Page 38 of Healing Home

Chapter 10

Lincoln roused at some point,feeling like he’d been run over by a tank. His head was muddled and his mouth dry. It was dark in the room, which he appreciated. There was a bank of lights somewhere, but they weren’t bright. It gave him just enough light to see BB sleeping in the armchair beside his bed, her head propped on her hand.

Her light brown hair curled down over her arm and he wanted to reach out and touch it, but as soon as he moved his arm he knew he wouldn’t be able to reach her. She was too far away.

What the hell was she doing here?

Moving tentatively he pushed up against the bed a little. Scorching pain roared across his back and he gasped. Immediately BB was there, her hand on his. “Don’t Lincoln. They said they were going to ease you off the sedation but you can’t move yet.”

Lowering himself back to the mattress he looked at her. She’d popped out of sleep like she’d been waiting for him to wake up. “What day is it?” He rasped.

“It’s, um,” she scrubbed her face, looking at the clock on the wall. “Tuesday, now. You came home on Friday.”

Yeah, his body had that numb feeling like he’d been drugged for a long time. “Is everyone okay?”

She nodded. “Yes. There was one guy, Carmichael, who was kind of touch and go for a long time. They ended up having to take his leg, but he’s doing okay now.”

Link blinked. Luca Carmichael was the K9 handler attached to his team. It sucked that he was injured. He wondered what had happened to Wicked, his war dog. “Anyone else?”

“Swamp Man had a couple of wounds, but he’s doing good too. I think they’re releasing him tomorrow. “

Lincoln drew in a deep breath, tentatively stretching his back. He thought if he moved carefully he could swing his legs around. “What are my injuries?” He asked her, watching her eyes carefully.

BB glanced down his body. “You have a lot of cuts across your back and thighs, but overall I think you’re doing pretty good. They’re fairly superficial and you’ve done a lot of healing in the past few days. But I think if you try to move you’re going to hurt your thighs when you sit up. You should wait for the nurses to help guide you.”

Link blinked in frustration. His body had that tired feeling like he’d been in one position way too long and he wanted to move, even if it did hurt. With the side rails up on the bed he felt claustrophobic and a little desperate. His breathing must have changed because BB was suddenly leaning down toward him. She did something on the bed and the siderail moved out of the way.

“Hey,” she said firmly, leaning down close to his face so that she could get good eye contact. Her hand began to stroke back through his hair along his temple, and he thought he remembered her doing that a lot. “Look at me. You’re going to be fine. They expect you to walk out of here in just a few days. I know this has to be uncomfortable but you have to stay here and wait until they help you. Okay, Link?”

He blinked at her, seeing the tears in her eyes she was trying to blink away. The sight of her distress took his mind off his own. “Why are you here, BB? Did Mary hire you again?”

He thought he had asked her that once, but he wasn’t sure. She shook her head.

“No, Mary did not hire me again. I’m here because…” she paused, her hand still stroking his head. “I’m here,” she said firmly, “because I was worried and wanted to be here for you.”

Anger stirred. “I don’t need your pity.”

He shifted away from her hand, but she followed him. “I know you don’t, damn it. I thought it would freak you out if I told you I’d fallen in love with you, though.”

Lincoln stilled beneath her hand, his breathing rasping as he looked at her, trying to see the subterfuge. Was she telling him the truth?

“We were together two days,” he said harshly. “How the fuck could you have fallen in love with me in two days?”

A wild hope had exploded in his chest at her words, but he was afraid to trust what she said. Another woman had done the same thing, appealing to his need.

She shrugged lightly, her mouth crooked in a smile. “I have no idea, but I did, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

Lincoln closed his eyes, afraid to hope. His heart was racing. If he could have he would have gotten up from the bed and pulled her into his arms.

“Why are you telling me this now, when I can’t do anything about it?” He whispered.

BB laughed, lightly, leaning down to kiss him. “You are my captive audience. I’m going to convince you that I love you enough to be the one for you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, grinning.

A nurse came in a few minutes later to check on him, and BB moved back.

“I need to get vertical,” Lincoln growled at the woman, suddenly highly motivated. “Get whoever you need to get to help me out of bed and on my feet. You have two minutes or I’m doing it myself.”