Page 98 of Never Leave Me
Carefully he dribbled a little in her mouth, then waited to make sure it didn’t leak out.
Please, God. Please.He glanced at the EKG, which was still a flat line, and then studied her face, as beautiful as ever.
Two officers and Sybil remained at the bedside and watched him silently. But around them, the rest of the AFOs continued the search for Dr. Lionel, Jasper, and other personnel. From what Harrison could gather, the security cameras had picked up movement from the AFO, giving the Lionel staff time to make an escape, but only just enough, forcing them to leave Ellen behind.
He poured another scant amount of the liquid into Ellen’s mouth, hoping her body would absorb it rapidly. After all, during the couple of times he’d ingested the tiny amount of holy water residue, he’d had almost immediate reactions.
He watched her again, waiting for some sign the ultimate cure was working, that he hadn’t gotten to her too late.
She remained limp and lifeless.
Frustration welled up within him. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.
“Come on, love.” He angled the last bit past her lips.
As the liquid settled in her mouth, the EKG monitor beeped. A wave on the screen jumped up and then receded. A moment later, the machine beeped again, and another wave crested.
“Her heart’s beating!” one of the officers said.
“She’s alive!” said another.
The exclamations rose around Harrison. Still, he tipped the bottle, draining every drop of holy water. This time she visibly swallowed. At the same moment, the heart monitor pulsed into a steady rhythm, drawing more comments.
Drake gently lowered Ellen back to the bed.
Harrison’s gaze connected with Sybil’s. Relief flooded her eyes.
“Many thanks.” His throat tightened with emotion. If Sybil hadn’t acted as quickly as she had, he probably wouldn’t have made it down into the lab in time.
She nodded. “You good here?”
“Yes.” That was an understatement. But now was neither the time nor place to make a show of his churning emotions.
Her attention shifted to her team. She spoke into her mobile and took off at a jog toward a side door that now stood open, revealing another passageway.
He studied Ellen’s monitor, marveled at the steady beat of her heart, and then silently whispered a prayer of thanks. God had saved her again. Was this the second chance Drake had mentioned?
His heart hammered, the pressure hard and fast with the need to seize the second chance and not let it go.
“I’ll get a transport, my lord.” Drake was already punching at his mobile. “And phone your physician?”
“Yes, right away. Thanks.”
Drake lifted his mobile to his ear and began speaking. As he did so, Harrison bent down and pressed a kiss against Ellen’s forehead. Then he bent and whispered what he’d been wanting to say for a long time. “I love you.”
Ellen’s head ached. She tried to lift her hand to massage her temple but couldn’t get her limbs to work. What had happened?
In the hazy oblivion, her mind returned to the last seconds she remembered before losing consciousness. She’d been in the dungeons under Reider Castle, rescuing her dad with Nicholas. Then everything around her had started shaking and rattling and crumbling.
Almost as if another earthquake had struck...
Her thoughts stalled. What if it was the aftershock of the earthquake? Marian had mentioned that one took place.
What about Dad? And Nicholas? Had they been hurt?
She shoved hard, trying to work up the strength to get up, brush off the rubble, and go to them. But she couldn’t open her eyes, much less stand up.
A voice nearby spoke softly. Steady beeping and whirring floated on the air. A heart monitor. After her years of working as a nurse, she’d recognize the sound anywhere.
