Page 26 of Her Steadfast Hero

“Clear as a bell.” She helped him off the exam table. She helped him step over the uneven floor on the way to the door. They found Manuel in front of the clinic.

“Did you call Joaquin?” David asked, pissed when his voice came out slightly slurred.

“Yes. He wanted me to tell you that he would call you tomorrow. I stayed so I could drive you to your hotel.”

“Could you drive both of us? He was my ride this morning.” David watched as Manuel smiled brightly at Sarah.

Of course, he would. What man wouldn’t?

“Yes, ma’am. I would be happy to.”

David settled into the backseat. He tried to focus on the conversation going on between Sarah and Manuel, but he couldn’t. He was too damn tired.

* * *

The phone was ringing, and he groaned in pain. He moved to find it.

“Stop! I’ll get it.” The bedside lamp turned on, and he got a tasty view of Sarah in his T-shirt as she reached over the side of the bed and groped for his phone. It must have been in his pants.

She handed it to him. Before he could even say hello, Joaquin started talking. He threw off the covers and was standing beside the bed. The pain only mattered because it slowed him down.

“When?” he demanded. Joaquin was garbled. He wasn’t making a whole hell of a lot of sense. But one thing was clear. Prisoners had taken over the hospital and were holding Carys and other doctors for ransom, and it was making international news.

“Why are you just telling me now?” It had happened while he had been asleep, and Bernardo had decided to handle things himself.

“Sarah, turn on the TV,” David demanded as he started to get dressed. She didn’t ask any questions, just found the remote, and stopped on the first channel that didn’t have static.

“Oh my God, David, that’s the hospital,” she cried, pointing to the screen. Then she ran towards the bathroom.

“Tell me everything, Joaquin.” David sat down heavily on the side of the bed.

“They’re demanding a plane off the island, and ten million US dollars.”

“They’ll never get that.”

“The lieutenant governor called the US Embassy in Panama and your commander. He has also done interviews. He’s begging for the United States to give the men whatever they want. Not only are the Doctors Without Borders at risk, but every man, woman, and child in the hospital are now hostages.” David saw Sarah come out of the bathroom dressed in the same bloody clothes she had been wearing yesterday when she had stitched him up. Her intent was clear. He dropped the phone on the bed and blocked her exit.

“Let me go,” she eyed his shoulder. For the first time he was glad he was injured, knowing that she would have pushed past him otherwise.

“I’m not letting you leave.”

“David, I have to get to the hospital.”

“And what will you do when you get there?” he demanded.

“I’ll figure it out when I’m there.” She was getting desperate, he could see it on her face, hear it in her voice.

“Stay with me,” he urged. “I need to get to the lieutenant governor’s office and find out what he’s doing. You can’t do anything at the hospital but stand outside. Come with me and we’ll see what’s being done.”

“Please, I’m begging you, let me go to the hospital.” Ah shit, she was starting to cry.

He pulled her into his arms. Damn that hurt. She stiffened.

“Stop that. You’re hurt.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve. She yanked up his shirt and looked at his bandage. “Looks okay for the moment.” She took a deep breath. “Let me get my supplies.”

“Supplies?”

“I brought extra bandages and sutures. I didn’t trust you not to rip your stitches.” Her eyes welled up again. Her eyes turned to the TV. She watched the picture of the hospital and the Breaking News headline. She grabbed her bag, turned off the TV and turned to him. “Let’s go.”