“I’m going to reassess her leg and have Tuck and Pete change out her IV lines and pull the central line. She’s off dialysis and fever-free.
“Her right lung is still problematic. We are aggressively performing chest PT. Her pupils are reactive. I’m pulling the monitor after we speak. Sleeping Beauty is trying to wake up, so we’re going to cut back on the sedation and see if her breathing picks up. I’d like to get rid of the tube.”
“Hunt, I don’t want her to suffer.”
“Neither do I. I’ll instruct everyone to try to coax her through the agitation. Keep the family involved; ask them to talk to her, read to her. Play some music. Treat her like a newborn, cradle and rock her. And there’s you… She reacts to you.
“Call me as needed. And the negatives?”
Hunter blew out a breath. “She’s holding at ninety-three pounds. We’re going to try to get more calories into her. She’s not gonna do anything if we don’t get some weight back on her.
“And, Ian, we’ve crossed all the emotional barriers with her. This is where it gets sticky. We have hopes, and there’s the reality. We need to see where she’s at when she wakes up. And when she does, it’s going to be a difficult rehab, not to mention the emotional toll on her.”
“Like you said, we’ll see where she’s at.”
He never left her side in the hospital at night. He held one-sided conversations, read art magazines, and played music. And at the pool house, he stayed with her when her family turned in.
“Damn it, Ian, you need to get some rest too.”
“You worry about Cassie. And I’ll take care of me.”
“Fine.”
* * *
“You want to be president, then you do it my way!” a voice yelled at Senator Bynum. “You need to get ahead of this. Thanks to your son and that stupid boy, this is going to turn out to bite us all. She’s still missing. Her supervisor has no idea where she is. Ian Chase and his damn company are still nosing around. If they find Robby, it’s over. We need to tighten our ranks and eliminate the weak links. We’re in this too deep. You know what’s at stake.”
Senator Bynum shuddered. After hanging up, he dialed another number. “Monte, it’s me. I have a problem that needs to be fixed.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy—it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.”
Jamie's brogue was the only sound coming from Cassie’s room, no whir of the ventilator. Ian found him reading from a tattered copy of Jane Austen’sSense and Sensibility. Cassie rested on her side, supported by pillows.
“How’s she doing? Hi, sweetheart.” Ian kissed her cheek.
“She had a busy day. Hunt pulled the ICP monitor and changed the dressings on the skin graft this morning. It’s healing well. Tuck and Pete performed a chest X-ray, ECG, and changed her IV access. Labs are improved. No temp. The tube came out about two hours ago. The sedation is at its minimum. The downside is she’s experiencing periods of agitation.”
“More than usual?” Ian’s eyebrows drew together.
Jamie offered a sad smile. “Yes, she thrashes, and without the tube, you can hear her cries. We’re wrapping her in the blanket, so it feels like she’s being held. A calm voice seems to soothe her too. I was just about to grab Eric. It’s time to clear her lungs again.” He put the book down.
“What do I need to do? Let Eric have a break.”
“Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to. I won’t hurt her, will I?”
“No, you won’t hurt her, but you’re not dressed for this.”
Ian dropped his jacket and tie and rolled up his sleeves.
“We need to wash up.” Jamie handed Ian a pair of gloves and placed a pad over his shoulder. “It’s like burping a baby. I bang on her lungs with my cupped hand, encouraging her body to cough. It can get a little messy.”
With a gentle touch, Jamie rolled her onto her back, supported her head with one hand, and lifted her to a sitting position. She appeared to weigh nothing. “Sit.” He leaned Cassie against Ian’s chest.
Ian closed his eyes, absorbing the feeling of her body against his. Her silky hair caressed his cheek.
