“Larem?” she whispered, trying not to jar her head.
He moved closer to the bed and enfolded her hand in his. As soon as their hands connected, the bongos faded to a more bearable level. She sighed in relief, briefly accepting the comfort of his touch.
But she couldn’t relax, not until she knew. “Where’s the doctor?”
“With another patient, but she said she’d stop back to check on you soon. The nurse was also called away, but I’m sure she’s not far.” His accent had grown stronger again; his emotions were running high.
“Who did this to me?”
“We don’t know, but the police are investigating. Witnesses were able to give them a pretty detailed description of the guy who pushed you.” His eyes closed, and he squeezed her hand tighter. “Sasha, I—”
“I’ll be okay.” Or would be once she could talk to the medical staff. “Can you ask the nurse to come back in? It’s important.”
He nodded and walked out. She heard the low rumble of his voice and then the sound of footsteps heading her way. She braced herself to ask some hard questions.
A woman wearing a lab coat walked in. “Ms. Willis, I’m Dr. Brand. I’m glad to see you’re perking up. Give me a minute to check a few things and then we’ll talk.”
She poked and prodded and took readings, her touch gentle but firm. When she was finished, she pulled up a chair and sat down.
“You’re one very lucky lady. According to the police, you took quite a hit. You have a few bruises and abrasions as well as an impressive bump on your head, but none of your injuries are life threatening.
“Your friend Mr. Jones told us about the pregnancy. We confirmed it with a blood test, but so far there are no signs of any problems in that quarter. Of course, you’ll want to follow up with your OB/GYN about the accident as soon as possible.”
Relief mixed with confusion. Thank God the baby was all right, but how in the world had Larem known? She certainly hadn’t told anyone about any of the home pregnancy tests she’d taken over the past couple of days, least of all him. The man had a lot to answer for, but this wasn’t the time or the place.
“When can I go home?”
Dr. Brand smiled. “I always figure it’s a good sign when my patients start asking that question. However, I’d like to admit you overnight to keep an eye on that head wound, since you don’t have any family in Seattle. Unless you have someone who can stay with you, concussions can be tricky. You don’t want to take any unnecessary chances, especially with a pregnancy involved.”
“I’ll stay with her.”
Larem had returned. No surprise there. She’d sensed that he’d remained close by, but then he did have a vested interest in the doctor’s report. The last thing she wanted to do was spend a night in the hospital surrounded by strangers, especially since the accident hadn’t been an accident at all.
“Thanks, Larem, that would be great.” Sort of.
She told herself that she’d accepted Larem’s offer simply because she didn’t have any other close friends here she could ask. The real truth was much simpler: she trusted him to keep her safe.
The doctor may have sensed some of the tension between them, because she glanced at Larem before giving Sasha a considering look. “If you’re sure . . .”
“I’m sure.”
“All right then, I’ll write your discharge orders, but I don’t want you to go home until after all the test results are back. Also, the police are going to want to take your statement before you leave.”
When the doctor disappeared, Larem ventured closer. “I’ve already spoken to the authorities. They were going to stop by soon to see if you were awake. Devlin and Laurel are on their way, as well.”
Sasha leaned back against her pillow and felt the burn of tears. The last thing she wanted was to be grilled by either the police or Devlin Bane, but she supposed there was no avoiding it.
Larem’s gentle touch melted the last of her self-control, unleashing a stream of tears. He immediately perched on the edge of her bed and slowly pulled her into the sanctuary of his arms.
“This really wasn’t an accident, was it? Someone shoved me out in front of that car,” she whispered, trusting Larem to give it to her straight.
He didn’t even hesitate. “No, it wasn’t an accident. Devlin has D.J. monitoring the police investigation, and they’re handling the case as an assault. There’s no indication the driver was involved, but they’re hunting for the guy who ran from the scene.”
He stroked her hair, making her want to purr. The man certainly had a calming touch. No wonder an abused dog like Chance had taken to him. Chance!
“Where’s Chance?”
Larem smiled at her concern. “Safe and sound back at the shelter. The two of us ran there and then the vet, my friend Dr. Isaac, drove me here to the hospital. I arrived shortly after the ambulance.”