Page 39 of Reaching Hearts
“Oh.” He and I exchange a look and his fingers grip mine harder.
“Lucky,” he says, in something close to his normal voice, but not quite.
I purse my lips. “Yeah, lucky me.”
Maria goes to his IV pole after he waves her away from helping him up.
“I can do it. I’m good.”
“I’m sorry, but we need to get you back.”
He chuckles, “No problem, Maria. Thank you.” His torso stretches under gravity’s pull, and he stands and straightens the vertebras of his back one by one. It looks painful but I won’t tell him that. I’m proud of him. “See? I can do it on my own,” he says with his normal smirk.
She nods and patiently waits at the ready, having seen too many horrible things in her life as a nurse. It’s all over her face. But he makes it to the door on his own, and looks back at me with mock sternness to say, “You’re coming back to visit me.”
“Yes sir,” I nod, fighting back a smile to play along.
“Every day!”
My stomach flips over with happiness. “Yes, sire. I mean, sir.”
He grins, and then his smile becomes intimate. “I’ll see ya, Freckles.”
Wiggling my toes, I nod. “You sure will.”
Behind his back just before she closes my door, Maria tosses me a big-eyed smile as she says in a normal voice, “I’ll be back to get the paperwork settled so we can get you on your way.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
I stare at where they were, for a long time. Then I tuck my feet under the blanket and pull it up for warmth. It’s colder in here without him.
I’ll see ya, Freckles.
Wow.
In a few minutes, Maria returns and walks to the only dresser in the room. It’s small, metal and beige, with hard edges and no style. She opens a drawer and pulls out the work-jeans, t-shirt, socks and sneakers I wore here. Looking at them lying in her arms is odd. I’m a different person now. I have hope. He gripped my hand like he didn’t want to leave.
Brendan Fucking Clark didn’t want to leave me.
“Thank you.” I take them from her extended arms.
“What happened to you guys?”
A twisting pain in my chest returns at the question. My eyes darken as they sweep up to meet hers. “We were robbed at gunpoint.”
She frowns and her eyes search mine the way a person’s do when they can’t believe it, can’t imagine it, and wish it weren’t true. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you.” My smile returns as I glance to my clothing. “I think we’re going to be okay.”