Page 33 of Burn for Me
Try as she might, a tiny sob still managed to escape.
“Hey now,” Kyle said, pulling her into a hug. “He’s in really good hands. He’ll be fine.”
Nodding but not saying anything, she allowed Kyle’s warmth and confidence to calm her. Her mother and two friends were just entering the emergency room as she stepped out of his embrace. They made their way over to where she stood.
Introductions over, Kyle led them to a quiet waiting room a little way down the passage, away from the frenetic pace of the emergency room. Making sure they were comfortable, he excused himself to get an update on Gray’s situation. Despite the small size of the room, Kitty paced. There was no way she could sit quietly waiting to hear news. After a couple of hours in the waiting room, she told the others it wasn’t necessary for them to stay.
“We’ve no idea how long this is going to take, and I don’t expect you to sit here with me. I know you guys have to work in the morning.”
“It’s okay, babes. We’ll hang for a while longer,” Lee answered for both of them, Morgan nodding her agreement.
Knowing it was pointless to argue, they’d stay regardless, she turned to her mom. “You still hanging in there, Mom?”
“Yes, my sweet girl. The question is, are you?”
“Yeah, I guess. I mean, I never gave any thought to being in a situation like this. Now that I am, I’m not sure what to do with it. This is hard. But, for the most part, I guess I’m hanging in there.”
Seeing the worried look her mother gave, Kitty quickly turned her attention back to Morgan and Lee. There’d been more to the look than merely concern, more that she wasn’t ready to get into.
A little after one in the morning, Kyle came in bearing coffee. Giving Kitty a half smile, he said, “They’ve done all the tests they’re able to do for now, so he’ll be going up to the ward in a few minutes. I told the floor sister you’re his fiancée, so she’s agreed to allow you to stay with him.”
Choking on the mouthful of coffee she’d just taken, Kitty wiped at her watering eyes while nodding her thanks. Clearing her throat, she replied, “Thanks, Kyle. You’ve been an enormous support today. I can’t thank you enough.”
Resting his hand on her shoulder, he gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s all good. Gray would have done the same for me had the roles been reversed. I have to get back to work now that the imminent danger is over. But I’ll pop in again once my shift is over. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”
“I will. Thanks again.”
“Stay strong. I’ll see you later.” With a last smile, he headed for the door.
His hand on the handle, Kitty called out to him.
“Be safe, Kyle. One down is plenty enough. Take care, okay?”
“Will do, ma’am.” He gave her a two-fingered salute.
Before he could close the door, one of the nurses escorting Gray up to the ward popped her head around the corner to let them know they were taking him up.
“Thank you. I’ll be right there,” she replied to the lady.
“It’s probably best if you head on home. You won’t be able to stay with me in the ward, and there’s no point in sitting here staring at the walls,” Kitty then addressed her mom and friends.
“All right, love. Keep us up to date, yeah?”
“I will do, Morgs.” With tears in her eyes, Kitty hugged her mom, Morgan, and Lee in turn. “Thank you for everything, guys. I wouldn’t have made it through without you.”
Morgan pulled her in for another hug. For a long moment, Kitty clung to her lifelong friend, taking comfort in her embrace. Then, taking a quiet breath for strength, Kitty followed Gray’s bed as they wheeled it to the elevator.
* * *
The room wasin utter disarray. Their anger knew no bounds. He was supposed to have died! But no, somehow the bastard had managed to survive not only being trapped in a burning building but having the building collapse on him. Was there no getting rid of this man? What did they have to do to get him out of the way? If they were ever to get their girl, they needed him gone. Permanently. But how? They had done some of their absolute best work on this one, yet he was still alive. Picking up yet another object close to hand, they hurled it across the room with all the might of their rage. They would find a way.
Chapter Thirteen
Slowly,Gray slipped into consciousness. He lay quietly for a bit, absorbing the sounds around him. He knew instantly he wasn’t home, but where the hell was he? Then he heard it. The tell-tale beep of a heart monitor.
Shit!He was in the hospital. With no recollection of how he got there. The last he remembered, he, Marcus, and Links had been in the warehouse. Then the I-beam had fallen on him, and he didn’t remember anything after that.
Taking a moment, he took stock of how he felt. No pain, thankfully. He knew that would be pain meds. It wouldn’t last. But while it did, he was going to enjoy the benefits. His brain was a bit fuzzy, and his tongue felt thick in his mouth. He had a raging thirst.
