I looked toward Remy. His jaw tightened but when he saw me looking at him, he gave me a soft, warm, comforting smile.
"You lost a substantial amount of blood," the doctor continued. "You required transfusions and we've kept you sedated the last two days to allow your body time to stabilize."
Damn. Two days.
"She's gonna fully recover?" my dad asked quietly.
"We expect a full recovery." The doctor nodded reassuringly. "She'll have pain for a while and recovery won't be fun, but she's young, healthy and progressing very well."
Relief swept through the room instantly. I closed my eyes briefly. I was alive that was all that mattered.
The doctor looked back toward me. "Your breathing has improved significantly and you're awake following commands now." He smiled gently. "I think we're ready to remove the breathing tube if you're comfortable trying."
Immediate anxiety rushed through me.
Remy noticed.He took my hand "Look at me, baby."
My eyes instantly moved to his.
His thumb stroked slowly across my knuckles. "I'm right here."
I nodded faintly.
The nurse adjusted my bed upward slightly while the doctor put on gloves. "Alright, Gianna, when I tell you, I want you to cough for me okay?"
Panic fluttered in my chest again, but I nodded once more.
"Ready?" he asked.
No. Absolutely not. But I blinked anyway. The nurse steadied my shoulders gently.
"Okay. One…two…three."
The tube slid out and I gagged instantly coughing hard as tears sprang to my eyes.
Remy rubbed my back carefully while I continued coughing weakly trying to catch my breath. "There you go," he soothed softly. "Good job, beautiful."
My throat burned horribly. The nurse handed him a cup with one of those little sponge swabs attached and he helped wet my lips carefully. The small bit of moisture felt heavenly.
"Better?" he asked quietly.
I nodded weakly.
The doctor checked my monitors one last time before smiling. "Your numbers look good. You're doing very well considering everything your body's been through. We'll check back on you shortly." The doctor and nurses left.
I swallowed carefully. Still exhausted, my head dropped back down on the pillow. I closed my eyes, images of that night floating in my head. The sound of the gun going off. The searing heat slamming into my gut. When I opened them again, I saw them speaking in hushed tones. My brows furrowed.
Ronnie looked over at me. "I think we should tell her now. She deserves to know."
Without waiting for permission, she picked up the remote laying on the table next to me and turned the channel. My heart raced when Boss's face appeared on the screen. Ronnie turned the volume up so I could hear…
“...Geneva Avery remains in police custody this afternoon after authorities say she confessed to the fatal assault of her husband, Bishop Avery, and the shooting of local woman Gianna Taylor during a confrontation outside a restaurant earlier this week.”
Images flashed across the screen.
Boss's picture.
Police tape.
