Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
I’d gotten up and had decided to burn off the fear and adrenaline of the dream by running through the woods outside my house. I got as far away from civilization as I could get, and then I just started screaming out my rage and terror for July.
The screams that’d left my throat that night— while awake and asleep—had done something to my voice, and now it was hard for me to speak and not sound like I hadn’t swallowed a glass of gravel.
Not to mention, I’m sure some of their wariness was due to the fact that I had blood all over me and not just because of my voice. I’m sure the scowl permanently affixed to my face wasn’t helping matters either.
“My wife,” I grated. “July.”
The nurse at the far end of the room got up and walked around the counter.
“This way,” she ordered, sounding professional. “You’ll have about ten minutes with her before visiting hours are over for the night.”
“I can’t stay with her?” I inquired sharply.
The nurse smiled at me.
“No,” she shook her head. “Hospital policy states that no overnight guests are allowed in the ICU.”
The NICU and the ICU. Both places I’d spent time in quite a bit during my long career, but neither place had been one I’d needed to visit for personal reasons.
And now I had two people there. One in each place.
“How is she?” I asked instead of arguing.
“Come inside, and I’ll go over her injuries,” she said, gesturing to a room at the end of the hall.
Why so far from the nurses’ station? How would they hear her if she needed anything?
Likely they wouldn’t.
My wife would be forced to yell out.
“She has a call button right here.” The nurse pointed to the remote that was near July’s right hand.
July was laying in the bed, looking so fucking deathly pale, it was unsettling.
“They had to amputate her left hand,” the nurse started to catalog her injuries. “Her left leg was repaired, but they expect to do another surgery on it soon. About a foot of her bowel had to be removed…” and on she went.
In the end, they managed to save her digestive system. They managed to save the other three limbs. Her left hand and forearm were gone. Lucky for her, they’d been able to do a below the elbow amputation, so when she got her prosthetic, she’d have she’d have an easier time learning how to use it.
“Her spine was nicked with the sword that was thrust through her abdomen.” The nurse finished, “But they don’t believe that she’ll have any mobility issues. Now, of course, they’re going to keep her still so she has time to heal. The plan is to keep her in a coma for the first forty-eight hours, at least.”
I took a deep breath and blew it out.
“She’s alive,” the nurse said softly, seeing me trying to breathe.
My eyes went to hers, and I nodded in understanding.
“I know,” I swallowed thickly, voice breaking. “I know.”
She left me then, leaving me alone with the woman I was afraid I’d never see again, and I breathed out harshly.
“I’ve missed you so goddamn much,” I whispered to her, moving close enough that I could feel the heat of her skin.
She didn’t move when I touched her hand.
Didn’t turn into the kiss I placed on her forehead.
She also didn’t curl her fingers around mine when I took her hand in mine.
She didn’t do anything.
But breathe.
She was breathing, and I should be thankful that she was at least doing that.
Had we been only five minutes later, she could’ve died.
She could’ve died within arm’s reach, and I wouldn’t have been able to do a damn thing about it.
“You need to hurry up and come back to me,” I whispered, dropping my forehead to July’s fingers. “Because I’m about to fucking lose it without you. I can’t breathe without you, baby. I won’t survive without you.”
Chapter 21
Red Bull may give you wings, but whiskey gives you balls. Which would you rather have?
-Question of the day
Wolf
Two hours later
“You ready to listen to what I have to say?” I asked my brother-in-law.
Technically, he wasn’t really my brother-in-law—yet. July hadn’t said ‘I do’ or signed any marriage certificates, but it was only a matter of time.
Time that July now had, thanks to me and that man over there.
My eyes moved over to Dean, seeing him propping himself up in the corner of the ICU waiting room.
He was exhausted but was still keeping vigil between the NICU and the ICU.
He’d showered, at least.
Something I’d told him he was going to go do whether he wanted to or not.
He’d agreed and had been led into a staff shower room that Booth’s wife, Masen, had taken him to on the maternity ward.
She’d even gotten him a change of clothes and something to eat out of the vending machine before sending him back.