Harris moved to the other side of the bed and rolled up his sleeves, every inch the calm professional. “You’ve gotten him cleaned up and started with the ice. Good. It makes it easier to see the damage, and will help with the swelling.” He disappeared into the bathroom and she heard him washing his hands. Callie made an effort to keep breathing, which was difficult with dread trying to choke her. He reappeared and went to work, prodding Teague’s face in a way that made her wince.
He looked up. “If this is too difficult…”
“No, it’s fine.” She trusted the doctor with her life, but she wouldn’t leave him alone with Teague. Micah’s words still echoed in her head, threatening to make her jump at shadows. It was one thing to know that some of the men didn’t approve, and completely another to hear him saying they should leave Teague to his fate. She wasn’t about to admit to them that Ronan’s death had altered the landscape so much that her marriage was vitally important in keeping the lot of them safe. There were more sharks in this ocean than just the Hallorans and O’Malleys—better to go with the devil she knew than the one she didn’t. At least the older men recognized the threat, which was why there’d only been a minimum of mumbling discontent from them.
The younger ones, like Micah? She suspected they’d hoped she’d pick one of them to marry, bringing them up in the ranks and avoiding the need to invite in an outsider. It was a shortsighted goal, but since none of them had openly spoke against her marriage, she hadn’t been forced to address it directly. Thank God. She didn’t have enough time or energy to deal with yet another mess.
Harris pulled out a pair of scissors and carefully cut away Teague’s shirt and pants. He paused, but left his underwear. She could have told him it wasn’t necessary, but she couldn’t force the words out, not when all she could focus on was the mass of bruises darkening the skin she’d just spent hours worshipping. “Oh, Teague.”
The doctor continued his careful poking and prodding, and part of her was grateful Teague wasn’t awake for it since there was no way it didn’t hurt. From his little suitcase, he pulled out what looked like an ultrasound machine and went to work on Teague’s stomach, where the majority of the bruises were concentrated, watching the screen with a small frown on his face. He finally sat back with a sigh. “I won’t know for sure without a few more tests, but it looks like he came off relatively lucky.”
Lucky? “How bad is it?”
“Lots of bruises and swelling, and I suspect a few bruised ribs, but nothing seems to be broken and there isn’t any internal bleeding. I’ll need to see him in about a week, though don’t hesitate to call if it looks like he’s getting worse.”
She waited, but it didn’t look like there was more forthcoming. “That’s it?”
He smiled, reaching out to pat her hand. “As long as he takes it easy, he should make a full recovery.”
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Thank you, Dr. Harris. I really appreciate you rushing over here.”
“Of course, Callista.” He frowned. “Are you getting enough sleep? You look exhausted.”
She tried for a smile. “It’s nothing. I’m just a bit stressed.”
His frown deepened. “Stress can do a significant amount of harm. Whatever’s going on can wait—you have to take care of yourself first.”
Easier said than done. She wished it was as easy as jaunting off on a vacation and recharging, but that wasn’t an option. Her father and her people needed her. Hell, right now, Teague needed her. She smoothed back the matted hair on his head. “I’ll do what I can.”
“Would you like me to prescribe you some sleeping aids? It’s not a long-term solution, but it may help you get to the other side of whatever you’re dealing with.”
She started to demur before she noticed the stubborn look on his face. He wasn’t going to leave before he had some sort of assurance that she’d take his advice. Callie sighed. “I’d like that very much.” She wouldn’t use the pills, though. She didn’t deserve the peaceful slumber of someone with a clean conscience. More than that—as if that wasn’t reason enough—she couldn’t risk some threat arising while she was knocked out and her