by Vaughn, Ann
"Make them! I need to see him. Please," she cried.
Tag took a deep breath and then leaned down to kiss her brow.
"I'll be right back," he said, leaving.
Sarah took a deep breath, wincing at the pain it caused. Slowly, she sat up and turned so that her legs were dangling off the side of the bed. Tag came back in with a wheelchair and then lifted her into his arms to put her into it. He grabbed her slippers and her robe for her and then took her to the elevator. When they got to ICU, he cautiously wheeled her down to Colt's room.
The first sight of her strong, powerful husband lying there so pale and still was hard for Sarah to take. There were wires and tubes attached everywhere to him. His head was heavily bandaged with tubes protruding from his skull, draining fluid from him. A tube was in his mouth, helping him to breathe, the whirr and compression of the breathing machine the only noise in the room.
Tag wheeled her right up beside the bed but the wheelchair was so low, she could barely see him. Determined, Sarah tried to push herself to her feet. Tag took her hand and helped her up, then helped her sit on the edge of Colt's bed next to his hip. Sarah ignored the pain getting up had caused and took the hand of his tattooed arm into hers.
"Hey, baby," she said, keeping her voice surprisingly strong and steady, "I'm sorry I'm late." Behind her, Tag stepped out of the room, leaving her with Colt. She raised his hand to her lips and kissed the back of it, hating that it was so slack in her hands. Tears pooled but she blinked them back. This wasn't the time to fall apart. "Your son is here, Daddy. He can't wait to meet you. He's a little small right now, baby, I'm sorry. I just...when Riley told me what happened...I couldn't breathe. I couldn't...you are everything to me, Colton Harris. Chris and I, we need you. He needs his daddy. So, you come back to us, you hear me?" she cried, her lips against the back of his hand. "Do you hear me, Colt? Squeeze my hand, baby. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me. Colt? Squeeze my..." she stopped, her breath catching when his hand tightened around hers. "That's it, baby," she said, smiling, taking a deep breath. "I love you so much. You fight and you come back to me. Our little Chris, he's a fighter, too, just like his daddy. He's got a long road ahead, too, so you need to show him how it's done."
A nurse came in to check his vitals, then gave Sarah an assessing look.
"You aren't supposed to be in here, Mrs. Harris."
"Just try to send me away," she said softly, stroking her hand over Colt's arm.
"Well, now, I would, but ever since you got here, his vitals have improved and his brain activity has increased. I'd say he's trying to wake up, which normally would be good, but the doctor doesn't want him waking up just yet."
"Why not?"
"He needs more time to heal. While he's asleep, his brain has time to heal, which is part of the reason why the doctor wasn't sure he wanted you in here just yet...but the rest of the nurses and I, we thought he was wrong. A time like this is when you need the one you love the most to be with you."
"Colt and I haven't been apart for longer than a couple of weeks at a time...for his work. I couldn't stay in my room and not be here and see him."
"You can stay here with him until visiting hours are up," she said, patting Sarah's shoulder before she left.
Sarah stretched out on her side next to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she'd done many, many times before and snuggled close to him, draping his arm around her. She closed her eyes and listened to the strong and steady beat of his heart under her ear.
Melissa was beside herself. Two of her boys were hurt. Mike would be fine, but Colt they weren't sure about. She stood outside of the NICU window, looking in on Colt's sweet little baby boy, praying that both father and son would be all right. In all the years she and Zig were together, she'd never been in this position. He'd never been hurt. When he was killed, it was instant. Petey was born early as a result, too, but only by three weeks. She had gotten to hold her baby boy, unlike Sarah, who could only touch hers through the gloves of the incubator.
How had Conroy gotten through Colt's security system? She considered herself a pretty strong hacker and techno geek and she hadn't been able to get through. So, how had a low-level Marine with PTSD issues managed it? It wouldn't be good for Orion's business when word got out that the owner had been attacked in his own home unless she could figure out what went wrong and somehow spin it in their favor. She just wasn't sure how she was going to accomplish that, either.
