Her Texas Rescue Doctor Read Online Free PDF Page A

typing madly away on the precious phone Grace had retrieved.
    The unseen man on the other side of the curtain was obviously trying to be quiet, but he wasn’t quiet enough for Grace’s ears. “You tell the doctor you fell down the stairs. Say it. Now.”
    â€œI f-fell down the stairs,” the woman said. “But we don’t have stairs.”
    â€œThe effing doctor doesn’t know that, you dumb-ass.”
    Grace was paralyzed in her vinyl chair. She’d be horrified if this were a movie scene, but this was even worse. This was real life, and she was no Sophia Jackson heroine. Grace didn’t know what to do.
    â€œSay it again, like you mean it.”
    â€œI fell down the stairs.”
    â€œSmile when you say it. You get me in trouble, I will hunt your kids. You send me to jail, and they’re dead when I get out.”
    Grace couldn’t move. Couldn’t make a noise. The man clearly didn’t know someone was sitting inches behind him on the other side of a cloth curtain. If she made a sound, he would.
    What would he do? Would he hurt those children that were apparently waiting somewhere in a one-story house?
    Frantically, she reached forward to tap the mattress of her sister’s gurney, but her sister only hunched her shoulders and kept tapping away on her screen.
    â€œDon’t worry,” the woman said, sounding so pitiful as she tried to soothe the man who had hurt her, who was threatening her still. “Everything will be okay. You can trust me, you know you can. I would never want you to get in trouble. I’ll fix everything.”
    On her gurney, Sophia coughed.
    Grace froze.
    There was utter silence on the other side of the curtain, and then the curtain was pushed aside. “Who the hell are you?”
    She had to do something. Her sister’s back was to the angry man, so before Sophia could roll over and reveal her famous face, Grace jumped to her feet and faced him. “We’d like some privacy.” She dared to grab the curtain and whisk it shut, right in the man’s face.
    The silence on the other side of the curtain was more frightening than the angry whispers had been. Her heart was already pounding out of her chest when she heard more curtains being pushed aside on their metal rings. Not hers—the ones next door.
    â€œGood afternoon, I’m Dr. Gregory. What brings you in today?”
    â€œI fell down the stairs.”
    Her sister chose that moment to emerge from her absorption in the phone. “How slow is this place? Didn’t you tell them to bring the X-ray machine up here?”
    Frantically, Grace put her finger against her lips to silence Sophia. Shh, shh, shh...
    â€œWhat is wrong with you?”
    â€œNothing.” Grace leaned in close to her sister’s ear, so she could whisper. “I want to hear what they’re saying next door.”
    â€œWhat for?”
    She cringed. Every normally spoken word sounded like a trumpet blast to Grace. She could hear the man doing most of the talking next door. The woman’s voice sounded so timid. The third person, the one who’d said he was Dr. Gregory, had a better voice. Calm and confident. He spoke with the good cheer of someone who didn’t know his patient was in danger.
    â€œWe’ll need a few X-rays because you might have one or more fractures. There’s a bit of a wait for radiology right now.”
    Sophia spoke loudly. “This X-ray is taking forever.”
    Grace whirled around and pleaded for silence with her finger on her lips. It figured that Sophia had just now started paying attention.
    Dr. Gregory kept talking. “While you’re waiting, Mr. Burns, you can get the paperwork taken care of. You’ll be able to leave sooner that way.”
    The curtain rings made their sliding sound again.
    â€œLoretta, perfect timing. Could you show Mr. Burns to admin while we’re waiting to take Mrs. Burns to X-ray? He needs to