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"Magnum?"
The weak edge to Higgins' voice immediately made him forget everything else. "Higgins?" he asked, standing up and starting for the guest house door, his phone tightly pressed to his ear. "What's wrong? Where are you?"
"The main house. Now don't freak out," she told him—an instruction that, naturally, did the opposite, "but, seeing as how Kumu's not here, do you think you could possibly do me a favor and give me a lift to the hospital?"
"What?" He was nearly running now, crossing the grass. "What happened?"
"Well, I just… I don't feel so good, and I think I should get checked out just to be on the safe side."
"Okay, I'm coming right now." By this point, he had reached the main house, and he threw open the side door without even bothering to knock. "Higgy!" he called, glancing around and then heading for the study. It was midmorning, so that was where he figured she'd probably be at this time of the day. But there was no Higgins in sight. "Higgins!" he yelled again, now heading for the sitting area.
"Kindly stop yelling in my ear, please." Higgins was glowering at him from her seat on one of the sofas, and she waved her phone at him to underscore her point. "Actually, would you mind stopping yelling altogether? My headache is only getting worse with your bellowing."
Oops. "Sorry," Magnum apologized, glancing at his own phone, where Higgins had since ended their call, and then tucking it in his pocket. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" He studied her, looking for signs of injury.
She gave him a shrug and made a face. "I don't exactly know. I was going about my morning, and I started feeling really… funny. I was just standing, but my heart rate spiked so high my chest hurt. So I sat down for a bit, and I felt better, but every time I try to do anything else, it starts up again and I get quite dizzy and weak-kneed."
"That doesn't sound good. How long has this been going on?" Magnum asked, crossing his arms. Higgy looked pale, her fair skin a shade lighter than usual, and he was definitely starting to get worried.
"Since yesterday evening, but I'm sure it's nothing," Higgins waved off his concern. "But, since it is better to be safe than sorry, I thought it might be prudent to get a doctor's opinion."
"Yester—" He broke off his question and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, you could say that."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that."
"Right, okay; we're going to the hospital." He glanced around. "Do you need me to grab your bag or anything?"
She reached down and picked up her purse from the floor. "I'm not two years old, Magnum. Now, shall we go?" She started to stand, but he immediately jumped forward, hands out.
"Whoa, Higgy, do you think that's a good idea?" He almost offered to carry her to the car but decided against it at the last second. Which was probably a good idea, based on the look she gave him at the first question.
"I can walk myself to the garage, thank you."
He spread his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay," he chuckled in spite of himself. "But do you at least want me to—"
"Just go get the car, Magnum."
After a moment's hesitation, he sighed and nodded. "Okay, I'm going. But stay put," he ordered, pointing a finger in her direction. "I'll pull around up front, then come back in and help you out." He didn't wait for her to reply—wasn't sure he wanted to—and darted in the direction of the garage. He hurried as quickly as he could, grateful for the quick start-up of the Ferrari, and pulled it as close to the house as the driveway would allow.
He leaped from the driver's seat and moved to open the passenger door, then headed back for the house—only to be met by Higgins just exiting the front door. "What are you doing?" She didn't look all that great, much less like she should be on her feet.
"I'm a big girl," Higgins retorted, although the humor in her voice wasn't there at quite the same level as usual. "I can walk five feet without supervision."
No sooner had she said the words than she stumbled slightly stepping down from the stoop. Magnum was there immediately, steadying her with a hand on her arm. She shot him a look but didn't argue.
"Here, lean on me," he offered. He expected her to roll her eyes and shoot back some sarcastic reply, so, when she didn't say anything at all, he looked back at her, worried. "You all right?"
She nodded. "Fine, thanks," she said quietly. "Just, uh, missed the step."
The fact that her hand was trembling—and still holding onto his arm—wasn't lost on Magnum. He walked slowly, giving her a chance to set the pace, and then helped her slide into the Ferrari. She settled back against the leather seat with a sigh and closed her eyes.
He hurried back around the car and clambered behind the wheel, then pointed the vehicle in the direction of the nearest hospital. He was glad for the Ferrari for several reasons—not just because of the low seats for Higgy to get into easily but also because of its speed. The faster they got to the ER, the quicker a doctor could take a look at Higgins.
