Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 118042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Trembling, I clung to Ily’s lifeless hand.
Her other one lay on the sheets, pierced with a needle and hooked up to an IV.
She looked so weak.
So tired.
Struggling to get a grip on my runaway panic, I swallowed hard. “Tell me. Tell me everything.”
The doctor shot Q a look as my brother pulled the door closed, giving us privacy. “Alright then.” Pulling out a small tablet from his white jacket pocket, he said, “She lost a lot of blood. If it wasn’t for the quick thinking of a Dr Melanie Belford and the selfless donation by a Rachel Moran, I doubt she would’ve survived the helicopter flight to my surgery.” Reading the notes, he continued, “Ordinarily, we don’t allow pregnant women to donate blood due to the risk of the foetus, but she was the only one who knew her blood type and most likely the only one who had O-negative blood, which makes her a universal donor. Thanks to vein-to-vein transmission, Ms Sharma was kept alive long enough to be transported here.”
He paused and pushed up his glasses. “Do you wish me to continue?”
“Yes—” My voice broke. I cleared my throat and nodded. “Go on.”
“A bullet was lodged in her sternum.”
“Ah, Christ.” I doubled over; the room flipped upside down. My chest fissured with absolute despair.
“Easy does it.” The doctor patted my shoulder, easing me backward so I didn’t fall off the bed. “There, there.” Clucking his tongue, he added, “Perhaps we’ll go over the rest another day—”
“No.” I sat taller and braced every shaking muscle I could. “Continue.”
He eyed me but slowly nodded. “The bullet formed a small wound but didn’t shatter the bone, nor did it go any farther.”
“What?” I blinked. “How…how is that possible?”
He consulted his notes again. “I believe someone else took the full brunt of the bullet’s speed. Her condition was caused from blood loss thanks to a nasty cut on her neck, not the actual gunshot. She bled out slowly from the wound but was lucky enough not to have the jugular severed.”
Peter.
I almost fell off the bed again as I pinched the bridge of my nose and willed myself to stay conscious.
I didn’t know how, but he’d saved her. Sacrificed himself for her.
Out of all the people…
Out of all the selfless incredible acts…
I wanted to wring his neck for killing himself and hug him stupid for loving her enough to protect her.
Jesus, Paavak.
“Do you…do you know what happened to the man who saved her?”
“I’m afraid not.” He looked up. “The helicopter that came to me had the most urgent cases that could be dealt with here. The ones needing extensive surgery were flown to the hospital. I believe the helicopter you were on was designated to a colleague while another transported the deceased. I can find out—”
“No.” I held up my hand, fighting dizziness. I didn’t think I could cope hearing how Peter’s corpse had been flown without a name and thrown into a freezer waiting to be claimed. It’d killed me picturing Ily in such a place and the thought of the man who’d saved her life being discarded like an old shoe…
I swallowed hard. “Just…tell me about her. When will she wake? How soon will—”
“Mr Mercer, if I can be so bold.” Hugging his tablet, he gave me a pitying look. “Ms Sharma was legally dead for a few minutes due to her fading on the table while I sewed up the hole in her chest. She was given just enough blood to get her to me but for someone to survive an extended period of time with such a low volume of blood…it can cause unforeseen complications.”
“Unforeseen…”
“She hasn’t woken yet. She’s had two more transfusions, but it will take time and a great deal of energy for her body to recoup enough to be considered healthy. We are doing everything in our power to ensure she wakes with no permanent damage, but the fact remains, her brain was deprived of oxygen. There might be a chance that she’s—”
“No.” I shook my head. “No way. She’s smart. So fucking smart. She’ll be fine.”
He sighed and didn’t argue. “All you need to focus on now is talking to her. Tell her she’s safe. Tell her you’re waiting for her. Do whatever it takes to make her fight because we’ve done all we can. The rest is up to her.”
Bowing politely, he backed toward the door. “I’ll leave you now. I’ll send your own doctor to see you soon. I don’t believe you should be out of bed for long. But I appreciate that my patient needs someone she knows to bring her back so…I’m willing to allow you to visit for a time.”
Allow?
A surge of temper filled me.
I wouldn’t be leaving her side.
He wasn’t going to allow me to do anything.
Silently, he slipped out the door and my eyes fell on Ily.