Adriana heard Bruce talking to the doctor in the hall before returning to the room. The nurse sat down Adriana's empty cup and left them alone.
"Good news, my dear," Bruce said. "The doctor says that as soon as you can stand and walk, they will release you. You won't need to stay overnight."
Adriana frowned and looked at Bruce.
"What's wrong?" he asked and rushed to her side. "They've given you something for the pain haven't they?"
"Yes," she said, feeling strong enough to walk even though she hadn't been allowed to yet. "Did you...find him? The guy.."
"Oh, Mr. Hayden," Bruce said. "Yes, I did and I thanked him for us both. Interesting character."
Adriana asked used her arms to push herself into an upright sitting position. Her neck ached horribly even with the brace, but she wanted to leave the hospital.
She tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed, but Bruce stopped her.
"No rush, sweetheart," Bruce said. "Please...we'll wait for the doctors to come back in."
Adriana sighed. "Okay."
Bruce looked at her while rubbing her arm.
"Is he still here?" Adriana asked. "Mr. Hayden?"
"No, he left," Bruce told her. He noticed Adriana let out a sigh. "Do you remember him finding you?"
Adriana couldn't turn to face Bruce, her neck was locked in place with the brace. She turned her eyes only to his.
"No...I don't remember at all," she said.
"Mr. Hayden must have gotten lucky," Bruce said. "He didn't see anyone in the cabin but you. Pulling over when Damien happened to be away was lucky. Damien was armed. Damien likely came back and found you were gone and.."
Adriana remembered hearing the words, still not feeling they were real. Damien was dead. He had taken his own life.
"I just..." Adriana said. "Want to go home."
Bruce kissed her hand again and then the doctor came into the room.
"You're sitting upright," the doctor said happily. "Excellent to see."
Adriana managed a weak smile and the doctor came over to check her again.
"Your neck injury didn't affect the bone at all, these type of soft tissue injuries can heal relatively quickly in someone your age," the doctor said. "Keeping the brace on for at least two weeks will help it to heal properly and more quickly. We will exchange this brace for one you can go home in. You will be able to bathe in it, just make sure you towel dry the outside of the collar. Do not submerge it in water and avoid letting water run over it if you shower. If it does get a bit wet it's fine. It's breathable so the inside will dry quickly."
"Okay," Adriana said.
"You may need help with bathing until the cuff can be removed," the doctor explained. "The amount of bleeding from your miscarriage was not abnormal. The ultrasound didn't indicate any further concern. But you may expect to continue bleeding for one to two weeks."
"Right.." Adriana said.
"Are you experiencing any abdominal pain or cramping at the moment?" the doctor asked.
"No.." Adriana said. "It's stopped."
"Alright," the doctor said. "The bleeding should ease up gradually in the next few days. If you are experiencing any bleeding after two weeks you will need to follow up with your primary doctor. If you are experiencing no pain now, my best guess is that the bleeding should stop within the next few days."