Glancing over at his passenger, he didn't like what he was seeing. She looked utterly exhausted, with dark smudges visible under her closed eyes and skin that looked even paler now that they were out in the sunlight.
Then she blinked her eyes open, and they narrowed as soon as she realized he was watching her. "Eyes on the road, if you please," she protested.
He tilted his head with a smirk but did as requested.
The rest of the ride was quiet, with Higgins not seeming up to talking and Magnum deciding not to push. He stayed silent, stealing glances her way every so often to make sure she hadn't gotten worse, until they pulled up to the doors of the emergency department. As soon as they'd pulled in, he'd spotted a row of wheelchairs waiting near the curb and headed for them now, thinking of the quickest way to get Higgins inside and through any line that might be at the admissions desk.
"Magnum, what are you doing?" Higgins' voice stopped him in his tracks.
He turned, eyebrow lifted, to see her exiting the Ferrari. "Getting you a wheelchair."
"I don't need a wheelchair." She rolled her eyes. "I can walk just fine on my own."
"But, Higg—"
"No," she repeated. "Go park the car; I'll be fine."
He started to protest again, but she was already heading for the entrance. After a brief second of trying to decide if he should actually believe her, Magnum finally sighed and hurried back behind the wheel. Arguing wasn't going to do any good, so he might as well just park the car as quickly as possible so he could get back to Higgins' side. He knew she wasn't the type to make a fuss because she wasn't the type to want to be at the center of attention, but he was not the type to give up so easily—especially when she obviously did need help.
It took nearly half an hour before the hospital had Higgins checked in and ready to head to a room in the emergency department. When a nurse called Higgins' name, Magnum saw Higgy sway on her feet as she stood and decided it was time to risk life and limb and get her a wheelchair. He was very glad he had as he followed the nurse down several hallways, took an elevator several floors, and then wound through more hallways. Higgins had looked less than pleased when Magnum had so easily convinced the nurse of the need for the chair, but she also looked pale and shaky, and he did not regret it.
A few hours later, after a half dozen tests, a chest x-ray, and a repeated round of tests, the doctors had admitted Higgins overnight, citing dehydration.
As soon as it became apparent they would be spending more than just an hour or so for Higgy to get checked out, Magnum texted Rick, T.C., and Kumu to let them know what was going on. His friends he texted because he knew they would never forgive him if he left them out of the loop and they found out about it later. Kumu he texted for the same reason but also in case she needed to handle anything at the estate with Higgins absent. One less thing for the patient to have to worry about at the moment.
The three shot back a barrage of texts demanding more information, and, once Magnum updated them that Higgy was being admitted for the night, the trio immediately requested her room number. Magnum glanced up from his phone to where Higgins was lying back against the pillows. She had all the trappings of a hospital stay—heart monitor wires snaking from the neck of her hospital gown, a blood pressure cuff, a sensor on her finger, and an IV bag steadily dripping into her arm—and was absently watching some old movie playing on the television mounted on the far wall. She still looked tired, and, although he had already provided his friends with Higgy's room information, he contemplated texting them again not to come.
Then she glanced over and caught him watching her. "What?"
"Ah, it's just the guys and Kumu, wanting to come check in on you," he told her, waving his phone. "I was going to tell them not to worry about it so you could get some rest."
Higgins shook her head. "I'm really fine; no need for such a fuss. In fact, I'm sure even you have much more important things to do than hang around in a stuffy hospital all day."
"Come on," he protested with a chuckle. "You really think I'm gonna just leave you here by yourself?"
She made a face and shrugged. "Well, I won't hear the end of it if I kick you out, so I suppose you're welcome to stay if you'd like."
Magnum smirked and tapped out a quick response in the group text, then tucked his phone back beside him. "So dehydration, huh?" He winked. "How'd that happen?" He really was curious; Higgins seemed like the kind of person who would meticulously stay on top of her water intake.
"It's entirely your fault, you know," she replied with a pointed look his way.
He blinked. "What?"
