by Stone, Piper
As Diego walked closer to the man, speaking softly in Spanish, I blanked out whatever they were saying. “Jack. It’s going to be all right. I’m going to take care of you.”
“They do have some medical supplies, but my guess is they are limited,” Diego said as he eased down beside me. “How can I help you?”
“We need to remove his shirt carefully.”
“That I can handle.” As he produced a glorified Swiss army knife, I held my breath. From what I could tell, the bullet had gone clean through, which was good. While the loss of blood was significant, at least the position indicated it had missed his heart.
But not by much.
When Jack’s shirt was completely removed, I studied the entrance wound. What concerned me was if the bullet nicked his lung. “Where the hell are the items? I need to get this cleaned so I can see what I’m dealing with.”
“He’s coming, Lindsey. Take a deep breath. We’re going home.”
“How long is the damn flight?” I snapped. “Shit. I’m sorry. I’m just really worried about him.”
He placed his hand on my arm, squeezing. “I know you are. Jack’s a tough guy. He’ll make it. The flight will take a little over seven hours.”
“Seven fucking hours. He needs fluid and possibly blood. Even if he survives, it may be too late if the bullet hit any major arteries or if there are fragments left inside.”
I heard a few words in Spanish before the man who’d saved us dropped a small bag by my side.
“This should be what you need, Doctor,” the man said in English.
“Thank you. Water?” I looked up at him, seeing enough concern in his eyes to allow me to take a deep breath.
“I’ll get that for you,” he answered.
“Do what you need to do. I’m going to check with the pilot. Then I’ll be right back.”
After receiving the water, I took my time cleaning the wound. From the trajectory, it was apparent more damage had been done as the bullet exited. Very gingerly I turned him over, pressing my hand against his face. He was clammy, his breath still shallow but his pulse was strong.
“Just stay with me, Jack. I don’t want to lose you. Not now. Not when we might…” The words trailed off, tears forming in my eyes. I had difficulty stopping them from falling, several pushing past my lashes.
“You ain’t gonna… lose me, Doctor.” While Jack’s words were stilted, almost inaudible, his waning smile gave me hope.
“Good, because I would be one pissed-off doctor. Now, it’s time for you to do what I say. I’m going to do what I can with limited supplies, but the main thing for you to do is to remain as immobile as possible. Do you think you can do that?”
When he reached for my hand, every cell in my body burst into flames. Just as it had the entire few days. Just like when he fisted my hair, yanking me against his massive chest. Only this time, I could tell he was making certain I understood the real man inside.
“Stop talking,” I instructed as I searched through the box of basic first aid supplies. There was almost nothing that I could use. The best I could hope for was containing the bleeding.
“You need… to… listen to me. Teresa.”
I shifted my gaze toward his face even as I tended to the exit wound. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes… it does.” His voice was suddenly strong, his eyes never wavering. “They killed her.”
“Who? Who killed her?”
“The assignment.” He took several gasping breaths, still able to squeeze my hand but I could tell he was fading.
“What are you talking about? This handler you’ve mentioned? Is he the one responsible for destroying your world?” A wave of anger rushed into me, my hands shaking. I could tell he was going into shock, although the rough and tumble man was doing everything that he could to fight it.
Swallowing hard, he attempted to shake his head, wincing. “I couldn’t… save her. They found her. They knew she mattered. Get. Away. From. Me. Forget that you… know me.”
I cupped his face, putting a small amount of pressure on his skin. “That’s never going to happen.”
His smile waned, his eyes glassing over. “I’m not a good man. But I do… love you.”
Love.
The single word was more jarring than anything he’d said to me. While I fully understood that he was delusional, I took small comfort in the beautiful sentiment, if only to keep me hopeful that I could save his life.
As his body relaxed, his hand falling away, a whimper escaped my mouth. This just couldn’t be happening.
“Just hold on, Jack. Everything is going to be all right.”
* * *
But it wasn’t.
The flight was bumpy, the situation with Jack getting more dire. While he was still breathing, I knew there was something significantly wrong with him. He’d developed a fever, falling into vicious hallucinations, the words he muttered terrifying even for someone who had no idea what he’d been through.
“You’re never going to get the best of me, Sergeant,” he mumbled, tossing his head back and forth. “You can imprison me, but I will hunt you down. One… day.”
I felt Diego’s presence as I had for the duration of the flight. He’d remained so damn quiet, as if the helplessness was something he’d never experienced before. “I’m not certain he’s going to make it.”
“Only thirty minutes until we land,” Diego said quietly before moving toward one of the windows.
“What the hell happened to him in the Marines?”
He exhaled, still staring out the window. When he spoke, there was such reverence in his voice, the kind that I hadn’t heard from him before. At least when talking about Jack.
“He and the men he worked with were considered ghosts to the enemies. They formulated a plan and went into whatever dangerous situation, always returning victorious. There was a huge price on their heads, every insurgent looking for them. They didn’t like to play by the rules, but they did their job, even becoming highly decorated.” Diego spoke slowly, taking several deep breaths.
