Page 27 of Unbreakable Connection (Connections Duet)

“Well, I don’t know about that, and besides, that cartoon character is American, and I’m sure I can come up with something a little more original to best suit me.”

“Thank you for the diversion when our talk was beginning to get serious,” she sighed, got up from the bench, and walked over to the stream's edge where the water met the land. She picked up a few stones and skipped them along the water, and then she sighed again, and I knew she was holding back her tears remembering her parents. “Ugh! I hate crying, and it makes me feel weak and helpless.” She shouted and threw more rocks untilshe dropped her head to her chest and covered her face with her hands.

“Ellen,” I said as I walked up behind her, touching her shoulders. All I wanted to do was carry her back to the house and lock the rest of the world out. “Hey, talk to me, please?”

“I’m trying; it’s just hard for me to do. I don’t know what this is supposed to look like, and I know I’m probably doing everything wrong, so I need you to help me, Edric.”

“And, you think I’m any better? How about we stop obsessing over the do’s and don’ts and just be together? We have time to figure it out, and whatever we can’t, we will just make up as we go along, okay?”

“Okay, can we walk a little more?”

“Yes, as long as you don’t overdo it.”

“I’m fine, and it’s a beautiful day. I guess one can take a lot for granted when they are not paying attention to simple things like the sound of a bird chirping in a tree or the new growth of grass. I didn’t see all this a few days ago, and now I do. It makes me appreciate how lucky I am to be alive, and if it weren’t for Kyle, I wouldn’t be.”

“Again, I’m sorry for not being there, and I will apologize for the rest of my life to right that mistake.”

“Edric, it’s not your fault, but I suspect who could be involved in the car bombing.” She said it as if it was the most natural thing to say. I stopped dead in my tracks and twirled her around back to me.

“What!?” I practically growled like a feral animal. My tone caused Ellen to step back, and I wanted to punch myself in the face for scaring her. “I’m sorry, come here,” she did without hesitation, and I held her trembling body in my arms.

“Let’s get back to the house, and we will talk there,” I said with finality in my tone, and then I clasped her hand in mine and quickly made our way back to the house.

“Edric, will you slow down? I can't walk that fast.” Once my senses kicked in, I hated that I forgot for a second that she was still recovering from her concussion.

“Shit! I'm sorry. Are you okay?” I asked as we stopped right before we reached the house. She took a few breaths and struggled to catch her breath.

“Ellen, don’t lie to me for my benefit. Are you okay?” I held her face so I could look into her eyes.

“I'm not lying, and I am okay, just a little winded. Are you? What did I say to make you break into a run?”

“I'll explain once we are back in the house where it's private and protected. Can you continue to walk? Or do you want me to carry you the rest of the way?”

“I'm fine to walk; just let me do it at my own pace, okay?”

“We will take it easy, and again, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking and could have injured you.”

“Impossible, not you,” she whispered loud enough that I heard it.

I didn't say anything more because the underline meaning in her words was enough for me to understand. I suspected there was a threat but never one gunning for Ellen, and now that she has survived the first ambush, I will never allow anyone to get that close again. I entered the cottage first, asking Ellen to wait outside for me. The house looked in order, and the cameras were up and running. “Alright, baby, you can come in,” I reached for her hand and felt her tremble beneath my touch. This was her home, for fuck's sake, and I was treating it like a prison, but it wasn't to keep her locked in; it was to keep the danger out.

She kicked off her shoes and went upstairs while I remained down here to get myself in check before beginning to question the timeline of events that led up to Ellen and Kyle in the parking lot before her car exploded. I waited twenty minutes for Ellen to return to me, and then I got impatient and went upstairsto check on her. When I got up to the loft, I saw her curled into the mound of pillows, and she was asleep. Fuck, she's still recovering from her concussion, and I didn't even think when I dragged her along for the sprint walk back to her house.

I sat on the bed and brushed the hair away from her face. She was a little warm, which worried me. I went into the medical bag she kept in her bathroom and retrieved a thermometer to take her temperature, and when I pressed it to her forehead, it read 102.2. She was fine a little while ago. When did this fever start?

“Oh, my god, baby, wake up for me, please?” I shook her gently, and she stirred a little, but her eyes remained closed. I dialed Kyle, and he immediately picked up, alarmed that she was running a fever.

“Edric, I need to see her. Can you bring her into the clinic?”

“You can't come here?” I shouted into the phone with my hand still pressed to her forehead.

“No, you should bring her to me, and now. Don't waste another minute,” he said, and then I hung up and wrapped Ellen in a blanket, carrying her downstairs and right to my truck. Once I secured her in the backseat, I turned over the ignition and floored it back to the clinic as fast as I could.

“Please be okay, please be okay,” I continued to chant as I drove faster and faster until I reached the entrance. Kyle was waiting for me with two nurses and a gurney. I placed her on it, and Kyle told me to meet him in triage one. I secured my truck and ran back to where she was being examined.

“Okay, people, her temp is now 103 and climbing. Something is causing this fever; let's find out what it is.” Kyle began to issue orders to the team. One nurse connected Ellen to an IV and another placed sensors on her chest. A moment later, I heard Ellen’s heartbeat on the monitor.

“This can't be fucking happening, Kyle; she was fine an hour ago. We took a walk, and she told me she was fine. What's wrong with her?”

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