Movement to her left caught her eye and she looked up to see Whit approaching, hands stuffed in his pockets. Her heart accelerated as he approached. Whit had always been the shy one in the group, not as quiet as Mike, but still not as animated as the rest of the guys. She knew now it was because he'd had feelings for her even when Zig was still alive and didn't want to tip anyone off.
He stopped beside her, and she immediately turned and embraced him, burying her face in his neck. His arms folded around her and he held her close, kissing the side of her head and rubbing her back.
"It's going to be OK, babe," he told her.
She nodded. "I know. I just hate that my boys got hurt. And Colt's baby boy...he's so small."
"The doctors say he is going to be fine, though. He's strong like his dad. I actually heard them tell Sarah that he is the strongest preemie they've ever seen. Colt's going to be fine, too. Mike and Lainey are already up and walking around. Everyone is going to be OK," he pulled back and cupped her face in his hands, then tilted his head to the side, studying her.
"What?" she asked, a little self-conscious.
"You don't have all your piercings in...or your full make-up."
She touched her eyebrow where she normally had a few studs.
"Mike's family is pretty conservative," she said with a shrug.
He ran his thumb over her brow.
"Doesn't mean you have to change who you are. I love you just the way you are," he said, then froze when he realized what he'd said.
Melissa's big blue eyes got even bigger, and to his fascination, filled with tears.
"You love me, Whit?"
"I've always loved you, Melissa," he admitted, kissing her, not caring that they were in the middle of the NICU hallway.
When they pulled back, they saw Tag pushing Sarah toward them, Riley and Jenna close behind. Melissa quickly wiped tears from her cheeks and smiled at them.
"Baby Chris seems to be doing just fine," she told Sarah brightly.
Sarah smiled but Melissa could see she was barely holding on by a thread.
"What's happened?" she asked, squatting down so she was eye level with Sarah.
Sarah shook her head and offered a weak smile. "I just got to see Colt. He squeezed my hand."
"That's great, sweetie," Melissa said.
"It is," Sarah agreed. "I just hate seeing him so still. Colt is never still."
Before Melissa could reply, they heard voices approaching, some agitated. Everyone turned toward the opening of the hall to see Mike, dressed in a black T-shirt and black running pants, pushing Lainey in a wheelchair, and two nurses trailing behind them, scolding him the entire way.
"We wanted to be with everyone to see Baby Chris," Lainey said, ignoring the nurses.
"You are both supposed to be in bed," one of the nurses said.
"We're fine," Mike said, dismissing her. He left Lainey near Riley and walked over to Sarah, squatting down as Melissa had, taking her hand in his. "How are you?" he asked quietly.
"I'm okay," she said softly.
"Colt is a fighter, you know that, right?" She nodded. "He'll come back to you." She nodded again and he kissed her hand and stood.
The nurses were still trying to fuss at him. He ignored them, facing the nursery. Tag helped Sarah to stand and she came to Mike's side, clutching his arm.
"He's in the first crib there," she told him.
Lainey watched Mike comfort Sarah and couldn't have felt more proud of him. He had so much love to give. She felt Riley's hand settle on her shoulder
and she briefly looked up at him, smiling slightly when he gave her shoulder a squeeze. Jenna walked over to Mike's other side, laying her hand briefly on his shoulder as she so often did. This group, these women, had been able to see past Mike's stoic iciness to the generous heart inside. Lainey just wished his family could do the same. Gia did, but she was still reserved around him. Now that all of the drama with Charles was over, Lainey wanted to arrange a meeting with just her and Gia. Her priority now was fixing his relationship with his family. She wanted to help him see that his family was not the enemy; that they may not see eye-to-eye on things but that didn't mean they had to shut each other out. He may not see it now, but going forward, if they were to have a family of their own, she wanted them to be able to be a part of both of their families.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Mike spent two days in the hospital and Lainey spent five before they were released. It was bittersweet knowing that they were leaving Colt and Sarah behind, but at least the reports for Colt and Baby Chris were good. Colt had been upgraded from critical but stable to serious but stable condition and Baby Chris was continuing to wow his doctors by his daily improvement. Both still had a long road ahead of them, but their prognosis was good so far, and that helped Mike and Lainey leave the hospital feeling somewhat better.
