Page 79 of Under Their Protection

“Listen here,psychiatrist. Do you honestly think it was your fault or do you think he was just waiting for an opportunity?” I ask.

“I didn’t know he could see me,” he says tearfully.

“Hey. No. None of that. If you cry then I will too and if you make me cry I’ll hit you. Got it? I’m alive and I have a cool new scar,” I say.

“I got it,” he smiles and kisses me again. “I love you, Anika”

“I love you too, Theo,” I smile.

“Tell her,” Annie says.

“Oh. Right. We are moving in with you guys. Me and Annie want to be closer to you and Andrew wants to stay close to Annie. Rowan told us to just come there since there are four rooms. Pretty sure Mia and Emma are going to try to sneak in,” Theo says.

“Are y’all dating?” I ask Mia.

“Yeah,” she smiles.

“This will be chaotic but the house is definitely big enough,” I say.

“Are you okay with that?” Max asks.

“To be in the same house with my whole family? Of course, I am,” I say. “Speaking of…”

“They came shortly after you went into surgery. They asked about you but Rowan and Mia scared them off,” Max says.

“Did you tell them I want nothing to do with them?” I ask Mia.

“Something like that,” she laughs.

“How bad did I get for Theo to look at me the way he did when he came in?” I ask and everyone gets quiet. “Well obviously I’m alive so someone tell me.”

“You coded in the ambulance,” Rowan says. “You got so bad because the bullet damaged an artery. You are lucky that an ambulance was already there waiting. Calling for help before it was needed saved you.”

“Wow.” That’s all I can manage. I died… but then I didn’t… But I should have. “So… When can I leave?” I ask as a man is coming into the room.

“Hello, Mrs. Garcia,” he smiles.

“Call me Anika, please,” I smile.

“Well, Anika, I am Dr. O’Brien. I was your surgeon. How are you feeling?” he asks as he grabs gloves and walks over to the computer beside my bed.

“I’m okay despite the obvious,” I say and he chuckles. “I’m not in too much pain if that’s what you’re asking.”

“It is. Scale of one to ten, where is the pain?” he asks.

“Uhh… a three. Maybe a four.”

“You sure?” he asks, glancing at me from the computer.

“Yeah?” I say slowly.

“You haven’t been given pain meds since you were sedated. We were wanting you to get uncomfortable so you’d wake up,” he says. “I’m going to lay you down and check a few things.”

“Is something wrong?” I ask.

“Tell me if you can feel this,” he says, ignoring my question. He pokes me on the bottom of the foot with something sharp and does the same to my other foot.

“Ow. You psycho. Yes, I can feel that,” I snap and he laughs.

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