Page 48 of Unbreakable Connection (Connections Duet)

You don’t know how much I want to, and I promise I am fighting my way back to all of you.

The voices in the room began to fade as I felt them touch me and then leave my room. I wanted Edric to hold me and tell me just about anything because his voice was perfect. He can be cold and hard with what he does in his line of work, but with me, he’s soft and gentle, and I know he would never hurt me. I was always the one pulling away from him, fighting his love and not willing to meet him halfway in what he’s been telling me all along, and that is we belong together.

Edric has filled every void that has been wide open with pain since my parent’s death. I refused to accept love in my life because I never wanted to feel the way I felt when they died. It was better to be alone than to risk those feelings again. I know now it was stupid, and Sabina would be the first to agree that love was worth taking a risk on, no matter what it cost. Love is worth everything, and Edric is worth every sacrifice this heart has to risk to be with him.

I want Edric. I need Edric. I love Edric. In the newfound strength I had, I used every measure of it to fight my way back to him. I felt the tube in my throat as I rose from the fog. My eyes opened at that moment, and they burned from the light over my bed. I wouldn’t have tried to do this on my own had it not been for my medical training. I was never more grateful to be a doctor.

What I’m about to do will not be easy, but neither was running from Paolo in the dead of night while fighting for every breath. I slowly moved my hand and felt for the tube connected to my mouth. I closed my eyes and concentrated as I began to exhale, pushing the tube out until I fully extubated. Fuck! That hurt, but I was free from the tube. I began to cough, and as exhausted as I was, I willed my body to stay awake until Edric returned.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Edric

“Do we need to go to London tomorrow?” Sabina asked Bourne as we made our way down the hall to the bank of elevators.

“Yes, my love, we do. I promise we will return as soon as possible, and you know I never lie.”

“Bourne, why don’t you go on without me, and I will stay here with Edric? Ellen will need me when she wakes up,” I watched Bourne’s eyes practically pop out of their sockets at his wife’s suggestion. I stepped back, knowing to keep my mouth shut and keep my opinions to myself.

He stepped closer and said, “Did I hear you right? Leave you behind while I go traipsing off to London? And without my wife?”

“You did, and what is so wrong about it? Do I need to remind you that I’m pretty tough and have managed to care for myselflong before I met and fell in love with you? Please stop being such a caveman and meet me halfway.”

“Like hell, I will, and no one understands you more than me, but having said that, it doesn’t change the fact that I love you more than life itself, and I will not go anywhere without you by my side.” And just like that, I watched Sabina nearly melt against Bourne’s chest, and it was clear that he had won and got his way as if that was ever in question.After they kissed and made up, I hugged them both and promised to call with any new developments on Ellen. I knew Sabina hated to leave and wanted to stay with us and lend her support, but I also understood his need to be close to his wife. It’s the same one I recognize in myself with Ellen. As I made my way back, Tatianna ran toward me.

“Mr. George, come quickly,” she called out. I took off in a sprint until I nearly crashed into the nurse.

“What’s happened? Is it Ellen?”

“Yes, she’s quite the remarkable woman. She fought against the vent and took the tube out by herself.” After that, I couldn’t hear anything else and returned to Ellen’s room, where she was being examined. I nearly lost my breath at the sight of her. She was sitting upright, and her smile knocked me over once she saw me.

“Oh, my god, baby, you’re awake,” I said as I kissed her and felt her warm breath against my lips. “I love you so much, and don’t you ever scare me like this again,” I said, kissing her again. She tried to speak but struggled, and I placed my finger over her lips to stop her. “We have all the time in the world, and what you need to do is get better and rest. Once you can, we will talk.”

“I like this guy, and I knew he was right for you from the first time I met him.” The voice behind us came from Kyle, Ellen’s best friend and partner. Ellen’s eyes filled with tears at the sight of her best friend. She probably thought she’d never seehim again. The two friends hugged, and then Kyle pressed his forehead against hers and whispered his thanks to God that she would be alright.

“I couldn’t stay away and had to see you, so don’t be mad,” he shook my hand and hugged me too. We both looked over to Ellen with a warning not to talk, and she glared at us both but then smiled as she watched the two men in her life.

“You look good, and it’s nice to see you standing and healed up.”

“Thank you. I feel good, and I arrived at the perfect time.”

“Yeah, you did,” I said to Kyle, who spent some time with Ellen, giving her an update on what was happening back home. I didn’t want her to think about work, which should be the last thing on her mind, but we were talking about Ellen, and I knew she would worry about not knowing. It’s been a few hours since removing the tube, and whatever the doctor ordered for her throat seemed to be working, helping Ellen speak above a whisper. Finally, she said her goodbyes to Kyle, and he went to his hotel to check in, promising to return tomorrow. I’d been patient long enough and wanted my turn with my woman, but her doctor arrived with an orderly and a gurney.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Dr. Chantal needs to go to radiology for some scans, and since she decided to do my job, I also have to see if she damaged her throat by removing the ETT tube on her own.” She coughed and coughed, clutching her injured ribs, and I offered her some water, but she refused.

“I’m right here and know my body better than you do, so stop talking about me as if I’m just another patient without medical knowledge and training. I will allow the tests, but kindly address me directly instead of speaking as if I wasn’t here or incapable of understanding. I’ve been a doctor for a long time, and I’m confident I’m fine. Are we clear?”

I swear I thought the doctor would wet his pants after the verbal tongue-lashing she just delivered to him, and then he agreed and gestured to the orderly to proceed. I went with her, holding her hand until we separated for her tests. We were finally alone after quickly checking her vitals and changing her IV bags.

“How are you feeling, baby?”

She sighed happily and said, “I’m better now that I can look into your eyes again. I never doubted for a second that you wouldn’t find me. It’s blurry, so you’ll have to fill me in on everything that happened.”

“I will try, but not tonight. All I want is for you to get better, and just in case you’ve forgotten, allow me to remind you. Three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, oh, and my personal favorite, a collapsed lung.” My tone had no humor, and I knew she understood what I was saying to her.

“Okay, I understand and know you’ve been through hell, but my lung is better, and my ribs and shoulder will heal, too. Edric, you are the best medicine I need right now. It was your love that got me to wake up and come back to you. I fought every breath and surge of pain to open my eyes again. I knew I was on the precipice of waking up, felt your presence, and knew Sabina was here too, right? I wasn’t just imagining it?”

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