Worthington Wives

Chapter Two

Ben pulled into the hospital parking lot and went in smiling. He was happy to see his dad, but he was still thinking of the cute little nurse Reyanna. He bound up five flights of stairs, hoping to see her and maybe ask her out to lunch.

He came in to his dad’s room and saw him sitting up in his chair eating breakfast. “Hey dad! You look great!” Ben said hugging him. “You having a good day?” He asked. “Yes” Avery Sr answered. His face didn’t seem to be drooping anymore and he answered clearly. “What’s this, dad?” Ben asked, picking up his clay ball. Avery Sr put the clay in his left hand and used his right hand to help squeeze the ball for strengthening.

“Oh I see! Well, it looks like you are gaining strength in that hand,” he said, encouraging him. “So who’s your nurse today? Is she pretty?” Ben teased, looking at the board. He was disappointed when Reyannas name wasn’t on the white board. “I’m gonna go see if I can talk to your nurse, dad. I’ll be back,” Ben told him.

He heard Reyannas voice as he walked around the corner. When he saw her talking to her manager, he hid so she couldn’t see him. He could tell that she was crying, so he wanted to know what had happened.

Reyanna pleaded with her manager. “Please Mr Howard, I can’t afford to be fired,” she pleaded. “I’ve got to find another place to live today. My fiancé was cheating on me, I can’t go back there, Sir. That’s why I was late this morning,” she explained. “You’ve had too many absences, Reyanna,” he said, dismissing her tears. “After thirty minutes late it became a No Call No Show which is a dismissible violation,” he said. “So gather your things and turn in your badge. Your last paycheck will be mailed to you,” he said, shutting his door in her face. “But…..I don’t live there anymore,” she said to the closed door.

Ben wanted to hold her and tell her not to cry, but he didn’t want to embarrass her. So he hurried back to his dads room. He had to ask him something.

“Hey dad, Ben said. “Do you remember the nurse named Reyanna?” Avery Sr smiled and nodded his head. “Sweet”, he said. “Yeah she’s real sweet. So…you’re supposed to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility in three days. If I could get that nurse to come stay at the mansion and take care of you….would that be okay?” He asked. Avery Sr nodded and smiled. “Wish me luck, dad. I gotta go catch a nurse,” he said, rushing out.

Ben ran downstairs and watched for Reyanna to come out of the hospital. He had no idea what door she would come out or even where she parked, but he waited by the employee vehicles hoping to catch her. Luckily he did see her coming out, but she was too far ahead of him. He couldn’t get to her before she got in her car and pulled out onto the highway. He followed her, but the traffic was really heavy.

Reyanna wiped tears from her eyes and tried to call her mom. She reached down to grab her phone that she had dropped and accidentally ran a red light. Before she knew what happened, though, she was hit by a big truck. The airbag went off, hitting her in back of the head and banging her face into the console.

Being in shock, Reyanna got out of the car and tried to see if the other driver was okay. Ben pulled over and ran ahead to where Reyanna was stumbling around with blood all over her face. Just as he got to her, she passed out in his arms. Before going out, she recognized him, though and said “Ben”.

“Somebody call an ambulance!” He shouted, trying to see how bad her injuries were. He wiped blood off her face with his handkerchief to reveal a cut above her eye that was quickly swelling. The EMS crew got there and took her from his arms.

Ben stayed by Reyannas side until her parents got there. He called them from the emergency contacts on her phone. He sat with them and told them about the conversation he had overheard between her and her manager and how he saw the accident. He also told them about his idea of her coming to live in the mansion and take care of his dad when she got well. They told him that they agreed if she was agreeable to the plan.

The doctor told them that she should recover as soon as her brain swelling went down from the trauma in a few days. He would let them send his dad to the rehabilitation facility until she was ready to be discharged and felt up to caring for him. If she needed a place to stay, he offered them his apartment in Roanoke. He gave them his card so they knew how to contact him.