Page 62 of Always Been You

She knew that her mom had said that Daisy was going to the hospital but hearing that they told her she should come was a whole different ball game.

Her mom turned and looked at her in the back seat, her facial expression and tone calm and soothing. She nodded. "Yeah. They did, sweetie."

Jess bit her lower lip as she turned her head and looked out the window again. She’d wasted so many years acting like she didn’t like him, masking what she felt for him with irritation, using the fact that she thought he’d “betrayed” her as an emotional crutch to justify her keeping him at arm’s length. And now she’d finally admitted, to herself at least, how she felt about him, what she wanted, and how incredible they could be together and it might be too late.

21

The first thing Ethan was aware of when he opened his eyes was a blinding light. He flinched and tried to shut his eyes again, but it didn't work. He wasn't able to close his lids.

"Lieutenant Steele. Ethan.”

He could hear a voice, but it sounded muffled and far away.

“Can you hear me?"

He tried to nod but it felt impossible. So, he attempted to speak but found that he wasn't able to get any sound out. He licked his lips and swallowed and if he didn't know any better he'd think that there were cotton balls in mouth.

"Here." He saw the woman hovering above him motion to someone, and then suddenly there was something in his mouth. "Drink."

He closed his lips around the straw and sucked. The cool liquid filled his mouth and it took him a moment to remember what to do with it.

Oh right, swallow.

A couple of things became clear in the foggy moments that followed. He was in a hospital. There were medical personnel working on him.

Just as those thoughts took shape in his mind, others surfaced. The ambush. The gunfire. Panic seized him.

"Carter." He tried to sit up, but was unsuccessful.

"Relax, Lieutenant." Ethan felt a hand on his shoulder. "Your partner is in surgery. I'm Doctor Prince."

Ethan sank back against the firm mattress when other memories floated up to the surface. Driving to Jess’s house last night. Leaving Jess this morning. Texting her he’d make it to the talent show.

"Jess."

"I believe there is a Jess here. I spoke to her and your grandmother. They're in the waiting room with a lot of other people. Just let me finish my examination and I'll see about letting you have some visitors."

Ethan closed his eyes as exhaustion pulled on him. He heard the doctor detail his injuries. Two gunshot wounds. One through and through on his upper left thigh. One they had to go in and get in his right forearm. He had a dislocated shoulder, broken rib, broken wrist, and an ankle sprain.

Even in his hazy state he was able to discern that none of the injuries he'd sustained were life-threatening. Not like Carter's. Ethan winced as more memories flashed in his head.

They'd successfully recovered and took Manny "Detroit" Simpson back into custody after he'd escaped his WITSEC detail. Manny was a piece of shit lowlife but he was fourth down on a ladder of even more violent lowlife pieces of shit. Manny was suspected of having been involved in over twelve unsolved homicides in seven states. No one was able to make anything stick until number thirteen. When authorities finally had enough evidence to put him away for the rest of his life, he bargained to give up numbers one through three on the rungs.

The trial where he was set to be a witness was to begin the following month and Mr. Manny got cold feet. He managed to flee from protective custody and was on the run for over twenty-four hours.

They tracked him to a remote location about sixty miles outside Chicago. Ethan and his team worked in conjunction with local law enforcement and were able to successfully recover him. One minute he and Carter were escorting Manny from the cabin he’d been holed up in to the unmarked van that would be taking him into custody, and the next they were under heavy fire. There was mass chaos and confusion as gunfire blasted from every direction. Ethan dove for Manny and the men tumbled down a twenty-foot ravine. When they’d landed, he’d opened his eyes and saw his partner lying a few yards away, blood coming from his head.

That was the last memory Ethan had before now.

The doctor finished up her exam and when she left, the nurse explained the IV drip of pain medication attached to him and how he could push the button if he needed a dose. He also informed him that his Captain was waiting along with his grandmother and that he'd be sending in one person at a time.

Ethan closed his eyes as exhaustion pulled him under like a large wave and the next thing that came to his awareness was a hand wrapping around his. Using a considerable amount of effort, he managed to lift his eyelids. He saw Nana standing over him; her face was blurry but her neon green dress was unmistakable.

"Hey." She squeezed his hand and her voice was shaky as she quipped, "I would ask how you're feeling but from the looks of you, I'm guessing not so great."

"I'm fine."

"I think your definition of fine and my definition of fine are two very different things.” She spoke in a casual tone but he could hear the fear and distress in it.

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