Page 54 of Sensual Nights

"Can you open your eyes, Carley?"

She tried opening her eyes, but they felt as if they had weights on them. "Can't."

He chuckled. "Try again for me."

She swallowed and tried again. She managed to open her left eye slightly. She tried again, and both of them opened. She saw Mason sitting next to her, she was on a bed. Her heartbeat sped up, and Mason smiled the sweetest smile. "You're safe, honey."

She nodded and he held a cup to her lips. "Just a chip." An ice chip dropped into her mouth. "Swirl it around to wet your mouth."

The smooth, ice chip felt so good in her mouth. It was small and melted quickly. "More."

He grinned and gave her another ice chip.

She swirled it around the same as the other and felt a small amount of cold liquid slide down her throat. She followed the path of that cold liquid until it warmed and disappeared.

A door opened, and she heard Margo gasp. "Oh my, God, you're awake." She rushed to the bed and looked down at her. Carley tried to smile. "Hi."

"Hi. Oh, Carley. We were so worried about you."

Her beautiful sister's eyes filled with tears that then slid down her cheeks. "Don't cry."

Margo pulled a tissue from a box and dabbed at her eyes. "I can't help it. I've been crying most of the day."

Carley closed her eyes again. "Sleepy."

Mason's voice soothed her. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

***

Carley woke. Her eyes focused. The room was dark and so quiet. She listened intently and heard the heartbeat and air whooshing again. She heard something else, too. Taking a deep breath, she turned her head to see Mason reclined back in a chair that looked far too small to be comfortable, and his breathing was deep and steady. His right hand lay across his stomach, and his left hand rested on the arm of the chair. He was handsome in sleep. Peaceful and serene.

She looked around the room and realized, fully at least, she was in the hospital. She inhaled, felt a stabbing pain, and grunted.

Mason woke and sat up. His eyes focused on her. "Are you alright?"

She swallowed. "I tried to take a deep breath. It hurt."

He came and sat gently on the bed next to her hip. "Yes. You had surgery."

"Surgery."

"Honey, you were shot. The bullet entered from the back and lodged in the apex of your right lung. You had surgery to remove the bullet and patch you up. You'll be sore for a while."

"My throat is so sore."

Mason reached for the cup of ice chips and held it to her lips. "You can have ice chips for now."

She took a chip and swirled it in her mouth. "Your throat is sore because they inserted a tube to help you breathe until they repaired your lung. They also had to suck blood out of your chest cavity and lungs so you don't have further complications."

She nodded slowly. She lifted her right hand and laid it over her chest. It was bandaged up. She stared at the bandages for a moment, then rested her head back.

"Do you remember how you got that injury?"

She took shallow breaths and tried not to panic that it hurt to take a normal breath. He was here if she needed anything. He'd help her. There was no reason to panic. Not anymore. "Yes. They tied me to a bed with a zip tie." She spoke slowly and waited until her breathing could catch up. I sawed back and forth to break or tear the tie."

His jaw tightened. She saw the muscle in his cheek move as he processed what she'd said.

He took her left hand between his hands and stared into her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

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