“That sounds like Jack,” I offered.
He nodded a couple of times, darting a glance down at Jack’s shaking frame before continuing. “On their last mission, something happened. What I don’t know. Everything I learned was from our handler and the few records that the men we work for found. As you might imagine, there are hundreds, thousands of secrets within the military, operations that are kept deep under cover. What little our handler was able to ascertain helped in getting Jack freed from prison, a place he should never have been sent. He did nothing wrong, merely questioned why the operation had failed. Only once did Jack mention he believed his sergeant had betrayed him. What I do know is that it profoundly affected him, changing his entire demeanor.” He chuckled. “At least from what Dante told me.”
“Does Jack know you found this out?”
“Oh, hell, no. He would be pissed. That’s why I respected him from the beginning, even if I had difficulty being able to stand his surly ass.” Diego offered a smile after issuing the words, hissing as a series of hard vibrations rocked the plane.
“Whatever happened with the woman he was in love with was the last straw for him,” I half whispered as I rubbed a towel across his sweat-laden face.
“I don’t know anything about that, other than what little he told me. Your resemblance was almost too much for him to bear. What I can tell you is how much he cares for you, even if he might not want to say it.”
“I know. I feel the same, for good or for bad.”
“And I completely understand. He’s worth fighting for. At least in my opinion.”
“So are you,” I offered.
Diego seemed surprised at my words, as if he’d never expected that he could compare to Jack. He was so very wrong. “I contacted Dante and he made arrangements for Jack to be taken by ambulance to the hospital you selected.”
“Good. Thank you. I’m going with him.”
He smiled and
gave me a single nod. “As I expected, but you’re not doing so without having me there. There’s still a significant threat out there to your life and I have a job to keep doing.”
I’d purposely made certain that we wouldn’t be taken to the MedStar Hospital where my father had absolute control. I wasn’t honestly certain who we could trust at this point and I knew that Diego felt the same. “I understand.”
“I hope you do, Lindsey. Just because we left the country doesn’t mean the Serpent doesn’t have a faction of soldiers within the United States.”
“If you’re trying to scare me, you’re doing a good job. All I want is to live a normal life.” As I looked down at Jack, I fought a new round of sadness creeping in. “That’s never going to happen. Is it?”
His hesitation was to be expected. He’d once told me that he’d never lie and so far, he hadn’t. “I doubt that you can for a period of time,” he said in the quietest of voices.
Why couldn’t life be normal? Why couldn’t I have been born into a regular family?
I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of my own questions. Now wasn’t the time to lament over the past.
Or what limited future I could have.
“What if I can’t save him? What if all the danger we had to face meant nothing?” I finally asked.
“It does mean something, Lindsey. We were able to rescue you, which was our job and something Jack would do again.”
“Someday, you’re going to have to explain to me why that job you have is more important than enjoying your life.”
“The job is all men like Jack and I have. There’s very little left, if anything, that matters to us.”
“That makes me very sad.”
He inched closer, crouching down, brushing his knuckles across my cheek. “One thing I do know is that if anyone can save him, you can.”
I leaned into his hand, trying to take some comfort in his words. “We shall see.”
“Mr. Sanchez. We will be landing within minutes.”
The voice seemed so dark, the tone even more ominous than before. While it wasn’t my place to question the men who’d rescued us, I knew that whatever my father was involved in held deep ramifications to our family. I couldn’t wait to confront him.
I seemed to hold my breath the entire descent, my eyes never leaving Jack. While I’d secured him as much as possible, the bumpy ride continued right up to the landing. At least their handler had held up his end of the bargain, the ambulance waiting on the tarmac.
The second the cargo door was opened, I rushed out of the plane, racing toward the ambulance. “We need to get the patient on board now. How long until we reach the hospital?”
“Fifteen minutes. I was told there was a doctor on board?” the paramedic asked as she directed her teammate to drag the gurney out of the back.
“Yeah. That would be me. I’m coming with him.”
I’d witnessed more than one patient in crisis while being transported, but I’d never had a single experience involving someone I cared about. My nerves were shot, exhaustion settling in, but I knew that something was desperately wrong with Jack, the damage caused by the bullet more severe than I’d been able to diagnose. Time was ticking and I didn’t like the odds.
As Diego walked closer, his expression grim, I could tell he was scanning the landing strip, forever watchful of whatever dangers were lying in wait. He said nothing, but it was easy to tell there were words he wanted to express. Now wasn’t the time for either of us to dare open up.
“Make certain he’s hooked up to fluids,” I instructed as the paramedics strapped Jack carefully. His breathing was even shallower, his skin far too clammy. “Goddamn it, Jack. Stay with us.”
His eyes opened, his pupils dilated. “Diego.”
“We have to get you to the hospital,” I insisted.
“I need to… speak to him.”
“Jesus, buddy.” Diego closed the distance, peering down. “Listen to your doctor.”
Somehow, Jack managed to grab his hand, tugging until Diego leaned over. In those few seconds as Jack struggled to speak, I could feel the life fading from him even as he continued his determination to provide whatever damn instructions that he felt necessary.
