Tremors. Debra Webb

patients. According to the tech, the E.R. had been filled with people involved in automobile accidents related to the quake and others who’d been rescued from office buildings and homes. Lisa took some solace in the fact that there had been no fatalities reported as yet. She silently thanked God for looking out for Courage Bay’s citizens.

      The lab tech assured her that results would be back stat, but Lisa waited what passed like a lifetime for Dr. Winslow to return to the treatment room with the final word. Joe still waited in the corridor. Suddenly Lisa felt very tired. The nurse had popped back in with something for her headache. She had assured Lisa that it was safe to take the pain medication. Lisa understood what she meant. Safe, regardless of the test results.

      Oh, God. If she was…

      The clues had been there for the past two weeks. But Lisa felt certain she’d been in deep denial.

      “Well, Ms. Malloy,” Dr. Winslow said as the door closed behind him when he entered the treatment room at last, “I’ve got your results.”

      “Lisa,” she insisted. Though she and Brad Winslow didn’t know each other well, they’d met once or twice. His wife, Emily, had been thrilled when he’d brought her by the clinic to pick out a dog from among the ones Lisa had up for adoption. Every child needed a pet, and Emily and Brad wanted their baby to grow up with a dog.

      He managed a half smile. “Lisa.” A slight blush rose from his crisp white collar. “Based on your screening, I’m certain there’s a mild concussion, but unless your symptoms worsen, we’ll forgo an X ray or scan for now. However, I would prefer that someone stay the night with you to monitor symptoms. If there is even the slightest change for the worse, I need you back here ASAP. I don’t have to tell you that any kind of skull fracture is very serious business.”

      Lisa nodded. She knew very well what he meant.