“Spoken like a true operator,” he drawled.
That drew a pained half-smile out of Sloan. “Yeah. As long as we can walk, that’s all that counts. Listen, I have to go. I’ll be in touch about Dan and his condition as soon as I hear something.”
“You take care of yourself too,” Tal said, her voice thick with emotion. “We’re here for you, Sloan. Be alert. Don’t take chances. We want you and Dan back here with us, ASAP. Help is on its way.”
*
Distraught, fighting back a sob that wanted to wrench out of her tightened throat, Sloan went to the surgery floor where Dan was being cared for. There was nothing else she could do but wait—and pray. There were two policemen on the floor, standing next to the operating theater where Dan and the surgery team were located. Sloan let them know she was nearby in the visitor’s lounge. Once the doctors had hopefully repaired him, they would come and talk with her.
She sat down on the squeaky plastic sofa and buried her face in her hands. It was impossible to separate protecting Dan and loving him. She was so afraid she would lose him. Why did he come out of that office? She knew the answer. He was an ex-Night Stalker pilot, an operator just like her. Dan would never allow her to fight a battle if he could be armed and fighting alongside her. He’d wanted to protect her.
Her lower lip quivered, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. It felt like her heart was being ripped apart, the pain so real. Her mind was in turmoil, but she kept seeing the wonderful day they’d spent scuba diving. The joy of being with Dan in those clear waters made her heart explode with happiness and hope once more. Sloan knew Dan loved her even if he wasn’t in touch with it yet. He’d had so much happen to him as a child; he just didn’t get what love was about. But he could learn.
I want a second chance. I need that chance with Dan. Please…God…give me that opportunity. Don’t let Dan die. I love him…I’ve never stopped loving him. Give us one more chance together…please…
She was sure the two policemen heard her weeping, but she didn’t care. If only Dan would survive. How badly Sloan wanted to kiss him again, touch him, smile and laugh with him. She knew that people often changed after being shot and almost dying. It changed them forever. There was no guarantee that Dan would still love her. He might see their relationship entirely different after this. Sloan felt unsettled about their future if he survived.
It hurt to think in that direction. Dan had already walked away from her once when things became high pressure and dicey. He could do it again.
But regardless of the outcome, Sloan would be there to support, love and help him recover from this life-changing event. She expected no love in return. He was the biggest risk in her life, but she didn’t care—even if Dan didn’t love her—even if he walked away one last time. She was throwing her heart into this fight.
CHAPTER 11
A groan brought Dan out of the darkness he was floating in. His senses were muddled, and he felt like separate pieces of himself were floating around within him, disconnected to one another. Beneath his closed eyes, he saw blips of people’s faces, heard sounds, and smelled the salt of the Red Sea. He felt like a scuba diver who had gone too deep and was slowly ascending toward the bright light of the surface far above him. There was a dull ache on his left side. It was the discomfort that first snagged his shredded consciousness and forced him to try and focus.
The next thing that got his attention was a warm, soft hand resting on his right forearm. He stopped struggling to see where he was at and what was going on. Dan instinctively knew something was very wrong with him, but he couldn’t piece it together. That hand, steadying and stabilizing, is what he honed in on. It was a woman’s hand, and as soon as he realized that, a flash of Sloan’s face congealed out of the darkness. He groaned again, but this time, it was out of relief because he recognized her. His heart swelled and burst open. She was here. Beside him. Relief sizzled through his awakening body and mind.
There were voices around him now, soft and low, but he couldn’t make out who it was because his brain was incapable of interpreting what they were saying.
Dan didn’t know how long he lingered in that gray state of semi-consciousness, but at some point, the voices left.
Sloan stood next to Dan’s hospital bed and smiled as he barely opened his eyes. The blue color in them was cloudy, telling her that he was still in a heavily drugged state. “Welcome back,” she whispered, leaning forward, and placing a kiss on his wrinkling brow. To her surprise, she felt his fingers barely move as he tried to squeeze her hand in response. “You’re safe, Dan,” she told him, keeping her words simple and spoken slowly so he could grasp what she was saying. Opening his eyes, he stared up at her.
“Are you in pain, Dan?”
He barely managed to form the word no with his lips, but no sound came out. Her voice wobbled. “You’re going to live, Dan. You’re here with me.”
How badly he wanted to lift his arms and draw them around Sloan’s shoulders. Her brown hair was loose, shining in the light coming through the window. Dan closed his eyes again, feeling exhausted from battling to try and speak or move. Then, the darkness closed in on him once more.
*
“How’s he doing?” Tal asked as Sloan quietly shut the door to Dan’s hospital room. She knew Tal was going to drop by the hospital after work. Tal was dressed in a black wool pantsuit with an orange silk blouse beneath it that brought out her shoulder-length black hair and green eyes. She held a thick briefcase in her left hand.
“He’s emerging from the drug-induced coma,” she offered.
“Can I stay awhile and keep you company? You look whipped.”
Giving a weak shrug, Sloan said, “Thanks, but I want to remain with Dan through this. I don’t want him waking up with someone he doesn’t know. It will be confusing and stressful for him.”
Dr. Dara McKinley walked around the corner. She smiled at them. “Hey, how is Dan doing, Sloan? I thought I’d get off the pede’s floor and come down here to see if you need anything.”
Sloan gave her a grateful look. Since Dan arrived home in Alexandria two days ago, Dara had been a regular fixture in Sloan’s life. She was a pediatrician but had been helpful and someone to talk to about Dan’s condition. “I was going to go to the restroom. He’s in the in-and-out phase of the drug coma.”
Dara leaned over, hugging Tal. Dara was married to Tal’s younger brother, Matt. “What are you doing here, Tal?”
“Just dropped by to see if I could be of help. See how Dan’s coming along.”
Dara gave her a kind look. “You work too hard. You need to get home to Wyatt and get some well-earned rest.”
Tal snorted, giving Dara a wry glance. “And look at the kettle calling the pot black. Right. You’re here more than most other docs. I think you should take your own advice? I’ll bet Matt would love to see you home at a decent hour some night.”
Dara laughed and turned to Sloan, placing a hand on her shoulder. “What about you? What can we do for you?”
Tal rolled her eyes. “Hope you get further with her than I did.”
Sloan grinned tiredly, loving these two no-nonsense women. “Neither of you can afford time off. I’m happy being here with Dan. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
Dara wriggled her arched blonde brows. “Now, that’s new, Sloan.”
Tal smiled faintly, giving Sloan a knowing look. “I think she’s sweet on Dan.”
“Maybe,” Sloan deadpanned.
Dara gave her a kind look. “Ohhhhh…I didn’t realize this.”
“Well, don’t go saying anything to Dan, okay? We’ve been separated for four years, and both of us thought our relationship with one another was over,” she muttered.
“Not by a long shot,” Tal murmured. “Does Dan know it yet?”
“No…I don’t think so. We had a serious talk earlier that same day we got attacked.”