"It's been quite hot and humid lately, and I've been running all around the island for the past week, helping you track down leads—on top of all my other responsibilities." She raised an eyebrow. "And the necessary painkillers after that fistfight you dragged me into muted any headache I might've gotten that would've alerted me to my lack of hydration."
Oh. Well, now he felt guilty.
"Staying aware of things like drinking enough water is a little hard to do when one is running through the jungle, dodging bullets."
Fair enough. "I'm—"
But before he could fully apologize, there was a knock at the door. Higgins and Magnum looked up, expecting another nurse or doctor to arrive for more tests, but the head that poked through the doorway did not belong to medical staff.
"Higgy!" T.C. exclaimed quietly. "How are you feeling?" He was carrying a potted plant, bearing some sort of bright purple flowers, that he set down on the table near her bed. "Brought you something."
Behind him, Rick and Kumu traipsed in as well. Kumu had her own flowers in-hand, while Rick was carrying a paper bag.
Higgins smiled weakly and looked between the three newcomers. "What are you all doing here?"
"Well, T.M. here texted us you were in the hospital, and we decided we couldn't just sit around and wait for news," Rick explained.
Nodding, T.C. smiled and patted Higgins' hand. "We couldn't leave you trapped in here with only Thomas for company."
"Hey now!" Magnum attempted to look offended, but he felt he only half-succeeded with the smirk dancing on his face.
"And no way was I leaving you alone with these three." Kumu winked at Higgins. "You feeling okay, dear?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you," Higgins responded graciously. "They're saying it's just dehydration, so I'll be right as rain in no time."
"Not 'no time,'" Magnum followed up, eyebrow raised. "The doctor's keeping you here for at least a night to make sure you get plenty of fluids, then he said you needed to take it easy for a few days once you're released." He glanced at the others and then back at Higgy, who was giving him another of those looks.
"I'll be fine. What's this?" she turned her attention to the bag Rick was now handing her.
T.C. rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Higgy, Rick here is convinced this is an appropriate gift to bring to a hospital visit."
"And it is!" Rick shot back with an eye roll of his own. "But don't worry; I won't hold it against you just because you're not as cultured as I am." He smiled when Higgins laughed. "See? Jules knows."
"Yes, grapes are a very British gift to bring someone in hospital," she smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Rick; you're very sweet."
Rick shot a smug look at his friend. T.C. just rolled his eyes again.
"So, what happened?" Kumu asked from where she'd taken a seat next to Magnum. "The doctor said dehydration? Is it serious?"
"Higgy needs to keep on top of getting enough water," Magnum replied with a nod. "Seems you can have all kinds of issues if you haven't paid attention to how much you're drinking each day."
"Right"—Higgins raised an eyebrow—"because it's got absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you had me investigating leads all over town during one of the hottest weeks on record."
"Whoa, hey!" Magnum raised his hands as Kumu, Rick, and T.C. all turned to glare his way. "Why is this suddenly my fault?"
"Uh, because it is," T.C. replied. "We all know how many favors you called in with Higgy last week."
Rick shook his head. "Telling you, Thomas," he tsked, "you have to take more responsibility in life. Think of what you put poor Jules through these past few days because you wouldn't stop asking her for help with your case."
"Help me out here, Kumu?" He turned to the older woman, palms extended.
"Not a chance." She glared at him.
Higgins smirked and shut her eyes for a moment, and the others all exchanged glances.
"You know, I feel your pain, Higgy," T.C. offered, shooting a look at Magnum. "There was one time, not two weeks after I met him, that I ended up in a bed in Medical because of his antics."
"What?" Magnum protested. "That was not my fault!"
Rick raised an eyebrow at Kumu. "Uh huh. Then what do you call T.C. getting jumped from behind because you thought you saw an opening when we were just supposed to be running surveillance?"
Glancing between his friends, Magnum chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, come on; we got the guys, didn't we?"
"Yeah, and I got a concussion to boot," T.C. remarked. "Real smooth operation you ran there, T.M."
"I said I was sorry, okay?" Magnum snorted a laugh.
From her spot on the bed, Higgy opened her eyes and giggled lightly at the banter being exchanged between the others. "I can believe it."
