Chapter 33
Grant
Sound came back to me first. Familiar sounds that threw me back in time to the last time I’d woken up like this. The soft, slow beeps of a heart rate monitor. The overhead announcements in the main halls. Squeaking nurse shoes and rolling carts.
The scent of cleaning and, deeper, the scent of worse things.
I was in a hospital.
Not completely surprising, given my last conscious memory. The surprising part was that I didn’t feel any pain. Whether that was because I was full of pain medication remained to be seen.
Slowly, I opened my eyes. The lids were heavy, and my eyes still felt scratchy from the smoke. There was a window in my line of vision, the sky darkening with evening. Was it still the same day? How much time had I lost?
I took a deeper breath, and it hitched in my chest. The feeling of smoke was still in my lungs, tickling. I coughed, and I heard a soft gasp to my left. “Grant?”
Slowly, I turned my head. Cori was curled in a chair. It was clear she’d been crying. She looked exhausted. There were bandages on her hands and another one peeking out from under her shirt.
She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever fucking seen. “Hey, sweetheart.”
Her face crumpled, and she came straight for me. She lay over me gently, clearly trying to be careful. But I caught her. Pulled her to me. She felt so good.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was watery, speaking through tears. “I didn’t mean anything I said last night. You’re not broken. I would never think that. I love you. If it’s too late, I understand. I just couldn’t let you think that was real. It wasn’t real.”
She was speaking so fast, all the words coming out of her in a rush. “Cori.”
“I couldn’t let them kill you.”
“Cori.” I put a little more power into the word, and she stilled. “Cori, look at me.”
She pulled her face up so I could see her, tears streaking her face. I reached for her, brushing my thumbs over her cheeks to wipe away the tears. “I know. I knew last night. I…” I took a breath and closed my eyes. “I heard you crying after you went inside, and it ripped me apart. After everything, I didn’t want to believe it. But if it had been true, I would have let you go.”
“I know,” she nodded. “I’m glad you didn’t believe me. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I told her. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
Cori took a shuddering breath. “I didn’t know if Jane would get you the information in time.”
“She almost didn’t. I almost lost you. If we’d gotten that email…even minutes later…” I shook my head. “I don’t want to think about that.”
I pulled her face down to mine and kissed her. Kissed her the way I’d wanted to kiss her last night. I wrapped my arms around her carefully, not wanting to aggravate any burns or injuries. “You’re okay?” I asked in between tasting her lips. “You’re not hurt?”
“Only minor. I’ll be fine.”
She tasted like cinnamon, and the way her fingers curled around my shoulders made me ache. I loved this woman so completely, I didn’t have any regrets. “God, I wish we weren’t in a hospital because I need you right now.”
Cori laughed into my lips, kissing me harder. “I don’t think that’s going to happen for a while. You’ll be here for a bit.”
I’d pushed aside any questions about what my prognosis was. If I didn’t know, I could still pretend I was okay. There was a needle in my arm, so I definitely had some medication in my system.
Instead, I just kissed Cori. It was the better option. And there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to kiss her for the rest of my life. Cori was it for me.
The sound of a throat clearing pulled us apart. Dr. Keyes stood in the doorway, smiling knowingly. “Mind if I interrupt?”
I glanced at Cori. If Dr. Keyes was here, then she’d gone through both Cori and the team. They wouldn’t have let her operate on me if there was even a chance that she was dirty. “Of course.”
She saw what I was thinking and smiled. “I’ve cleared the air with your team, and I can do the same with you, if you like.”
Waving a hand, I shook my head. “If they cleared you, I trust them. I’m sure they’ll tell me all about it.”
Cori went to move away, and I caught her arm. She pulled the chair close so she could sit, leaning over the bed to rest her head on my arm.
“Very well. I’m here to see how you’re feeling.”
“Fine,” I said. “Is there a reason that I shouldn’t?”
She looked at me sharply. “Move your toes for me please.”
Sudden terror gripped my stomach. If this didn’t work, my whole life would be different. I wiggled my toes, and they moved. No lag. Relief was so swift and acute that I got chills.
“Now, carefully bend your knees.”
I slowly bent one knee and then the other. They both felt completely normal.
Dr. Keyes smiled. “That looks good. I was able to fully visualize the shrapnel, and looking at the immediate scans, it’s all gone. We’ll obviously keep checking after things settle a bit, but I’m confident you’ll make a full recovery.”
My head fell back on the pillows. It was one thing to wonder if it could be real, and another thing entirely to have it be real. I didn’t even know how to react.
“It was just in time. Whatever you did, if that shard had moved any more, this would have been a different conversation we’re having.”
“I’m glad it’s not.”
Cori wove her fingers through mine and held on tight. I was so happy that she was here, and that we weren’t going to separate. No part of me wanted that. If anything, I wanted her closer in every part of my life.
“We’re going to keep you for a few days to monitor the surgery site, but the recovery on this shouldn’t be too bad. You’ll have some pain for a while, and will need physical therapy. I don’t want you doing any heavy lifting for a few months. But I expect that your mobility will improve quickly.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Truly.”
“You’re welcome. If you need me, my phone is always on. But the doctors here have been briefed on your care. As has Dr. Peak.” She smiled again. “I’ll get out of your hair and let you visit. You have some more people who are waiting to see you.”
“Thank you,” Cori said as the doctor was walking away. She turned her face farther into my arm. “I suppose I have to share you now.”
“Just for a little while. Promise.”
Daniel knocked on the doorframe. “Ready to be overwhelmed?”
I laughed, and it turned into a cough with the smoke shit still in my lungs. “Better get it over with.”
His face transformed into a grin, and as soon as he waved his hand, the room flooded with people. Every member of the team, plus Lena, Grace, and Evelyn. There were a lot of people in here, but they were all smiles and a mixture of nerves.
I looked at them. “Looks like I’m in the clear.”
The cheers were deafening.
“That’s such good fucking news, man.” Liam reached out and shook my hand. Everyone was happy, and I could barely keep up with all of their congratulations and relief. There were so many that they started to wash over me.
The whole time, Cori just leaned against my arm. She drew circles with her fingers over my hand, quiet.
Lena came over to her and touched her on the shoulder. “Are you going home?”
“No,” Cori said quietly. “I’ll stay.”
I didn’t think Cori could see the way that Lena smiled—full of genuine happiness, but also longing. “All right. I’ll check in with you both tomorrow,” she said.
“I’ll do the same.” Daniel pointed at me. “If you need anything, I expect you to call.”
“I will.”