Waking, Damon heard the noise above and wondered for seconds if it would be the end. Then the building settled and calm returned. Ignoring the pain, he glanced at the body next to him and understood that Lily had left him alone now. Before leaving, she’d soaked a cloth with more of their precious water from the bathtub and left it lying close to his mouth. With just a bit of effort, he could suck on it and felt the moisture lift some of the pain his dry throat suffered. Then grasping the cloth with his teeth, he managed to bite down and actually swallow more. It gave him the strength he needed to postpone the waiting blackness.
He wondered if they would make it to him soon… in time to save his sorry ass. He desperately wanted to live, needed to live. For once in his life, he thought of another, and the image fostered his determination to hang on.
She needed him to live.
He needed to live for her.
Pain radiated, and he closed his eyes, resting his body, and conserving his energy.
Soaring above, he clearly saw his brother and Rachel together. How wonderful they looked. A couple who probably should have always been with each other. Had he known that Lance had secretly crushed on Rachel as far back as high school, he’d never have let a romance start between them. Yet could he regret those first wonderful years while living with his adoring Rachel? No. She’d been everything any man could ever want. Problem was, he wasn’t every man, was he? Selfishly flawed, he could never give her what she needed.
But Lance could. Hadn’t he done so many time behind the scenes, reminding Damon of things any loving husband and father wouldn’t need reminding of? Exhausted from all the introspection, Damon tried to turn away, prayed for his recollections to stop, but another power was in control. Forced to stay aware, he endured.
Abruptly, his world became invaded. The distant noises he’d heard were close now. Hovering above while two men began life-saving measures on his body, he watched them working.
“He’s breathing. Barely. We need to get him out of here asap.”
Chapter Twelve
With her thoughts solely on her future, Rachel waited in the hospital sanctuary. Knowing her life had become nothing but indecision, useless regret, and anticipation over these last few days, she supposed she should be used to it all by now. Only she wasn’t. The idea of Damon surviving this horrible incident made her feel powerless. Yet everything inside her wanted him to get better.
As his wife, of course she would look after him, no matter the results.
She’d be there for him ever step of the way… to recovery if at all possible.
And of course, she wouldn’t let on to him about her recent awakening… her lack of love for him. More importantly, her newfound love for another. Instead, she’d override the longing to be free and deal with her wifely commitments to the man she’d vowed to be with through everything the world might throw at them. How could she behave any different?
Yet deep inside, in a selfish little corner of her mind, she screamed and ranted at the unfairness of it all. Hadn’t she been the best wife she’d known how to be? Hadn’t she also been a good mother to his children? And hadn’t she taken on most of the responsibilities in their home to make life for her family bearable?
The thought of possibly having to nurse him for the rest of his life figuratively brought her to her knees. The power of the mind taking over her conscious abilities to shut it down confused and created even more self-pity. She didn’t want to think about this, hated herself for letting those ideas and images have any oxygen.
But…
Turning to the quiet man sitting next to her, she spoke of her worries. “Lance, I’m terrified.”
“Me too. I want Damon to live… of course I do. To be his old strong self, but he’s suffered such an ordeal, I doubt if that’s possible. The few seconds I saw him on the gurney, he didn’t even look like a human being.”
“I know. I’m shocked he’s alive. His face had so much trauma, he wasn’t identifiable. If not for the tattoo on his neck, I wouldn’t have recognized my own husband.”
Lance shook his head, sadness palpable. “I don’t understand. How could he have survived? Obviously, his will to live must have been powerful.”
“The rescuers said they found them together, two naked bodies near a fallen bathtub with water still pooled inside. There was a soaking wet washcloth tucked in near Damon’s lips. They realize it’s what saved him. Because Lily laid closest to the tub, Kate figures she must have been able to reach the water and had nursed him, keeping them both alive.”
“Yet, she died. I guess she was hurt worse than Damon.”
“Funny, she didn’t look as badly injured. And Kate said she wasn’t dead for long as her body still maintained some warmth.”
Changing the subject so as not to let Rachel dwell too long on the image of another woman lying naked with her husband, Lance added, “I’m sorry about your ride in the ambulance. It must have been a nightmare.”
“It was.” She swallowed the sob sitting in her throat, forcing calm. “The paramedics basically ignored me while they worked on Damon the whole way. He never once opened his swollen eyes. The only way we could see he lived was the monitors were beeping with his heart rhythm.”
He nodded again before speaking. “I talked to Kate while you were with the EMTs. She said to tell you she was praying for us.”
Rachel released a sobbing breath before controlling herself. “Lance, I’m terrified that after all this, he won’t make it.”
“I know. Me too. What if he’s so damaged, he can’t live normally? Knowing my brother, he wouldn’t be the type to find any happiness in being disabled. He’d hate not living by his own rules. Yet the doctors are saying his chances are slim to stay alive, but they’ll do everything they can to save him. Problem is that those prospects are even slimmer for him to ever have the full use of his crushed legs.” Lance’s voice weakened, sliding away on a moan. “Poor Damon. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, never mind my big brother… a man I love.”
“I feel the same.” Unable to stop herself, Rachel laid her head on the man’s broad shoulder and whispered, “Lance, can I tell you something? I have to talk about this before it drives me crazy… share with someone I trust to help me push away these wicked thoughts in my head and help me accept the possible future that scares me so much. I’m terrified. Because if Damon lives, he’ll need me and the kids to be there for him.”