Rick raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you think that's bad, wait until you hear about Thomas as a patient."
"What?" Magnum protested again.
"Oh, I'd pay to hear this," Kumu remarked, leaning forward in her seat and winking at Magnum.
"Okay, so, different op a few months later." Rick settled onto the edge of Higgins' bed, now in full storyteller mode. "We take fire, Thomas catches a bullet, loses a good bit of blood before we can get it wrapped up. Within a day, he's tried to get out of bed twice, even though he can barely walk. The next day, he's trying again; the doctor caught him halfway to the door."
"Said he was discharging himself," T.C. added with a laugh.
"Because I was fine," Magnum corrected them good-naturedly. "I figured I should free up a bed for someone who needed it more."
Everyone laughed.
"Seriously, Thomas, that is the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard—and I've heard plenty," Rick replied. "What was the one you used that time you were in for that stab wound?"
When Kumu gave him a questioning look, Magnum just shook his head. "Some guy from another unit pulled a knife on me because I caught him cheating at poker," he explained. "And it was hardly a stab wound!" he turned to Rick. "It was barely a wound at all."
"Right." T.C.'s tone was patronizing. "That's why you had to get all stitched up: because it wasn't a stab wound."
"That's not how I remember it. I got, like, five stitches."
"Try twenty-five," T.C. corrected him. "And a couple of days before the doctor would let you walk on your own feet!"
Before Magnum could protest—again—Higgins' laugh interrupted him. He grinned at her. "Don't believe a word these guys say."
She chuckled again and glanced at Rick. "Sounds like you boys really had your hands full."
"Oh, that's not even the half of it." Rick grinned.
Magnum rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys; I'm sure Higgy doesn't need to know about every time I've ever been in the hospital."
"Oh, but this is quite entertaining," Higgy said mischievously.
"And if you didn't cause so much trouble as a patient, we wouldn't have so many stories to tell," Rick remarked, giving his friend a look.
"So this is my fault too?"
"Sure sounds like it." Kumu nodded.
The others laughed and even Thomas had to join in. He looked back over at Higgins, who had settled back against her pillows, and noticed her eyes were starting to droop. He cleared his throat and, when the others looked his way, tilted his head to indicate their friend drifting off in the hospital bed.
They exchanged knowing smiles, then Kumu flapped her hands. "You three go," she ordered, keeping her voice at a whisper. "I'll let you know when she wakes up."
"Thanks, Kumu," Magnum whispered, patting her hand.
The boys did as they'd been told, but they didn't go far. Tiptoeing out of Higgins' room, Rick closed the door quietly before following Magnum and T.C. to the nearest cluster of chairs. Then they settled in to wait.
"Man"—T.C. shook his head and looked over at Magnum—"you really were never a model patient, were you?"
Rick laughed and elbowed Magnum next to him. "That he was not. But hey, if anyone is going to be a model patient, it'll be Juliet."
"Oh come now; it's not like I lost a limb," Higgins protested as Magnum rolled a wheelchair into her hospital room. "I'm quite capable of walking myself out the door."
"Doctor's orders, Higgy," he returned, smiling widely as she crossed her arms. "Come on; it'll be fun."
It was mid-afternoon the next day, and Higgins had finally been discharged after more tests that had seemed to assure the doctors that her vitals were finally on the right track. Kumu had brought by a change of clothes and toiletries before heading to one of her weekly meetings, and Magnum had volunteered to drive Higgy back to the estate. Except, apparently, she did not approve of his method of transportation.
"That's not quite my idea of the word," she replied.
Magnum spread his arms. "Well, look, you either let me push you out of here or a nurse does it, but they won't let you leave unless you're rolled to the curb. Hospital policy." He winked. "Don't want you tripping and blaming them for your broken neck."
She rolled her eyes at that. "Right, because I can't walk a quarter-mile to the car."
"Well…" He didn't want to say it out loud, but he wasn't actually sure she could at the moment. She looked much better than she had the day before, but she was still shaky. "Come on; you want to go home, right?"
With another half-glare, she sighed and shrugged. "Fine; let's just get this over with."
