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Chapter One

“Larissa, I put a new patient in room four for you,” Merry Haines, the Hope County Hospital ER charge nurse, called out

“Okay” Larissa Brocke and then pushed away froht, but the ER reht Or rather, Saturday

She crossed over to room four but then stopped abruptly in the doorway as she saw the familiar face of her patient Annie Hinkle, a fifty-year-old wo a decade older than she should, was seated on the gurney cradling her right arainst her chest

No Not again The tiny hairs lifted on the back of her neck in alarm This was the second time Annie had been here over the past month The last time was for a black eye that she sas not caused by her husband, Kurt’s, fist

What would be her story this time? Larissa took a deep breath and let it out slowly before entering the room “Hello, Annie”

“Hi” Annie’s gaze barelyaway

“What did you do to your arentle as she approached She had the distinct ie and wouldn’t hesitate to flee if cornered

“I fell off the front porch—you kno klutzy I a down at her arht heal itself if she concentrated hard enough

“I don’t think you’re klutzy at all,” Larissa murmured “Shohere it hurts”

“Right here,” Annie said, re her left hand to reveal a darklyher wrist Larissa felt a little sick looking at the injury, knowing there was no possible way this had happened froe hand squeezing hard enough to cause this She’d be surprised if there weren’t a few broken bones hidden beneath the horribly discolored skin

“Okay, I’et you a cold pack for that, and I’m sure the doctor ant X-rays, too” She kept her voice cal for pain?”

Annie lifted her shoulder in a half-hearted shrug “Maybe a pain pill would help”