Lainey was still extremely sore and had her arm in a sling. She'd been fortunate that the bullet had passed only through muscle in her shoulder, completely missing any bone. Mike, on the other hand, didn't even seem to be bothered by his injury. She supposed after all he'd been through in his life, this was probably felt like nothing to him.
When they got to the loft and the elevator door opened, Lainey hesitated. The last time she'd stepped out of this elevator was still etched in her memory. Her eyes were drawn to the floor where Colt had fallen. Someone had been in and cleaned up all the blood...but in her mind's eye, she could still see it.
Mike turned when he noticed her hesitation, seeing her gaze on the floor where Colt had lain. He stepped into her line of sight and reached down to cup her chin and tilt her face up to him, then gently kissed her.
"Everything is safe now, cara mia," he assured her.
She nodded and took a deep breath. "I know. It just may be a while before I can step out of the elevator without thinking about what happened."
"We don't have to stay here. We can go back to your house."
"No, that's OK. I like it here. This is..." she looked around the huge space, eyes lingering on the piano, "this is where we became us."
"It is," he confirmed, putting his arm around her and leading her into the living area. "Have a seat, I'll get you some water so you can take your meds."
She watched him go into the kitchen, but she didn't sit on the couch, going instead to the piano. He came back with a glass of ice water and her pain medicine, then sat beside her on the bench, hands going to the keys. She loved watching him play; seeing those battle-scarred fingers caressing the keys. The melody he played was light and beautiful. She didn't recognize it but could tell it was one that he'd played many times. Her eyes drifted from his hands to his profile. As he often did when he played, his eyes were closed, feeling his way through the music. She smiled when the song shifted to one that she did recognize, God Bless the Broken Road. How fitting she thought, and couldn't stop herself from singing along when he got to the chorus.
Mike loved to hear Lainey sing. She didn't think she was very good, but to him, she sounded better than any singer on the radio. Her voice was soft but sultry, reminding him a bit of Norah Jones. She'd said she never sang much, other than along to the radio, but she had perfect pitch. Never missed a note. She sounded amazing to him; but then, everything about her amazed him, he thought as he shifted his song to what he'd begun to think of as "their song", Love Me Tender. Her smile was breathtaking as she once again sang the soft notes of the song to him. When it was over, he leaned over and kissed her, softly, gently. She put her hand on his cheek while they kissed, then slid her fingers into his hair. He loved when she did that.
She shifted so that she was facing him, deepening the kiss. Mike tightened his arm around her waist and lifted her so that she was straddling him, reminiscent of the last time they sat at the piano. Only this time, he held her gingerly, afraid of hurting her.
"Mike," she said against his lips, breathless. "Please."
He pulled back to smooth his hands over her face.
"I don't want to hurt you, bambina."
"You won't hurt me. Please, Mike, I need you."
He knew he could deny her nothing. Gathering her into his arms, he carried her into the living area, and placed her on her feet. He carefully pulled her pants off, squatting down to kiss her lower abs and thighs as he bared them, then went to one knee as he helped her step out of her pants.
Lainey looked down at him as he stayed on his knee looking up at her. They didn't say a word, but their eyes spoke volumes. She put her hand on his chest where the bullet had lodged after passing through her. How could she put into words what she'd felt, knowing that if she hadn't covered him, he'd be dead? Tears began falling down her cheeks and he slowly stood, wrapping his arms tight around her.
"Don't," he said into her hair, "it's over now."
"He would have killed you. I saw it. It was like everything moved in slow-motion. You were going to die unless I did something."
He lifted her by her waist with one arm while at the same time freeing himself from his pants, then sat down and settled her over him, groaning as she enveloped him in her warmth.
"I could have lost you, cara mia," he said, burying his hands in her hair. "You mean more to me than anything else in this world. If I had lost you..."
