Page 31 of Playing the Game
I glance at her. “How did you know?”
“I’ve been stationed outside his room and keeping track of his vital signs.” She moves to the other side of his bed and addresses him. “How’s your pain?”
He grimaces. “My back and chest hurt.”
“I bet they do. I’ll have the doctor adjust your medication now that you’re awake.” She reaches up to his IV bag. “Jamison, do you know why you’re in the hospital?”
His head rolls back toward me and narrows in on me with heavy lids. “No. What happened?”
“You were shot. You’re in the ICU because you had surgery and a blood transfusion.” She adjusts a dial on a monitor.
“Is that why my shoulder hurts?” He glances at his right side.
“Yes. You’ll need to rehab from your injuries, but don’t worry about that right now.” She steps away from his bed and peers down at him. “I’m going to let the doctor know you’re awake.”
The tone in her words is confident, but I can’t shake my unease. My stomach knots and my chest squeezes. I’m covered in a cloak made of anxious threads, but I put on a brave face for Jami’s sake.
She leaves his room to go notify the doctor of Jami’s status. Once she’s gone, I help him drink some water and get as comfortable as possible while trying to hide my concern.
I sit next to him and take his hand in mine. “You gave me quite the scare.”
“Why was I shot?”
A quick replay of that day flashes through my mind.
I shrink as guilt rains over me. “I think the bullets were meant for me.”
“Why?”
“Before you were hit, there were two red lasers pointed at me. You stepped in front of me and saved my life.”
He stares at the ceiling. “I can’t remember anything.”
“Don’t worry about it now. You need to rest.” A deep sigh escapes my lips, heavy with unspoken words.
I almost lost him, but now he’s awake. It’s all I could ever hope for. My overwhelming emotions take over.
“Jami, I can’t tell you how glad I am you’re awake. I thought I had lost you.” A tear trickles down my cheek.
He gazes over at me. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“Thank God for that.”
He squeezes my hand. “Dori, I had some of the weirdest dreams.”
“Tell me about them.”
“They’re fuzzy, but I know they were strange.” He takes a moment to recollect them.
I swipe a lock of hair from his forehead. “Don’t strain yourself. They’ll come back when you’re more rested.”
“They felt so real.”
“Yeah? Are you sure they weren’t memories?”
My phone rings and I peek at the screen. It’s from a number I don’t recognize.
“Hello.”
