Simon Says_. Walk (Kate Morgan #6)(64)
Author: Dale Mayer

 

She frowned at a grinning Simon and asked the doc, “Seriously? He was almost out cold when I found him, his words were slurred, and then he collapsed.”

 

“Yeah, he needs to stay home and check with his doctor. He’s got a concussion, but his vitals are solid. We’ve stitched up his forehead, and he’s been lucid and talking, demanding for somebody to call this Kate person.”

 

“That would be me.” She held up her badge.

 

He looked at it and nodded. “Good, then, in that case, I can leave you in good hands,” he said, looking over at Simon. “You have any problems, any issues, blurry vision, dizziness, pain, or you have any loss of consciousness, you get right back in here. Do you hear me?”

 

Simon immediately agreed. “As long as I can go home now.” He slowly sat up on the side of the bed and looked over at Kate. “I might not be able to walk very far though.”

 

“That’s all right. We have a wheelchair for you,” the doctor replied, with a chuckle. “However, if you can’t walk at all, then I might need to keep you.”

 

“No, I can definitely walk a little bit,” Simon declared, as he stood and took several confident steps forward. “But if she doesn’t have a car here, I won’t be walking home.”

 

She snorted at that. “We would grab a cab anyway.” She took his hand, as he leaned on her. “Come on. Let’s go. Harry’s waiting for you.”

 

“Good. Maybe phone ahead and make sure that some food is there for me. I’m starving.”

 

“That’s a good sign,” the doctor noted, with a laugh.

 

Kate led Simon to the front reception, where they took care of the paperwork, and then out to her car. She let him in the front seat of her car and slowly drove him back home. As she parked, she asked him, “Do you think you can walk up to the front lobby?”

 

“Absolutely,” he confidently stated. Yet, even as they got up the front steps, he slumped slightly. But, damn it, he would make it on his own …

 

Harry raced to the front door, obviously seeing him, and opened the door wide, asking, “What happened to him?” Harry immediately swooped in to support Simon.

 

Simon threw an arm over his neck. “I sure hope you ordered food.”

 

“I did. I ordered Chinese. I hope that’s okay.”

 

“It’s perfect,” Simon said, but he staggered.

 

Kate raced ahead, got the private elevator open, and, with Harry’s help, got Simon upstairs to his place, where she immediately had Harry help Simon to his bedroom.

 

Harry noted, “Kate, you are very good in this situation. Simon’s not used to needing help. Then again he spends most of his time alone.”

 

Kate nodded. “Thank you very much, Harry. I’ll look after him from here.”

 

Simon heard them as they walked to the elevator.

 

“What happened?” Harry asked Kate.

 

“He was attacked downtown, hit over the head, and left on the corner. He was talking to me at the time,” she added, “so I had to find him very quickly and get him to the hospital.”

 

Simon smiled at Kate’s impatience with the questions and the worry about being away from him for even those few minutes.

 

“If you need anything, if he needs to go back to the hospital, you let me know,” Harry offered.

 

“Will do.”

 

When she walked into Simon’s bedroom, almost tiptoeing in, he smiled at her. “I’m fine.”

 

“Yeah, you look it,” she murmured.

 

“I know,” he admitted, “but now that I’m horizontal and not trying to walk, I feel much better.” He slurred a bit as he added, “I’ll work at getting out of these clothes, how about you serve food and bring it in here, huh?” Simon waggled his eyebrows.

 

She laughed. “Only you would be concerned about eating food in bed in that tone of voice, as if it would lead to something so much better.”

 

“You mean, it won’t?” he asked, with a crestfallen look.

 

“It won’t,” she declared, sending an eye roll in his direction. “Absolutely no way, José. Not today.”

 

He groaned. “Fine, but tomorrow morning’s a whole new option.”

 

“We’ll see, but I make no promises.”

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 16

 

 

 

 

 

Kate woke the next morning, groggy and sore. During the previous evening, she woke up every couple hours to check on Simon, and he’d groused at her almost every time too. Realizing that she was waking him up to check on him and how that was probably doing more harm than good, she’d fallen back asleep and slept for at least four hours. Now she was just tired.

 

She rolled over to see him snoozing quite comfortably. She crept out of bed, had a quick shower and dressed, then put on a pot of coffee. As she sat in the living room, waiting for the coffee, she wondered about postponing going into work, not wanting to leave Simon on his own. Pouring her first cup of coffee, she looked up to see Simon shaved and dressed, leaning against the door jamb, looking at her with a smile on his face. She walked over immediately, and he folded her in his arms and held her close.

 

He leaned over and kissed her gently on the temple. “Sure hope you made enough coffee for two.”

 

“I did, but I’m finishing the second cup.” He had such a woebegone look on his face that she burst out laughing. “No, I just made a pot, and I did make enough for two.”

 

He grinned. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

 

Together they sat watching the early morning view, as Vancouver woke up around them. Eventually she broke the peaceful silence. “I do have to go to work, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”

 

“I’m fine.” He gave a wave of his hand. “I don’t know who’s on shift downstairs, if Harry was on late last night,” he mentioned, “but I do have people here who can give me a hand, if I run into trouble.”

 

“Only if you call me or send me a text every hour,” she demanded. “Otherwise I’ll send somebody here for a welfare check.”

 

“You would too, wouldn’t you?” he asked in mock outrage.