Magnum rolled the chair near her bed and held it steady while she climbed onto the seat, then he grabbed her duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Got everything?" He paused as she nodded, then nodded once himself in satisfaction. "Okay, here we go!" He turned the chair for the door, and off they went.
If he'd thought convincing Higgins to take the wheelchair had been difficult, Magnum was absolutely not expecting the challenge of getting her indoors when they'd arrived back at Robin's Nest.
"I can walk on my own," Higgins objected the moment he'd cut the engine and rushed around to open her door.
He didn't move from his place in front of her. "Higgy, can you just let me help? You almost fell down the step yesterday!"
"Yes, and I was also completely dehydrated yesterday," she objected. "I've had several bags of fluids now, and I'm quite sure I can walk inside on my own power."
"But Higgy—"
The door to the main house opened just then, and Kumu appeared in the doorway. "What are you two still doing chatting out here? Juliet is supposed to avoid the heat!" she scolded as if it were all Magnum's fault, hurrying over to pat his upper arm. "Move aside, Thomas. Juliet, come; I'll help you inside."
"I'm quite all right; thank you, Kumu." Higgins tried to decline again.
But the woman was having none of it. "Nonsense! You just got home from the hospital. Now, come on."
When Higgins still hesitated, Kumu sighed. "It's either that or I make Thomas carry you." She raised an eyebrow pointedly.
"Oh for goodness' sake."
Kumu crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
Seeing the older woman was serious about her threat, Higgins rolled her eyes but stood slowly and grabbed Kumu's outstretched arm. "Let's just go indoors before any further spectacle is made, hm?"
Kumu shot Magnum a grin over her shoulder as she helped Higgins up the steps and into the house. He chuckled and moved to retrieve the duffel bag from the trunk before following the others inside.
He pulled up short when Zeus and Apollo both turned at the sound of his footsteps, but neither Doberman moved toward him. Instead, they seemed quite content to lie on the floor next to the sofa, near Higgins' feet, and Magnum smiled.
Now that Higgy was settled in at home, he could rest easy until she had recovered in a few days.
It was exactly two hours and seven minutes before Higgins was trying to get out the door.
"Whoa, Higgy!" Magnum exclaimed, rushing over from where he'd just entered the living room to find her on her feet. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be resting."
"There's work to be done, Magnum; not all of us can just sit around the house all day."
She still looked pale, and he was less than pleased. "But the doctor told you to rest ."
If Higgy could have looked any more annoyed with the situation, she would have. "Of course, and I am."
"Then where are you going?"
"Just to the study," she informed him, looking quite put out at all of the questions. "I'll make sure I'm sitting down while I work; don't worry."
Magnum tilted his head. "You can't expect to rest if you're up and working!" he objected.
"There's way too much needed to keep the estate running; I can't just ignore my responsibilities because I'm a bit light-headed."
He noticed she had her hand on the back of the chair she'd stopped by when he'd come in, and he lifted an eyebrow. "The doctor did tell you to rest. You can't run around the house even if it does end in you sitting someplace." Normally, he wouldn't get this far into an argument like this one with Higgins, but he felt like it was worth it right now. "How about you sit back down, and I'll go get your laptop for you?" he suggested. It seemed like a worthy compromise.
After a brief moment of consideration, she sighed and nodded. "Okay, fine. But I will have you know I'm only agreeing so you won't follow me to the study to continue this conversation."
He smiled in satisfaction as she rounded the edge of the chair again, although he did note with concern how long it seemed to take her to cross the short space. Once she was back in her seat, he hurried off toward the study and retrieved the computer and its charger.
Halfway back to where he'd left Higgins, a thought occurred to Magnum that stopped him in his tracks. The minute it entered his mind, he growled at himself for not having thought of it sooner. After all of the grief his friends had given him for it apparently being his fault that Higgins had ended up in the hospital in the first place, he couldn't believe he hadn't said anything about this already.
"Higgins," he announced the minute he'd stepped back inside the living room. Zeus and Apollo lifted their heads to look at him, and he slowed his quick pace so as not to spook them into thinking he was going after Higgy so they wouldn't decide he needed to be neutralized—regardless of what Higgy told him, he wasn't so sure they wouldn't eat him if given the chance. "Remember how I'd asked you to run a background on that client's really rich ex-husband? And to track down both of his boats and his car?"
