He drew in a large breath of sterile air into his lungs and tried to steady his nerves. He braced himself as he rounded the corner and passed the flurry of activity in the ICU. Nurses rushed in and out of rooms, doctors checked charts, and the steady beeps of life rang out from the rooms.
The doctor led him to the second room from the nurses’ station. Graham took a step inside and his knees buckled. Mickey lay in a large hospital bed with an IV attached to her arm. A machine beside her bed showed her vital signs, and beeped along with the rest of the activity outside. A blanket had been pulled under her armpits and her long, red hair fanned out on her pillow. The bruising on her cheek from where Pete had hit her had deepened and bandages covered her hands.
“The bullet missed any internal organs and I was able to get it out. She lost a lot of blood, but we gave her a transfusion. We’ve done all we can for her. The rest is up to her. Does she have more family coming to see her?”
Graham’s head spun and he tried to focus on the doctor’s words, but all he wanted was to see Mickey. “I called her parents when she went in for surgery, but they were out of town. They’re on their way, but it’ll be a few hours before they get here.”
The doctor gave one stiff nod and then left him alone with Mickey.
His feet moved toward her as if a magnet drew him to her side. Her pale skin was ashen under the florescent lights and he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. A chair sat beside the bed, and he all but fell back into it. He propped his elbows on his knees and leaned toward her. He laid his hand over hers, warming it with his touch.
“Mickey? Can you hear me? I found Becca.” Moisture filled the corners of his eyes. “The girls are safe and back with their families. We did it, Red. We got them home.”
Beep…beep…beep
Disappointment smothered him. What did he expect? It would take time for her to wake up. He couldn’t really think she’d open her eyes the moment she heard his voice.
“Are you still calling me Red?” Her voice was small, her words rough as if spoken through quicksand.
He straightened and his pulse quickened. “Mickey?”
She opened her eyes and then grimaced, shrinking away from the light. She turned her neck to look at him. “Did you really find Becca?”
He nodded and joy burst inside him. “I did.”
Her lips curved into a small smile and she closed her eyes again. “Good job, G.I. Joe.”
“How do you feel?” He had so many things he wanted to say to her.
“Like I was shot.”
He chuckled and then turned serious. “You could have gotten yourself killed. You shouldn’t have done that.”
Her eyes fluttered open and her amber irises bore into him. “I had to do something.”
“You should have let me handle it.”
Her eyebrows arched high on her face. “And why’s that? Because you’re a man and I’m a woman?”
“No,” he said, gathering his courage. “Because a man should always rescue the woman he loves.”
Mickey’s mouth dropped open and her eyes searched his. “You love me?”
“More than I realized. When I saw you lying on the floor and I thought I’d lost you…” His throat closed up and words failed him. The moisture lingering in his eyes coursed down his face. He stood, leaned over the bed, and framed her round face with his hands. “I love you, Mickey. I don’t want to ever lose you.”
“I love you too, Graham. Who would have ever thought something so good could have come out of all of this.”
“Lord knows I didn’t,” Graham said with a laugh.
“Can you promise something?”
“Anything,” he said, as his thumb caressed her cheek.
“When I get out of the hospital, can we leave the excitement behind us? I don’t think I can handle any more drama.”
“You got it. I’ll do my best to make sure your life is as dull as possible.” He laughed and then pressed his lips to hers. His heart soared and he pulled away and stared down into the most beautiful face he’d ever seen. A face he planned to see every day for the rest of his life.
Mickey’s husky laugh skimmed over him and set his blood on fire. “I’m going to hold you to that, G.I. Joe.”
