Her Mistletoe Miracle

He made his way to the visitor’s lounge at the end of the hall and chose a seat in full view of any comings and goings. Mick knew Rosemary had never approved of the younger nurses like Tammy smuggling in forbidden food during his sojourn. Since there was no love lost between him and the night supervisor, he intended to look out for his own interests and keep watch.

He picked up an outdated magazine, and though he read a lot and usually enjoyed catching up on world news, he couldn’t concentrate. The slightest noise in the hall drew his attention away from the article. Then his thoughts would stray to Hana, and he would wonder what was taking so long. Mick didn’t want to consider all that could go wrong with her slender back. She was small-boned and probably not more than five-two in hiking boots. She was a natural strawberry blond who never seemed to fuss over her looks. For her coloring, she tanned well, he’d noticed. Spunky, she was quick to debate without holding a grudge. He also knew she listened well, and he loved her bell-like laugh. Hana just came in a great package.

What kept Mick glued to the uncomfortable chair in the waiting room was the clear memory of pain turning her whiskey-gold eyes to a shadowy amber. Pain he’d made worse by rolling her over.

Mick heard the squeak of a wheelchair, and rose when he saw an orderly wheeling Kari Dombroski down the hall. Two nurses joined them, and the four disappeared into a room directly across from the nursing station. He set aside the magazine and paced, knowing the staff wouldn’t like it if he barged into the room before they got Kari settled.

He saw the orderly back out with the wheelchair. Mick prepared to leave the waiting area, but a door on the side wall of the waiting room swished open and a gray-haired doctor wearing surgical scrubs approached Mick with purpose.

“I’m Dr. Black. Royce Black.” He consulted a chart clipped to a board. “A nurse said you were waiting, Mr.…Egan.” He went on before Mick could raise an objection. “I won’t mince words. It may be weeks before your wife will walk again. Between my assistant and myself, we managed to relieve the pressure on her spinal cord, and we pieced her pelvis together. She suffered lateral compression and minimal vertical shear injuries to the entire pelvic ring.”