She regarded him dubiously from her seat on the sofa. "Magnum, if you're telling me this to remind me it needs doing, I know. It's on my to-do list, right after I process the staff payroll and sort out the new gardening staff's schedules."
"Right, well—" he said, holding the laptop up just out of her reach.
"Magnum." She held out a hand and raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to finish his sentence.
"Now hold on." He raised a finger. "I'm only going to give it to you if you promise to forget about everything I've asked you to do recently," he informed her.
She laughed, then trailed off as she took in the look on his face. "Wait… you're serious?"
"Serious as I've ever been," he replied. "Higgy, you need to rest right now, and doing favors for me is not exactly conducive to you resting."
At that, she shook her head and indicated the water bottle sitting on the coffee table. "I am firmly planted on this sofa, and Kumu is keeping me stocked with liquids, so I think I can manage to run a few surveillance checks for you in the meantime."
Magnum stepped back, fully pulling the computer out of Higgins' reach. He crossed his arms, tucking the device to his side as he did so. "Higgy, you can't rest if you won't stop working! I get it if you need to do stuff for the estate, but you don't have to worry about my caseload. Really."
"Magnum, don't be silly." Now it was Higgins turn to cross her arms. "I will get up and take the laptop from you if I have to, and I am fairly certain that will not fall into the category of acceptable things to do when resting."
Okay, fair enough. He didn't doubt she'd follow through on the threat. But he wasn't giving in that easily either. "Okay, you want the truth?" He shrugged. "I actually don't have that client any more. I got fired."
"What?"
The dogs lifted their heads at their mistress's tone.
"Honest, Higgy. I might've tipped off the ex that I was onto him, and he came after me and then ended up going after my client—which, I'll admit, was bad, but she's fine, and it means he violated his restraining order, so the whole thing kind of worked itself out anyway," Magnum finished with a grin. He watched her face to see if she appeared to believe him or not.
Thankfully, she only eyed him uncertainly for a minute. "All right then, so I won't need to work on anything for you. Can't believe this day has actually come," she added with a chuckle. "So, could you kindly hand over my computer and allow me to get to work?"
Magnum nodded and stepped forward to do as she'd asked. He stood and watched her for a moment as she opened the device on her lap and set about tapping away at the keyboard, trying to get a read on how well she seemed to be feeling now that she was home.
She looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"
"Nothing," he replied, lifting his hands. "Just making sure you don't need anything else before I go."
She smiled softly. "I'm fine, but thank you."
"Okay then," he nodded. "Text me if you need anything, okay? Anything at all."
She was focused on her screen now. "Got it," she replied distractedly.
After regarding her for a few more seconds, he nodded and turned to leave. As he headed out the door toward the guesthouse, he pulled out his phone and dialed Rick's number. "Hey, buddy!" he greeted. "I need a favor."
Rick sighed on the other end of the line. "Is this for a case?"
"Might be."
"I'm really busy today, buddy. We have inventory at the club tonight, so I'm trying to get everything organized and ready to go. I don't have time to call five different contacts and set up a meeting for you just because you can't dig up leads on your own."
Continuing toward the guest house as he listened to what his friend was saying, Magnum shook his head. "Rick, come on, man. If you don't do this for me, then Higgy will end up doing it. And I already told her I lost the client, so that'd be embarrassing. Plus, if she does work on the case and ends up in the hospital again, it will be your fault this time."
There was silence on the other end of the line, then, finally, he heard Rick sigh. "All right, fine. But I'm doing this for Jules, not you. What do you need?"
Whatever victory Magnum might have thought he'd won with his fib became a moot point by the evening.
"Higgins!"
He had stopped by the main house to check on her a few hours after the whole 'I can work sitting down' argument, wanting to make sure she had enough water on-hand. It was also already close to six o'clock, and his plan was to offer to pick up dinner if she hadn't ordered anything in already. Because, of course, Higgins knew enough not to try to fix herself dinner.
