Page 78 of Force At Third

“I wouldn’t let you if you could. You’re still in the zone. You got the bad guy, but now your focus needs to switch to healing.”

I turn to the door when a woman walks in.

“Hello, Gwen. I’m Dr. Chang. Dr. O’Donnell wants me to do a quick exam so she can get you all fixed up.”

I stand up off the bed, unsure of what to do.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I heard that.” Dr Chang bends her knees and plants her feet on the bed. “Just a quick exam, and then Dr. O’Donnell will be back, and you will be on your way to having that arm all fixed up.”

She turns and looks up at me. “Don’t look.”

“I can leave and come?—”

“Don’t leave. Don’t look.”

I turn and face the wall. “On a scale of one can and a twelve pack or Crawford Bock, where you sitting?”

Her busted lips twitch up. “Thirteen.”

“How about when you get out of here, we have a shotgun rematch.”

“I always win.”

“You do.”

“Can you relax your knees for me, Gwen?”

She lifts her eyes to me—well, the one not swollen shut—and I do what I do—try to make Gwendolyn York smile.

“Swear to God that wasn’t me this time.”

“You’re so stupid.”

“I’d dress like a clown every day if it made you smile.”

“You hate clowns.” Her words are slower, her eyes slowly closing.

“You falling asleep, Gwen?”

When she doesn’t answer, Dr. Chang does. “Dr. O’Donnell gave her something more to relax her.”

She steps back, removes her gloves, then lays her legs back down gently. Then she smiles at me and nods.

“Will it survive?” I ask quietly.

“I believe so.” She squeezes my arm. “When your fiancée is feeling more like herself, please let her know I specialize in high-risk pregnancies, and although I’m not taking on new patients, I would make the exception.”

“Appreciate that, Dr. Chang.”

When she walks out of the room, I hear, “Hello, Whitley, how have you been?”

Wrong or not, I bend down and press my lips to Gwendolyn York’s and whisper against them, “I will always love you.”

Once Gwendolyn’s on her way to surgery, I call Ms. Deb.

“Leland?”