Chapter 13: Her Pulse

Bianca made it halfway up the drive before her knees gave out.

She went down slowly, one hand flung out, and she waited until she was sure Gavin was watching.

"Gavin," she said from the gravel. "Please. I can't breathe."

Gavin was off the porch before I could stop him.

Declan caught his arm.

"Let me."

"Get your hands off me."

"I'm the only doctor here," Declan said. "Let go of my brother, Gavin, and let me look at her."

For a moment I thought Gavin would swing at him.

Then he stepped back, and Declan walked down the steps and crouched beside Bianca.

"Hello, Bianca."

"Don't touch me," she whispered. "Gavin, he hates me, he's always..."

"I'm going to take your pulse."

He took her wrist, the one with the plastic band.

He looked at his watch, and the whole drive went quiet.

Bianca's chest rose and fell, fast and shallow, and her eyes slid sideways to Gavin to check he was still there.

"Eighty-two," Declan said. "Steady. Her lips are pink, and her nail beds are pink."

He pressed two fingers to her cheek, then pulled down her lower eyelid.

"Her eyelids are the color they should be. If your counts crashed last night, Bianca, you'd be grey. You'd barely be sitting up."

"I was transfused..."

"Where?"

"Cedars."

"Which floor?"

She opened her mouth.

"Which floor, Bianca? Which nurse? Who started the line?"

"I was sedated," she said.

"Read me the name on your bracelet."

She yanked her wrist into her lap.

Gavin had come down the steps without any of us noticing.

He stood over her, and he was breathing hard.

"Let me see it."

"Gavin, no."

"Let me see it."

She held out her wrist.

He turned it over and read the printed label, and I watched his lips move.

Keep reading free with an account. Start Pregnant for His Lover's Cure, I Sent Him a Jar and Divorce Papers from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.