss her lightly. His own relief at seeing her whole showed itself in a wide, cheeky grin. “I remember hearing you howl, Brianna Concannon, when I was in Dr. Hogan’s waiting room and you were getting a shot.”
“And I’m not ashamed of it. Horrible things, needles. I don’t want them poking me more than they already have. I want to go home.”
“You’ll stay just where you are.” Maeve spoke from a chair beneath the window. “It’s little enough to have a needle or two after the fright you’ve given us.”
“Mother, it’s hardly Brianna’s fault that some idiot Yank couldn’t remember which side of the road to drive on.” Maggie’s teeth clenched at the thought of it. “And they, with barely a scratch between them.”
“You mustn’t be so hard on them. It was a mistake, and all but frightened them to death.” The drumming in Brianna’s head increased at the idea of an argument. “I’ll stay if I must, but if I could just ask the doctor again.”
“You’ll leave the doctor be and rest as he told you.” Maeve pushed herself to her feet. “And there’s no rest with all these people fussing around. Margaret Mary, it’s time you took your baby home.”
“I don’t want Brie to be alone here,” Maggie began.
“I’m staying.” Gray turned, met Maeve’s gaze steadily. “I’m staying with her.”
She jerked a shoulder. “Sure it’s no business of mine what you do. We missed our tea,” she said. “Lottie and I will have something downstairs while Rogan arranges to have us taken home. Do as you’re told here, Brianna, and don’t make a fuss.”
She leaned over, a bit stiffly, and kissed Brianna’s uninjured cheek. “You were never a fast healer, so I don’t expect this time to be any different.” Her fingers rested, for just an instant where her lips had, then she turned and hurried out, calling Lottie to follow.
“She said two rosaries on the drive here,” Lottie murmured. “Rest yourself.” After a parting kiss, she trailed after Maeve.
“Well.” Maggie let out a long breath. “I think I can trust Grayson to see that you behave yourself. I’ll find Rogan and see how we’ll deal with getting them both home again. I’ll come back before we go, in case Grayson needs help.”
“I’ll go with you, Maggie.” Murphy patted Brianna’s sheet-draped knee. “If they come to poke you, just turn your head away and close your eyes.
That’s what I do.”
She chuckled and, when the room emptied, looked up at Gray. “I wish you’d sit down. I know you’re upset.”
“I’m fine.” He was afraid if he sat, he’d go one better and just slide bonelessly to the floor. “I’d like to know what happened if you’re up to telling me.”
“It was all so fast.” Indulging the discomfort and fatigue, she closed her eyes a moment. “We’d bought too much to carry, and I was going to fetch the car and drive it around to the shop where Maggie was waiting. Just as I pulled out of the car park, I heard someone shout. It was the attendant. He’d seen the other car coming for mine. There was nothing anyone could do then. There wasn’t time. It hit on the side.”
She started to shift and her shoulder twanged in protest. “They were going to tow the car away. I can’t remember where.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ll take care of it later. You hit your head." Gently he reached down but kept his fingertips a breath away from the bandage.
“I must have, for the next thing I remember, there was a crowd around, and the American woman was crying and asking me if I was all right. Her husband had already gone to call an ambulance. I was fuddled. I think I asked that somebody get my sister, and then the three of us—Maggie, the baby and me—were riding off in an ambulance.”