Or, at least, that's what he told himself right up until he walked inside, noticed she was no longer on the sofa where he'd left her, and heard dishes clinking in the kitchen.
"Higgins!" he called again, quickening his pace to the other room.
She was standing next to the sink, her hands on the counter, and the look she gave him told him he absolutely had every right to be worried.
"Just thought I'd clean up a bit," she said in explanation, and he frowned at the way her voice wavered at the end of her sentence. "I needed to have picked these up last night."
Magnum sighed. "Higgins, I know you're used to doing everything yourself, but you might need to just take a break for a while, okay?" He was trying to phrase his argument convincingly enough to avoid it seeming like he was trying to coddle her, but he was really worried. "Resting does not mean doing everything at half the speed. It literally means staying put and resting.
"Come on," he offered, stepping forward and holding out a hand. "Let's get you back to the couch, okay? I'll finish this up for you."
She raised an eyebrow. "You don't know where anything goes."
"I'm a private investigator; I'm pretty sure I can figure out where the dishes belong in the cabinets."
They were nearly to the living room then, and the ringing of the doorbell interrupted whatever Higgins was about to say in reply.
"I'll get it," Magnum quickly offered. Pausing to make sure Higgy was settled, he hurried to open the front door.
"Hey, T.M.! How's our patient doing?" T.C. stepped past Magnum into the foyer. He was carrying a large paper bag, from which the smells of Chinese takeout—warm and spicy and slightly sweet—were wafting.
Rick was right behind him, one arm busy with a plastic bag bulging with some sort of bottles.
Magnum made a face. "She keeps trying to get up and do stuff, and I'm worried she's just going to make herself worse."
"Don't worry; that's why we're here," Rick winked, patting Magnum's shoulder with his free hand. "Kumu texted us earlier, said you might need some extra hands tonight so Higgy didn't feel like she had to do so much on her own."
"I thought you had inventory tonight?"
Rick shrugged at Magnum's question. "I do, but it doesn't start until late, so I have time." He held up the bag. "I got some coconut water, and T.C. picked up dinner. What say we go make sure our girl stays put for the night?"
Three weeks later…
"Hey, hold up!" Magnum yelled at the rest of the group. He sat down on a conveniently located boulder and stretched his feet out in front of him.
Rick sighed as he turned and backtracked to where his friend was now sitting by the trail. "Aw, come on, slowpoke."
"I think my ankle needs a rest," Magnum argued. "I must've done something to it when I twisted it back there."
"Magnum, you tripped over a twig." Higgins rolled her eyes as she sat down beside him. "You're fine."
He managed to look offended. "That was not a twig! More like a killer log!"
Rick caught the look Magnum was giving him and winked at his friend. Behind him, he heard T.C. coming up to join them, and he glanced over to see T.C. with a similar expression on his face. They were definitely all on the same page.
Higgins had been going stir-crazy over the past few weeks, being relegated to the sofa or her bed with the boys and Kumu making sure she stayed put in one or the other for the majority of each day. It was great for her physical recovery, less so for her mental state. There had been several arguments over yoga qualifying as exercise since she couldn't go for a run with the lads, as well as her threatening to strangle Magnum at one point if he didn't let her at least walk out to the back porch for some fresh air.
All in all, when she'd finally appeared to be doing better and had insisted she was going for a short hike after several weeks of doing almost nothing around the house, they had attempted to argue with her but to no avail. Which meant they'd all immediately followed her outdoors.
"Oh, you know, I could use the exercise."
"I am training for that 10k next month you know."
"My doctor said I should stretch out my knee more to keep it fluid."
Higgins hadn't done more than raise her eyebrow and shake her head at their reasons, then they'd all set off on one of the trails through the woods on Robin's property.
It became clear to all three men that she was nowhere near one-hundred-percent, but she was also clearly trying to hide it. That didn't mean they hadn't deliberately started slowing their pace or calling for breaks that they might not have needed but Higgy certainly did as soon as they'd caught onto the fact.
If they'd paid just a little closer attention, they'd have noticed her small smiles that she quickly hid—because she knew exactly what they were doing but appreciated it too much to call them on it. After all, they were her boys, and they all knew she would do the same for them if the roles were reversed.