The Business Proposal

Chapter Nineteen

Ivy blinked her eyes, feeling disorientated. Her head pounded, and her vision was blurry. She tried to remember what happened, but she wasn't sure. Everything after John Spencer grabbing her seemed a little hazy now.

She finally got her eyes to focus and was surprised to find herself in what she assumed was a private hospital room. Doing a quick check of herself, she was relieved to see only a few scratches and no needles. Just the idea of needles had her feeling queasy.

The door opened, breaking her mind away from the unpleasant images of needles piercing her skin.

"Ahh Miss Thorn. I'm glad to see you're awake. You took quite a knock to the head. I'm Dr Mendoza, now would you be able to tell me the last thing you remember?" The doctor walked to the edge of her bed and picked up the clipboard that no doubt held all of her medical history.

She pushed through the fog in her brain to remember everything. It took awhile, but the details came back to her.

"Mr Spencer threw me into the table. I think I bumped my head." As if questioning her own memory, she raised a hand to her forehead, brushing against the large plaster just below her hairline.

She panicked a little when she remembered the blood she'd seen on her hands. The heart monitors next to her jumped dramatically which stopped Dr Mendoza scribbling down his notes.

"It's alright Miss Thorn. You had a cut on your forehead but there was no need for stitches."

She blinked up at him. "But there seemed to be so much blood." She wondered whether she'd imagined it, but she noticed the doctor nod his head.

"It's not unusual for head wounds to bleed heavily, but I assure you there is nothing to worry about." His manner was professional and soothing. No doubt a skill honed during his time at med school.

He flicked the lightswitch on the wall, leaving them in partial darkness. He withdrew a small flashlight and held it up to her eye.

"Look straight ahead for me?" He placed one hand in front of her eye and then the other. She tried not to blink, but the light was strong and it caused her eyes to water.

He seemed satisfied and flicked the lights back on.

Before he could speak Ethan walked in holding a box of juice and a glass full of ice. He looked more rumbled than she'd ever seen him. His shirt was untucked, with a few buttons open revealing the very top of his chest. His tie hung undone around his shoulders and he didn't have his usual suit jacket.

When their eyes connected the relief on his face was clear. It was barely two seconds later when he was by her side, placing the things in his hands down so he could hold her own. His grip was firm, but she noticed the slight tremors vibrating through him.

"Thank God you're awake. Is she going to be okay?" His attention turned back to the doctor, and reluctantly Ivy turned her head as well. She would have been content to watch Ethan worry about her, but she also wanted to know the answer.

Dr Mendoza continued scribbling down a few things on her notes before setting it aside.

"From my examination and the CT scan it appears she has a mild concussion but there is no lasting damage. I'll prescribe some pain medication and you must have someone watching over you for the next 48 hours. I would recommend plenty of rest, nothing too strenuous for the next few days. If you feel sick or dizzy, come straight back."

Dr Mendoza clipped her chart back to the bottom of the bed and went to leave.

Ethan held out his hand as he walked past. "Thank you for taking care of Ivy. When am I able to take her home?"