Page 60 of Wanted

He must have walked out of the room because the only sound Iheard was the incessant beeping near my head.I’m obviously lying in a hospital bed.I wanted so badly to wake upand hold her in my arms, professing everything would be all right. I wanted totell her how much I loved her and I would gladly risk my life over and over ifit meant protecting her.

But no matter how hard I tried,I couldn’t move one single muscle. It was a funny thing to have your own bodybetray you. Frustration mounted, but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do aboutit.

I was tired, even though I wasn’t technically awake. Using whatlittle mental energy I had sapped all of my strength. Instead of focusing onthe fact I couldn’t wake up, I chose to concentrate on Sara’s breathing.Her fingertips drew nervous circles over thetop of my hand. All I wanted to do was grab her and pull her close. But Icouldn’t.

Over the next couple of hours, or it could have been minutes forall I knew, quite a few people came into my room. Some of them I recognized butsome I did not.

Sleep took hold when I couldn’t will myself to stay alert any longer.Alert. I was far from it, but inside my own head, I was aware of everythinggoing on around me. Sara’s sadness washed over her. I swear my heart picked uppace, but there was no outward indication of such. No monitors going off aroundme to let her know I heard her voice or felt her sweet touch.

I can hear you, baby.

Since I was powerless inside my own body, I gave in to the calmand drifted off into dreams of holding Sara close.

~37~

Sara

I was going out of my mind. I prayed every day Alek would wake up,and each day I was let down. I’d cried so much over the past week, helpless asI saw him lying there, I didn’t think I had a single tear left.

I was done. For the rest of my life, I would never be able to cryever again.

So many emotions whirled through me, threatening to take me downif I didn’t get a grip. I was fearful I would never be able to tell him I lovedhim again. Shutting down inside, I couldn’t face the fact I might never feelhis touch again. The only realization to come out of the situation was I knewexactly how he felt when I’d jumped in front of him when Samuel had pulled thetrigger. He was so angry with me for putting my life in danger, an emotion Ireturned ten-fold. I wanted him to wake up so I could tell him how upset I was withhim. I wished for him to argue right back with me. Giving anything to hear hisvoice again, it would make me the happiest woman alive.

Hope he would wake slowly diminished with each passing day, but Ikept on trudging through. I would never give up on him. Not as long as hisheart beat in tune with mine, or breath still filled his lungs.

The doctor told me they had to remove his spleen because theknife had caused too much damage. There had also been some damage to his largeintestine, but they were able to repair the tear rather easily. Then, when Ithought he was out of the woods, an infection took hold, but thankfully theywere able to control it.

I was constantly reassured his stats were stable. He just wouldn’twake the hell up. Only he could decide when it was time to come back to me.

It was all a waiting game.

Matt had been a dream. Not only had he spent countless hours atthe hospital with me, but he was running the shop all by himself in my absence.We had some part-time helpers who also stepped up, working more hours to makesure the business wasn’t negatively affected. When I told him I would have noproblem closing the doors of Full Bloom until Alek was better, he told me I wascrazy. He said he welcomed the distraction, a far-off look sweeping over himbefore he pulled me into one of the many hugs we’d shared over the weeks.

Everyone had stopped by the hospital countless times to check onhis progress, but the diagnosis remained the same. No change. Alexa was thereby my side more often than not, sometimes bringing Braden along with her forher own support. It was all too familiar, because it wasn’t all that long ago Iwas the one lying in the hospital bed.

When I laid eyes on Katherine as she walked through the door, Iabout lost it. Not like it was a hard thing to do, given the situation. Herkind eyes and warm smile made me think of my gram. My heart ached as she pulledme into her embrace, stroking my hair and telling me everything was going to beokay.

Kael and Adara visited their friend often. On many occasions, Ihad to excuse myself because Kael’s grief was too much for me to handle.

Brad and Natalie Collins, his parents’ friends who I’d met at thecharity gala, stopped by as well, making me promise to call them as soon as anythingchanged.

When everyone had gone, and it was only Alek and me in hishospital room, I gave in to my grief. Holding his hand in mine, I laid my headdown on the edge of his bed and prayed God would answer my prayers and bringhim back to me.

~38~

Sara

“Alek, can you hear me? Please, baby. Move your finger if you canhear me.” I said the same thing day in and day out, but the results always remainedthe same. Nothing ever happened. I wasn’t even sure if he heard my words.

Hardly ever leaving his bedside, I’d become a permanent fixturethere at the hospital. But the staff didn’t mind. In fact, it was the wonderfulnurses who gave me the extra strength I needed, their words of encouragementboosting my saddened spirit.

As my head rested on the edge of his bed, I heard someone walkinto the room behind me.

“Sara? Are you awake?” Alexa whispered as she stepped closer.

Picking my head up, I gingerly glanced to my left and saw my bestfriend standing there, a change of clothes for me in her hands. I was a messand she knew it, eating and showering only when people vehemently urged me todo so.

My eyes were red and puffy, my hair its usual tangled mess. SureI was quite the sight; I couldn’t garner enough strength to care.

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