it now, anyway, so you can stop acting so mad.” He wiped a hand over his upper lip. Emma opened her mouth to retort, but paused to frown. Todd’s hand trembled a little, and beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and lip. Her reprimand died on her tongue.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked instead.
“A little dizzy and nauseous, actually.” His eyelids fluttered and Emma’s heart thumped in her chest. She sprinted to the door and stuck her head into the hall, thankful to spot the colorful scrubs of a nurse.
“Nurse! Please come here. I think there’s something wrong with my brother!”
The nurse was an older woman with dyed black hair and a kind, seamed face. “What’s the matter, hon?”
Emma ushered her into the room, where Todd had begun to breathe in shallow gulps. He was sweating more profusely, and his skin had turned ashy. Emma rushed to her brother’s side, clasping one of his hands in both of hers. The nurse picked up his chart and scowled at it before glancing up at the monitor near Todd’s head. Emma could see that his heart rate was elevated.
The older woman curtly ordered Todd to lay back, folded back the sheet, and began to press lightly along his abdomen. Emma bit her lip, chewing it as she watched the nurse work. Todd hissed as the nurse’s fingers reached just below his ribs. He squeezed Emma’s hand tightly.
“What is it?” Emma whispered.
The nurse covered Todd’s belly once more, yanking the blood pressure machine closer and wrapping the cuff around his upper arm. “Could be his spleen,” she replied shortly. She pressed some buttons and the blood pressure machine hummed to life. She also leaned over and pressed Todd’s call button. Emma felt her own stomach do a lazy roll.
“Is he going to be okay?”
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” the nurse said. But her terse tone was not at all comforting.
Todd squeezed her hand again. “I’ll be fine, Ems. Promise.”
“You better be. I’m not done yelling at you.” Tears pricked her eyes.
He smiled. “So, does this mean you’re finally on board with the plan?”
Another nurse entered the room. She didn’t even have a chance to speak before the older nurse sent her to chase down Todd’s doctor. Emma tried to bite back the sob that was clogging the back of her throat.
“I’ve been on board for weeks.”
His eyelids fluttered briefly again, as if he was fighting to stay conscious, but then he chuckled. “Not really. You don’t fool me, Emmaceratops.”
“I do too,” she said softly.
He shook his head. The doctor came in and conferred with the nurse. Emma felt a little comforted by the doctor’s smile and her low, firm voice.
“Let’s see what we’ve got here.” The doctor lifted the sheet to prod at Todd’s abdomen herself. Again, he winced when she reached a certain point. The doctor withdrew her hands and folded down his shirt. “Okay then, Mr. Ness, it seems like you might have a small splenic rupture. That can happen when you crash a dune buggy. I’m going to have Arlene here take you to get an ultrasound to confirm, and then we’ll see what we can do about getting it removed, hmm?”
“Is that. . . .” Emma had to stop and swallow the lump in her throat. “Is that dangerous?”
The doctor nodded, but she kept smiling. “It can be, in the case of a massive rupture. However, Mr. Ness’ blood pressure hasn’t dropped at all, so this appears to be a small one. Once we’ve confirmed that, we have a couple of options for treatment. I wouldn’t worry if I were you.”
The doctor patted Todd’s arm and left. Emma continued to worry. She would probably stay worried until she could take her brother home. Maybe even for a few weeks after that. Especially if he rode another dune buggy , she thought with a scowl.
Todd tugged on her hand. “I’ll be okay, Ems. Just . . . promise me you’re really on board
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked instead.
“A little dizzy and nauseous, actually.” His eyelids fluttered and Emma’s heart thumped in her chest. She sprinted to the door and stuck her head into the hall, thankful to spot the colorful scrubs of a nurse.
“Nurse! Please come here. I think there’s something wrong with my brother!”
The nurse was an older woman with dyed black hair and a kind, seamed face. “What’s the matter, hon?”
Emma ushered her into the room, where Todd had begun to breathe in shallow gulps. He was sweating more profusely, and his skin had turned ashy. Emma rushed to her brother’s side, clasping one of his hands in both of hers. The nurse picked up his chart and scowled at it before glancing up at the monitor near Todd’s head. Emma could see that his heart rate was elevated.
The older woman curtly ordered Todd to lay back, folded back the sheet, and began to press lightly along his abdomen. Emma bit her lip, chewing it as she watched the nurse work. Todd hissed as the nurse’s fingers reached just below his ribs. He squeezed Emma’s hand tightly.
“What is it?” Emma whispered.
The nurse covered Todd’s belly once more, yanking the blood pressure machine closer and wrapping the cuff around his upper arm. “Could be his spleen,” she replied shortly. She pressed some buttons and the blood pressure machine hummed to life. She also leaned over and pressed Todd’s call button. Emma felt her own stomach do a lazy roll.
“Is he going to be okay?”
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” the nurse said. But her terse tone was not at all comforting.
Todd squeezed her hand again. “I’ll be fine, Ems. Promise.”
“You better be. I’m not done yelling at you.” Tears pricked her eyes.
He smiled. “So, does this mean you’re finally on board with the plan?”
Another nurse entered the room. She didn’t even have a chance to speak before the older nurse sent her to chase down Todd’s doctor. Emma tried to bite back the sob that was clogging the back of her throat.
“I’ve been on board for weeks.”
His eyelids fluttered briefly again, as if he was fighting to stay conscious, but then he chuckled. “Not really. You don’t fool me, Emmaceratops.”
“I do too,” she said softly.
He shook his head. The doctor came in and conferred with the nurse. Emma felt a little comforted by the doctor’s smile and her low, firm voice.
“Let’s see what we’ve got here.” The doctor lifted the sheet to prod at Todd’s abdomen herself. Again, he winced when she reached a certain point. The doctor withdrew her hands and folded down his shirt. “Okay then, Mr. Ness, it seems like you might have a small splenic rupture. That can happen when you crash a dune buggy. I’m going to have Arlene here take you to get an ultrasound to confirm, and then we’ll see what we can do about getting it removed, hmm?”
“Is that. . . .” Emma had to stop and swallow the lump in her throat. “Is that dangerous?”
The doctor nodded, but she kept smiling. “It can be, in the case of a massive rupture. However, Mr. Ness’ blood pressure hasn’t dropped at all, so this appears to be a small one. Once we’ve confirmed that, we have a couple of options for treatment. I wouldn’t worry if I were you.”
The doctor patted Todd’s arm and left. Emma continued to worry. She would probably stay worried until she could take her brother home. Maybe even for a few weeks after that. Especially if he rode another dune buggy , she thought with a scowl.
Todd tugged on her hand. “I’ll be okay, Ems. Just . . . promise me you’re really on board
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