“What she called you?” Ben looked at the shy smile aimed his way.
“She called me your son.”
Ben’s gaze darted up to see Violet staring back at the two of them. A giggle from a pain-free Lily slipped out, and they both swung their heads toward her as well.
“One of the ladies who rolled me back to x-ray said that my dad was handsome. The other one said he was a hunk.” She giggled again. “What’s a hunk?”
Looking back at Violet, he shook his head, rushing to assure, “I didn’t identify myself as their dad, but they made the assumption—”
“Oh, my goodness, it’s fine.” Violet waved her hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. “I’m sure that must’ve felt weird for you, but the most important thing was just getting help for Lily.”
“I wish you were my daddy,” Lily said, a yawn stretching her face.
“Me too,” Charlie piped up. “It made me feel good when they called me your son.”
Violet’s shocked expression met his and her mouth opened for what Ben was sure was going to be a rebuttal. With a shake of his head, he silenced her and hoped she understood that Lily and Charlie’s words had not upset him. Quite the contrary, warmth spread throughout him as a feeling of gratitude and peace speared his heart.
The teenage-looking doctor walked in again, his smile still wide. “Okay, how’s the little lady?” He patted her good leg after greatly exaggerating his decision as to which leg was injured. Lily giggled, Violet smiled, the doctor beamed, and Ben battled a grimace.
“Looks like the pain medicine has kicked in.” He walked to the computer and tapped away for a moment before turning to Violet and Ben. “The good news is that her ankle isn’t broken, but the bad news is that she has a moderate sprain. And often, a sprain causes more pain than a fracture. She didn’t tear any ligaments, and in young children, their bodies are still developing. Her recovery will be much shorter than an adult.”
“What should we do?” Violet asked, her hand resting on Lily.
“The nurse will be in with your discharge instructions, but essentially, elevate, ice packs, and compression. We’ll send her home in a compression boot. For pain, just over-the-counter pain medicine will work.” He looked down at Lily and smiled again, rubbing his hands together as though getting ready to impart the knowledge of the world. “And no running until it’s healed. No dancing, twirling, hopping, skipping, jump-roping, sky-diving, or cave exploring! For several days, she shouldn’t put pressure on it at all, then she can allow it to bear weight as she is comfortable while still being very careful.” He tweaked Lily’s nose then headed out of the ER bay, whistling.
“He’s goofy,” Lily said, yawning widely again.
Ben agreed but kept his opinion to himself. Thirty minutes later the nurse had come in and reviewed the discharge instructions and fitted Lily with a compression boot. “Oh, you’ll need to stop at the reception desk on your way out since your husband didn’t have his insurance card with him,” she said to Violet as she left.
Ben stood, setting Charlie’s feet onto the floor. Violet stifled a grin and shook her head. Walking over, she placed her hand on Ben’s arm and said, “I can’t begin to thank you enough for being there.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Violet. I want to be here for them and am just glad that I was.” Looking past her to where Lily was sitting up in bed, he said, “Let’s get everybody home.”
While the hospital staff rolled Lily out in a wheelchair, Ben and Charlie went to the parking lot to get Violet’s car. Lifting Lily out of the chair, he gently placed her in the back of the car and made sure she was buckled with her legs stretched out on the seat to stay elevated. Turning back to Violet, he said, “I’ll follow behind with Charlie and get her settled inside. Don’t worry about the groceries, I’ll get those in as well. If anything thawed or melted, I’ll dump them in the trash, and then Charlie and I can go back out.”
“What about Anna? I forgot she was at a meeting.”
“Don’t worry about it. She was already getting a ride home with her friend, and I’ve already called her to tell her what was going on. She’s in the kitchen making sandwiches for everyone, and once we get settled in your house, I’ll have her come over.”
“I know you said I don’t have to thank you, but… I’m so used to doing everything by myself—”
“Well, now, you’ve got me.” Lifting his hand, he smoothed his knuckles over Violet’s cheek, feeling the tense muscles underneath his fingers. “It’ll be fine. I promise.”
It didn’t take long for the group to settle into Violet’s house with Lily on the sofa, her foot propped up with a pillow. Charlie ran to gather toys and books for his sister to play with, and Ben escorted Babciu over, bringing sandwiches, chips, and cookies.
After eating, he excused himself and went out into the backyard, stalking to the place where Lily had fallen. He knelt, moving around on his knees with his hands pressed to the grass. Bounder thought it was a game and trotted all around, his nose buried as he sniffed the area. The ground gave way underneath his hand, and he could see the impression in the soft earth where she twisted her ankle. Sitting back on his heels, he stared, confusion filling him. What the hell? Moles? He’d never seen mole trails in their yards, but then he hadn’t been back in Hope City for very long. And as a child, he wouldn’t have noticed them.
Continuing to crawl around as he followed Bounder’s sniffing trail, he found a few more places where the ground gave way underneath his hand. He’d warn Charlie to be careful until he had a chance to figure out what caused the holes. It’s the bad man. Charlie’s words came back but he still had no idea what the little boy’s nightmares had to do with the backyard. Pushing to a stand, he stalked inside, smiling at the sight that greeted him in Violet’s living room. She and Lily were on the sofa, his grandmother sat in the comfy chair nearby, Charlie was giving a great description of the hospital’s emergency room as he acted out the part of the doctor, and Bounder trotted over to lay on the floor.
Violet looked up as he entered and smiled. She scooted closer to Lily, giving him room to slide in next to her on the sofa. With his arm around her, smiles from Babciu settling like a warm blanket, and Lily and Charlie safe, he breathed easier than he had in a long time.
16
That evening, after Ben had walked Babciu back to their house, he returned to carry Lily up the stairs to her bedroom. Violet smiled as they walked in. “I’ll get her changed and then you can come back in and say goodnight,” she suggested.
“I’ll corral Charlie while you do that.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“Not a question of having to, babe.” He winked, and as he turned to walk out, she stopped him with her hand on his arm.
Lifting on her toes, she whispered, “You’re like a knight that’s just ridden up on a white horse.” Glancing over her shoulder at Lily, she added, “I can tell she thinks the same thing.” Holding his gaze, she continued. “I know it doesn’t have to be forever, but thank you for that, Ben. It’s been a long time since she’s believed in a white knight.”