“Take… care… of… her always.”
“Doctor, we’re losing him. We need to go stat!” one of the paramedics barked.
“Go now.”
Diego stepped away, his mouth twisting. “I will, Jack. I promise you.”
As Jack was lifted into the ambulance, a knowing passed through me. “No. No. No. No. No!”
“He’s flatlining.”
“Jack. You are not going to die.” The buzz of the machine echoed in my mind; the lines blurry as tears slipped past my lashes.
Beep. Beep.
Buzz…
* * *
The beeping sound would forever haunt me, bringing even more nightmares than I’d had during the last several days. I knew I was running on adrenaline and little else, although Diego had continued to try to get me to rest. That had become an impossibility. Not while Jack remained unconscious.
When Diego entered the room, his expression one of admonishment, he shook his head as he walked closer, handing me my fourth cup of coffee of the day.
And it was only eight-thirty in the morning.
“You can’t continue to go on like this,” he stated, his tone much more authoritative than it had been.
“I can and I will.” As our fingers touched when I took the cup out of his hand, a series of tingling sensations rocketed throughout my body. I’d come to hate my body’s response, the electricity pounding into my heart every time he was within close proximity. It was improper to feel such closeness while Jack continued to fight for his life.
Diego sucked in his breath, obviously fighting the same reaction. “You did everything you could do in the surgery.”
“Not enough.”
“You saved his life.”
Sighing, I walked closer to the bed, finally easing into the chair that had been positioned beside him since he’d been placed in ICU. I’d been lucky that my credentials had been authenticated prior to arrival at the hospital, the surgery room prepared as required. While I’d been able to bring Jack back from the brink of death in the ambulance, his condition had continued to remain in crisis mode. The blood clot I’d suspected had interrupted his breathing for an extended period of time. I’d been lucky, able to remove it successfully, but now it was up to Jack as to whether he would pull through.
“He’s not improving.”
Diego moved toward the window, staring out at the ugly parking lot. “Jack doesn’t follow anyone’s rules, Doctor Walters. You of all people should know that by now. He’s biding his time. You’re going to get some rest today or I will hogtie you and take you out of here. You haven’t left once.”
I couldn’t help but smile. The man meant what he’d told me. “I’m not certain where I’d go. I can’t go to my parents’ house and I let go of my apartment. My work is all I have left.”
“A pretty awesome lady once reminded me that life isn’t all about work.”
This time, I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you dare throw my words back to me. You’ve become determined to solve the rest of the mystery regarding this assignment.”
“And I intend on doing so. However, neither one of us can perform our jobs if we don’t get any sleep. Tonight, you’re going to stay at the hotel with me. I won’t take no for an answer so don’t try it. In fact, I should drag you over my knee right here in the middle of the hospital to help you understand that you’re not in charge.” Both his words and his mischievous grin were meant to pull me out of the depression I’d fallen in.
Sadly, nothing was going to work.
There was no need to share any percentages with him, the usual medical lingo. He was well aware of the odds of Jack’s survival.
“I’ll go to the hotel tonight,” I said, giving in. I knew he was right. My head hadn’t stopped aching
since the plane ride, my nerves on edge. I wasn’t only fearful of losing one of the men I adored. Every time I looked out the window, I could swear I saw Michael standing in the distance, waiting and watching.
Planning.
I took a sip of coffee, the bitter taste almost welcome. We might have arrived back on American soil, but the danger continued to hover over us. I refused to place either Jack or Diego in harm’s way. I would have to face Michael sooner versus later. Damn it. Why couldn’t the asshole just leave me alone?
I’d heard Diego’s concerns for the last two days, could understand that any one of the various threats had likely hunted all of us down, but I hadn’t been able to give a shit. I was aware that he’d spent some time on the phone and away from the hospital in his attempt to find answers. While he’d yet to burden me with what he’d discovered, I knew it was only a matter of time.
All I could do was pray that Michael would leave me the hell alone. Dealing with my father was another story.
“I don’t give a shit about my family at this point. Everything I lived was a lie.”
“Not necessarily everything,” he said in an offhanded way. “You need to remember that things aren’t always as they seem.”
“That sounds like something Jack would say.”
“And I… have.”
I snapped my head in Jack’s direction, my heart racing. “Jack.” As both Diego and I moved closer to the bed, Jack finally opened his eyes. Everything seemed at a standstill, my entire body shaking. As tears slipped down my cheeks, so many thoughts wanted to come rushing out of my mouth. I had so much to say to him, to share with him. I needed him to understand that I did love him, just like I loved Diego, but that I now understood why we couldn’t be together.
“Fuck,” Diego laughed. “You’re alive.”
Diego’s words dragged me out of the spiraling nightmare, the visions of Michael’s face and the horrible words he’d said to me.
And would continue to say.
I love you, Jack. I do. I love you.
The words would never be said. They simply couldn’t be, but I was a doctor and I would make certain he lived. Damn it. I would. No fucking asshole was going to stop me performing my job.
