Phoebe stays pretty calm until Dr. Caldwell comes back and starts messing with her shoulder. When he has Crystal brace against her back to set it, she starts to panic.
They make me let go of her hand so Crystal can keep both sides of her body still, and Phoebe reaches out to me, pushing against Crystal.
Crystal smooths her hair, shushing her, but she whines and reaches for my hand again. "Michael, wait, I—"
"On my count," Dr. Caldwell starts, adjusting his grip on her arm.
Phoebe goes silent, her eyes exploding with panic. Seth turns his head away.
He counts back from three quickly and pulls the arm into place. All the blood drains from Phoebe's face and she whips around to see me, then she drops. Crystal holds her up.
"Passed out," She frowns and lets her lie back down. "Didn't even scream."
"Is that normal?" Seth has turned back. "When you set bones?"
Dr. Caldwell nods and puts a sling on her arm, seeming to dismiss his question. "I'll need to talk to Ben when he gets here, but she's done."
He passes a woman on his way out.
"Dr. Griffith," Crystal grabs Ashton's arm and pulls him over to her. "This is Ashton Irwin, concussion. If you could get him set next door, that would be great. Michael, go with them."
I follow them and stand off to the side while she tests his eyes and reflexes. She starts asking him questions about what happened, and I'm pleasantly surprised he can answer them accurately himself.
She sends him to get x-rays, and I take the few steps back to Phoebe.
"Ben texted me, he's almost here," she takes my arm and pulls me closer. A male doctor, who I assume to Dr. Leonard, is examining and treating the wounds from Claire's belt, which have raised to angry red welts.
Her shirt is off and she's just in a bra, with a strange man touching her and cleaning wounds, and she's sitting fine. Doesn't even look concerned, and that's how I know something is wrong.
"You okay, hon?"
She pulls a face, her tongue out and one eye shut, mouth pulled into a bright smile. "Never been better."
"How's the shoulder?"
She wiggles the arm in the sling. "Perfect."
I hold her arm tighter. Probably best I don't leave. "Okay, just checking."
When Ben gets here, he seems just as surprised by her behavior as I am. He shakes my free hand, then gives Phoebe a careful hug before a nurse pulls him away to do paperwork.
Dr. Leonard finishes and releases her. Phoebe pulls the scrub shirt back on, puts the sling over top, and everyone follows me back to my car.
"Ben?"
He turns.
"Do you have a place you guys can go? Friend's house or something?"
He shrugs. "I don't think they have much of anything set up down here. And I can't take them up to my place, there's barely room for me."
"That's fine, I can take them to my house and make sure they get taken care of,"
Ben takes his car and I drive everyone back to the house. Phoebe quiets down on the drive, her head buried in Seth's shoulder.
"How you doing, sweetie?" I reach back and squeeze her leg.
She shrugs, looking down at Seth's lap.
