Fated Love (12 page)

"Okay," Arly replied, happily heading off with Quinn in her wake.

"She's very nice," Phyllis observed as she watched the two of them go.

"Should I ask about the third degree?" Honor set her plate aside and leaned back in her chair, observing Phyllis curiously.

"I was just making conversation."

"I thought you were going to ask her whether she was single next."

"No." Phyllis leaned over and picked up an uneaten chicken leg from Honor's plate. "That was going to be my second question.
First,
I was going to ask her where she was living."

"Why are you so interested?"

Phyllis met Honor's gaze. "She seems interested in you."

Honor flushed, and despite the fact that she was used to Phyllis's direct approach, she was disconcerted. "Nothing's going on."

"I didn't think there was, honey." Phyllis looked around and found her iced tea. She picked up the glass and sipped. "Would you like there to be?"

"No," Honor said quickly. "No, not with anyone. But especially not her."

"Has she done something wrong?"

Honor stood, looking across the heads of the people around her who were sitting and having lunch. Quinn and Arly were kicking the soccer ball back and forth to each other at the far end of the lawn. She could see her daughter laughing. "No, but there's more to her than she's telling. I'm not sure I...trust her."

"Ah. That's a problem then."

"Yes, it is." To Honor's relief, she saw Robin headed their way and waved. She did not want to talk any more about Quinn Maguire or why she couldn't help thinking that the surgeon was hiding something. She did not want to think about the way Quinn looked at her, or the way she felt with that steady, intense gaze upon her. She did not want to think about what she wanted, or didn't want, or feared having.

Robin kissed Honor's cheek. "Having a good time?"

"Terrific. Great lunch, Robbie. Thanks."

"Sure thing." Robin gave a satisfied sigh and looked around the yard. Linda was deep in conversation with the father of one of their daughter's classmates, probably coordinating carpooling schedules. Their two kids had joined most of the other children in the far back corner of the yard. "Quinn's drawing quite a crowd."

"I know." For the last few minutes, kids of all sizes had been making their way down to where Quinn and Arly were playing. Now it looked as if there was an impromptu soccer clinic in progress, with Quinn surrounded by the children, all of whom seemed to be watching her intently.

"She's like the Pied Piper," Robin observed. "And she's really good. I think I'm going to try recruiting her."

Before Honor could protest, Robin walked away.

* * * * *

"You've got some good moves there, Quinn."

Quinn turned around and grinned at Robin. In a quiet voice she said, "It's not too hard to look good when your toughest competition is nine years old."

Robin laughed. "Listen, we could use another coach for our team. Right now, we have two, but if one of us gets held up at work, it's a lot for the other one to handle alone. What do you think?"

"Me?" Quinn looked around at the milling, boisterous children. "Jeez, Robin, I don't know. I don't have any experience with kids."

"Looks like you're doing really well to me. Besides, they're at an age when they still do pretty much whatever you tell them. They're really an easy bunch."

"My schedule is kind of crazy at work." Quinn's tone was dubious as she struggled with the decision. She'd never been involved in anything like this before. It would be a significant responsibility, but then, she didn't have anything else to do with her time. And she was having fun. "Okay, sure. If you don't think it'll be a problem if I miss a few practices."

"None at all." Robin clapped her on the back. "Excellent. Before you leave today, make sure I get your telephone numbers, and I'll give you mine. If you've got a fax machine, I can send you the practice times and the game schedules."

"A fax machine?" Quinn laughed. "I've barely got silverware."

"I forgot you're a bachelor." She thought for minute. "I'll give it all to Linda, and she can bring it to you at work."

"That's good."

Arly came up to them and grabbed Quinn's hand. "Can you show us that passing drill again, Quinn?"

"Sure." She grinned at Robin and followed Arly back into the melee.

It happened so fast, there wasn't even time to think about it. One of the older boys with a really strong leg teed off on the ball and kicked a line drive that was worthy of Mia Hamm. Unfortunately, his ball control was not yet equal to his strength, and the kick went well wide of its target. Quinn saw the ball take off and realized it was going to slam into a toddler who was playing not far away.