She began a slow rhythm, riding him with sensuous rolls of her hips, eyes locked on his.
"Same goes, my friend. I can't lose you. Not now; not ever. We were meant to be, Commander. Don't ever leave me."
"I don't plan to," he vowed.
They made love slowly, gently, cherishing each other. Mike let Lainey drive them from start to their simultaneous rolling climax. It was beautiful, just like everything he'd come to love about her. He held her close against his chest, long after their breathing had returned to normal.
"It's all really over now?" she asked softly.
"It is. He will be moved to a psychiatric facility that specializes in handling PTSD and brain injuries of veterans once he recovers from his injuries."
Lainey lifted her head and met Mike's direct gaze. He had done that. In spite of everything that Charles had done, Mike had arranged to have him get the help he needed. If she hadn't already been head over heels in love with him, she knew she certainly would be now.
"There aren't strong enough words to express how much that means to me, Mike," she said, "I love you so much."
"He could have been me," Mike said after she kissed him. "if I hadn't been able to handle all that was done to me as well as I did," he clarified. "It was why Colt didn't take him out when he had the chance the other day. He could have been any of us."
Her hand went automatically to cover his bandaged chest. She knew what he was saying was true.
"Charles wasn't always been like he is now. The head injury had done that to him," she said.
"Do you think Colt will be different like that now, too?" Mike asked, and she could hear the fear in his tone.
"I honestly don't know. Head injuries are always scary. The area where he was hit...it may affect his motor skills a bit. I don't believe his speech will be affected. Shouldn't mess with his memory any...but I am worried about just the basic motor functions right at first. But, honestly, we won't know until they start waking him up."
He scooted to the edge of the couch then stood, lifting her into his arms and carried her upstairs. Walking through the bedroom, he went into the bathroom, placed her on her feet then turned the water on in the tub. He helped ease her sling and shirt off then placed her in the tub.
"Be right back," he said, leavin
g her to soak in the warm water.
She watched him go, smiling that he had no issues with walking around nude around her. Hopefully, now that the situation with Conroy was over, she would begin to see more and more of the side she saw of him when they were at Melissa's.
He came back in moments later with a tray of fruit and glasses of ice water since she couldn't have alcohol with her medication. She smiled and leaned forward as he stepped in and settled behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle. With him in the tub, the water was high enough to turn the jets on, so for several long moments, they sat quietly, just relaxing. Lainey thought she could sit like this forever, nestled between his legs, his arms around her holding her close. It was perfect. It was...
He lifted her left hand and she felt him slide something cool over her ring finger. She gasped and looked at her hand, seeing a large, emerald cut diamond surrounded by several smaller diamonds and emeralds in a platinum setting. He raised her hand to his lips, kissing the ring and her finger.
"Mike?" she whispered.
"I don't ever want to lose you, cara mia. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"
She clutched his hand tight and leaned back to kiss him over her shoulder.
"Yes, Commander, I will marry you," she whispered when he pulled back.
"Ti amo, princepesa," he said, kissing her brow.
"I love you, too."
Life began to settle back into some semblance of a routine. As much as Lainey loved going back to work and seeing her kids every day, she missed seeing Mike all day. The day she got her stitches removed, he finally took her on what he considered their first date. She still called the day they went to lunch with the guys at Antonio's their first date, which drove Mike insane, arguing that it hadn't been a date. She loved him all the more for that.
Today, they were having dinner at his parents' home, and her parents were coming as well. It would be the first time for Lainey to see his whole family again since the last time they had dinner with them, and she was glad her parents would be there. They were going to be discussing wedding plans. While Lainey had never been one of those girls who constantly dreamed of her wedding, she did have a pretty specific image in her head of how she wanted it to be, and she didn't want their mothers hassling her over it. The only thing she wasn't sure about was the music. Mike had told her he had it covered and for her not to worry about it. She'd been baffled by that and had pressed him for details but he'd insisted that she'd find out on June 24th, their wedding day.
