"I'm sorry, Mrs. Knight, I can only share Sergeant First Class Knight's medical information with his immediate family." He looked pointedly at Grace.
"She's practically his fiancée." Charity put a hand on Grace's arm. "The only reason they aren't married yet, is because he had to deploy."
That wasn't entirely true, but Grace wasn't about to argue if it meant she'd get to stay.
"If you send her out of the room, I'm just going to turn right around and tell her everything you tell me."
Dr. Campbell gave her another long look, his brows remaining furrowed. Then he let out a sigh. "Very well."
He launched into an explanation of Damon's injuries including his amputated leg. "Fortunately, he suffered very littleinternal damage that couldn’t be repaired. Other than the vas deferens being severed."
"The what?" Charity leaned forward in her seat, the confusion on her face a mirror of Grace's. "Do you mean?—"
"Unfortunately, the shrapnel gave him a vasectomy."
"He can't father children?" Charity voiced the words racing through Grace's mind.
Grace's heart plummeted. That news must have been devastating to Damon. Even though she and Damon hadn't talked about having children together, he'd mentioned multiple times that he wanted what his brothers and cousins had. A wife, a home, a family.
"Not necessarily." Dr. Campbell gave them a tense smile as he shifted in his seat. "Some vasectomies can be reversed. That is not my area of expertise, so I don't know if that's possible in your son's case. At any rate, it's possible he still has viable sperm." He looked at Grace as he continued. "Conceiving via normal methods wouldn't be possible, but his sperm could be medically retrieved and implanted."
Grace's face warmed as she registered what he was saying.
"Like IVF." Charity spoke up, saving Grace from total embarrassment.
"Similar, but not as intensive when it comes to hormone treatments."
"Well, that is definitely encouraging." Charity patted Grace's hand, her voice was the most upbeat Grace had heard in days. "Now, tell me what we can expect from his recovery. How long will he have to stay in the hospital? Will we be able to take him home right away once he's discharged?"
"That all depends on what your son chooses to do. He's looking at a long recovery. We're talking months." He motioned with his hand. "We have an excellent rehab center next door where he can get the medical care and physical therapy he'llneed. As well as the mental health therapy so many of these soldiers need." He turned to his computer for a moment. "If he returns to Washington, the closest VA prosthetics facility there is in Puget Sound. Unless he chooses to get his prosthetics from the private sector. At any rate, he’ll need frequent adjustments."
"Thank you, doctor." Charity stood. "I'm ready to see my son now."
"There's one more thing you should know." Dr. Campbell shook his head and lifted one shoulder. "Maybe you've already been informed but...two soldiers from your son’s unit were killed in the blast."
Grace's chest tightened again at the news they received yesterday. Her heart hurt for Damon.
"Yes. Captain Moore informed us yesterday when he let us know my son was being transferred here."
The doctor gave a brief nod. "Sergeant First Class Knight is taking the news hard, understandably."
Grace's heart drummed so hard in her chest as she and Charity made their way to Damon’s room that she was surprised everyone couldn’t hear it. Their shoes squeaked on the shiny floors. Monitors beeped in nearby rooms. And Grace had to remind herself to breathe.
She paused outside his door letting Charity enter first. Butterflies swarmed her stomach so badly, she couldn't seem to catch her breath.
She hadn't thought she'd see him in person so soon. And certainly not under these circumstances, but she was elated he was home. She’d promised herself she would tell him her secret the next time she saw him, but she couldn’t think of a worse time to drop that bomb on him.
Talk about a poor choice of words, Grace, considering what Damon has been through.
"Mom?" Emotion deepened Damon's voice inside the room.
Grace stepped into the doorway in time to see Charity lean over the bed and wrap her arms around her son who had more wires hooked to him than she'd ever seen attached to a human being. Grace blinked back the tears that flooded her eyes at the sight of him.
He's here. He's really here. And he's alive.
She didn't care what kind of injuries he'd sustained, she would stand by his side, no matter what. Because she loved him more than she ever thought possible.
"My baby boy." Charity pressed a kiss to Damon's brow. "I've been so worried about you. I'm so glad you made it home alive."