She took two running steps and launched herself into the air, her body almost parallel to the ground as she stretched out her arms to intercept the projectile. She managed to get her fingers on the ball, but she was so extended that she couldn't control her fall. She came down with all her weight on her left shoulder. The pain was immediate and blinding. Groaning, she curled up around the pain and tried desperately not to vomit.

The instant Honor saw Quinn hit the ground, she started running toward her. She didn't need to hear the sharp cry of pain to know that Quinn was hurt—the angle of contact told her that. She reached Quinn at the same time that Arly and Robin did.

"Quinn!" Arly cried, her voice trembling. She looked from Quinn, moaning on the ground, to Honor, her eyes huge. "Is she hurt, Mommy?"

"Let me see, honey" Honor glanced at Robin. "Take the kids up the hill,, Robbie."

"I'm okay," Quinn muttered hoarsely, trying as hard as she could to keep her voice steady. She opened her eyes, her vision swimming with tears. The agony in her shoulder was nearly unbearable. She managed a crooked grin when she saw Arly peering at her from a few inches away. "I'm...okay, kiddo. Just got the...wind knocked out."

Arly nodded solemnly. "I had that happen once when I fell off a swing." She turned to Honor, who knelt beside Quinn. "She'll be okay, right, Mommy?"

"Yes, honey. Go with Robin now," Honor said gently. As soon as the children were out of earshot, Honor leaned close to Quinn, her fingers on the pulse in Quinn's neck. Racing, but strong. "Tell me where you're hurt."

"Shoulder," Quinn gasped. "Dislocated. Oh God, Honor...it hurts."

"Did you injure your ribs? Your back?" Honor blocked out everything except what needed to be done. She blocked out the harsh sounds of pain, the labored breathing, and the wash of sweat that dampened Quinn's pale face, She buried the fear that had lanced through her when she'd seen Quinn fall and lie still. "Any numbness anywhere? Quinn? Is your neck all right?"

"Nothing else. Just the...shoulder."

Honor did a cursory neurologic exam, checking for movement in all four extremities and lifting each lid to check Quinn's pupils. Her blue eyes were dilated and black with pain.
Oh baby. I'm so sorry.

Linda dropped to her knees on the other side of Quinn. "God, what happened? Should I call an ambulance?"

"Yes," Honor said sharply. Seeing Quinn in pain was making her ill. She gritted her teeth and focused. "I'll stay with her. Go. call."

"No," Quinn rasped. She tried to turn onto her back, but that caused another spear of pain to shoot down her arm. She groaned. "Old injury. Honor...you can put it back in."

Honor shook her head. "We still need to go to the ER. I'll need to sedate you for the reduction. Linda, call 91—"

"It'll go., .in easy. Please just do it." Quinn groaned again, and her stomach heaved. She didn't want to vomit, but she couldn't stand it much longer. "Please. Please...can't wait. So bad."

Linda looked at her friend across Quinn's prone form. "She's really hurting, Honor. One try?"

For a second, Honor hesitated. Medical treatment in the field was always risky. On the other hand, she trusted Quinn to know her own injuries, and a dislocation was excruciatingly painful until the joint was relocated. Quinn's eyes were shut tightly, her shirt soaked through with sweat, and her every breath was a moan.
"One
try. If we don't get it, that's it."

Linda nodded. "Whatever you say Just tell me what you need."

Gently, Honor placed her hand on Quinn's right shoulder and murmured, "We're going to turn you over now, Quinn."

"Okay." She clamped her jaws tightly against a scream.

Together, Honor and Linda carefully maneuvered Quinn onto her back. Quinn's left arm hung limply by her side, projecting at an odd angle. The shoulder prominence was depressed, the contour abnormal. An unnatural bulge protruded from just below the normal joint, distorting her upper arm. The end of the upper arm bone had slipped out of the cuplike fossa formed by the collarbone, the shoulder blade, and the surrounding muscles. The unnatural pressure and strain on the ligaments and nerves around the joint caused severe pain. If left unreduced for long, permanent nerve injury could occur.

"Linda," Honor instructed, her expression neutral and her eyes sharply focused on Quinn's face. "Brace your legs against her side. You're going to have to hold her while I reduce this." She waited a moment for Linda to get into position. "Quinn, are you sure?"

Quinn opened her eyes and focused on Honor's face. A smile flickered for a second. "Yes. Don't let...the kids see. They'll be... scared."

