Page 83 of Savage Justice

“He has every chance. He’s strong, healthy. He needs rest, but as long as there are no other complications, no underlying issues, we’re hopeful.”

Hopeful? That must be the understatement of the decade.

“What about the blood pressure? What does that mean?”

“The surgeons are confident they caught and fixed all the internal injuries, but there’s a chance they may have missed something. If he’s still bleeding internally, they may have to go in again.”

Oh, dear God… “When will we know?”

“His blood pressure should start to rise again in the next twelve hours or so. If it doesn’t, that would be cause for concern and we’d investigate further.”

Twelve hours? A lifetime. “Will I be able to stay with him?”

“Yes, of course

“How long will he need to be in here?”

“If all goes well, just a day or two, until we’re sure he’s on the mend. Then I can transfer him to Caraksay to care for him there.”

“So soon?” I start to panic. “Are you sure? What if…? I mean, they have all the facilities here.”

“So do we,” Ethan puts in. “Megan won’t move him until he’s ready.”

“Of course. I’m sorry, I…”

Megan lays her hand on my shoulder. “It’s been a shock, I know. A lot to take in. Why don’t we leave you alone with him for a while?”

My panic reaction soars into overdrive again. “What if something goes wrong? A relapse?”

“Then any number of alarms will go off and the place will be swarming with medics. Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered.”

“Will he come round? I mean, if I talk to him, can he hear me?”

“He might. It’s always worth a try, I think.”

“We have shit to discuss,” Ethan interrupts. “Let’s get out of here and find a quiet spot somewhere. And, Megan, I have another job for you.”

Ethan gestures to the other men to come with him. They all troop out, leaving just me and the doctor.

“The nurses will be right outside if you need them. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She jots something down on the clipboard and replaces it at the foot of the bed. “The alarm bell is just here.” She points out the red button set into the clinical bedside table. One final reassuring smile, and she’s gone.

“Please, don’t die.” I cut right to the chase. “I need you. You can’t leave me, not now.”

My fingers are interlaced with his. I kiss the blunt, clean fingertips, then lay my cheek on his shoulder.

“I need to tell you I’m sorry. Sorry for being such a cow. I didn’t mean what I said.”

I swipe away a stray tear. I’m done with weeping. Nico needs me to be strong. Everyone tells me that, and they’re right. I swallow hard and start again.

“You need to get better. I need you, so does Lucy. And Noah, though he doesn’t know it yet. When you wake up, we’ll talk about everything. No secrets.”

I fall silent and drop my forehead onto the crisp, white coverlet. The only sound is the monotonous bleeping of the machines. I’m not sure how long I remain like that, listening, waiting. Hoping.

At last, I raise my head and start over again.

I’m not a believer in any higher power, but I find myself making bargains with God. Please, send him back to me. Let him live, and I’ll start going to church. I’ll have Noah christened, and I’ll do something good. I’ll sponsor a child in Africa, or even a whole orphanage.

None of that brings about any discernible change, so I abandon The Almighty and revert to talking to Nico.

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