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"Peterson can take care of herself and she won’t appreciate you trying to coddle her" Logan kept pace beside hi" Dash shoved his hands in his pockets to keep his fists fro her"

"But you’re different?"

"Da an said in that ultracalht "What can I do to help? Want s? Your shirt is aso long? "A shirt, socks, maybe a razor--I’d appreciate it"

"No problem My house is closer to the hospital than yours I should be able to get back before you and Peterson leave here"

Dash was taller, so he couldn’t share Logan’s jeans, but he said, "Throw in a pair of sweatpants or so"

"If Peterson lets you hang around that long"

When Dash glared at hian bit back a smile and raised his hands in surrender

"I’ in the doorway to the waiting room, Reese asked, "Who? Peterson? Is that a joke?"

Dash shouldered past hi Reese spill the coffee he’d just refilled Nor ice for blood and balls to rival any guy

But not tonight

A an headed off to get sowith her? Was that the holdup? Was she even now headed in to surgery? Would so and for the next few minutes, Dash had to listen to his muted conversation with his wife Until recently, Dash hadn’t envied his brother or Reese for their ot only as far as the door when Reese spoke

"Alice said if there’s anything she can do to help, let her know"

Dash nodded "Thanks" He propped hiood" Reese sat back in his seat and sprawled out his long legs, then started rubbing his left thigh where an old bullet wound still pained hiue "Finally over the flu, poor little guy"

So that’s why Reese looked so beat "Few sleepless nights?"

"Alice is a wonderful mother hen And Marcus Well, it still breaksboth Alice and Reese had stayed attentive to Marcus’s needs

Dash said only, "Yeah," because there were no other words adequate enough to cover it all At only nine, Marcus had seen a world of hurt His dad was now behind bars, where he belonged, and his junkie mother had died froain, it was Reese and Alice

Silence filled the waiting room for a few minutes, and then they both heard the squeak-squeak-squeak of rubber-soled shoes approaching Dash uy halfway--but that didn’t stop the doctor Still walking, he asked, "You’re with Margaret Peterson?"

"Yes" Dash trailed hi room, where Reese had sat forward in anticipation

"I’m Dr Westberry" He held out a hand, so Dash took it

"Dash Riske I’lasses, sized him up, then turned to Reese

"Detective Bareden Peterson is my lieutenant"

"I see There’s no family present?"

Dash shook his head "No"

"Okay, then" The doctor opened a clipboard to peruse notes "The good news is that she’ll be fine No nerve or bone daery needed But we had to reduce--that is, put back in place--her elbow"

"I’ve heard that hurts like hell," Reese said

"Very painful, yes" The doctor scowled "She refused a sedative, but we gave her so to be in very real disco?" Dash asked "Her head was bleeding, too, and sheback at that damn clipboard, the doctor said, "On top of the tests to check for injury to the arteries and nerves in the arm, and the possibility of broken bones, we also evaluated her head injury"

"And?" Reese asked

"We didn’t find any other dae We stitched her head, and a nurse cleaned up some of the blood" He looked at each of them "She has a concussion It would be best if soht"

Dash took a step forward "Me"

One brow lifted, Reese looked at hi with her Just tell rees for you to be there, you’ll need to s Every two hours while she’s awake, every three hours while sleeping, do a neuro-check--ask for her name, the date, make sure she knohere she is Make sure her pupils are equal"