For a second, Honor's composure slipped, and she brushed her fingers tenderly through Quinn's hair. Her voice trembled infinitesimally. "They're all up at the house. They can't see. Close your eyes now."

Quinn complied, and Honor situated herself so that she could grasp Quinn's left arm, flex the elbow, and rotate the arm outward until the rounded head of the humerus popped back into the socket. She met Linda's eyes and nodded. "Hold her."

As Honor pulled and twisted, Quinn stiffened and cried out sharply once, then sagged back, gasping. Honor gently placed Quinn's arm across her midsection and held it there with her palm. She was breathing hard and her stomach was in knots.

"Quinn? Okay?"

"Better." Quinn gave a long shuddering sigh and opened her eyes. This time her smile was stronger. "About a thousand times better. Thank you."

"We still need to go into the ER so that I can get an x-ray and do a proper examination. But I'll drive you in—no ambulance."

"It's not necessary. It's happened before."

"This is not negotiable, Dr. Maguire." Honor's face was set. "I have to be sure that you didn't fracture your clavicle
or
your humerus, and I need to do a proper neurologic evaluation."

"I'm telling you—"

"And I'm telling
you,
no exam—you don't come to work tomorrow."

Quinn blew out a breath and tried to sit up. Linda automatically wrapped her arm around Quinn's shoulders and supported her against her side.

"Okay," Quinn said weakly. Her head was spinning. "Can I say goodbye to the kids, please."

"Of course." Honor regarded her tenderly, her quick surge of anger and fear abating. "Can you stand?"

"I think so."

Between them, Linda and Honor got Quinn upright. Honor threaded her arm around Quinn's waist and took most of her weight. "All right?"

"Just don't let go," Quinn muttered, sweat streaking her face and neck as she cradled her injured arm.

"I wouldn't think of it." Honor's voice was thick.

The fiercely tender expression on Honor's face and the comfort of her body pressed close drove the pain from Quinn's mind. "Thanks."

"That was some move, Quinn," Honor murmured as they made their way slowly up toward the group of people who were gathered beneath the maple tree.

"I used to be a lot better at that. Ten years ago."

Honor laughed softly. "It still
looked
good."

"Thank God for that. Because I'm very embarrassed."

"You have no reason to be." Unconsciously, Honor held her more tightly. "You have valiant instincts."

Robin came up to them then, her face creased with worry. "Jeez, Quinn. Are you okay? Man, that looked rough."

"Fine, now. I knocked that shoulder out when I was nineteen, and it's always been hinky. I just landed on it wrong."

"You sure you're okay?" She looked questionmgly at Honor and Linda.

"I'm going to check her over, but she seems okay," Honor assured her.

Quinn grinned weakly at Robin. "Is this gonna cost me my new job?"

For a second, Robin looked confused, and then she burst out laughing. "Hell, no. It takes more than a dislocated shoulder for me to fire a coach. Now, if you make the goalie cry, that's a different story."

Quinn grinned. "Not to worry. I'll go easy."

After assuring Arly and the other children that she was fine, Quinn allowed Honor to help her to the car and buckle her into the front seat. As they headed to the emergency room, she wondered what she was going to do when it came time for Honor to examine her.

Chapter Ten

H onor glanced over at Quinn as she pulled into the doctors' section of the ER parking lot. Quinn, silent for the entire ride, sat with her head back and her eyes closed. Carefully, Honor brought the car to a stop and shut off the engine. She turned in her seat and rested her fingers on Quinn's leg.

"How are you doing?"

Quinn slowly rolled her head to the side and opened her eyes. "Not too bad. It throbs, but I can handle that. My stomach is in a bit of an uproar, though."

Honor nodded sympathetically. "I can imagine. We'll get you some Compazine once we get inside."

"Will you do me a favor?"

"Of course," Honor replied, her brows furrowing. "What is it?"

Quinn sighed. "Will you try to make sure that no one sees my records or my films?"

"I'll see to it," Honor said kindly. She appreciated how difficult it was for a medical person to be treated at the institution where they worked. Curiosity was a normal human trait, and everyone wanted the details whenever someone who worked in the hospital was ill or injured. She rubbed Quinn's thigh gently. "Let's get you taken care of. I'll come around and help you get out."