Tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t lose him now.“Neil, what else can I do?” she asked frantically.
Her friend lifted his head, putting a hand over Hudson’s. “A little more pressure, please. Hannah, we’re doing it. Ben’s strong. You did good.”
Hadn’t he said that already?
Then Logan arrived, and moments later her father appeared on another ATV. She couldn’t let go of putting pressure onto Ben—she was frozen there—so Will had to pull her off.No, please. I need to help him.She watched Neil help her father, gripping Will’s shirt as they both stood there helplessly. She didn’t loosen her grip until the air ambulance came.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
He couldn’t lifthis head.
And he was thirsty. God, he was thirsty. “Water,” he called, struggling to open his eyes.
“Ben!”
Hannah’s voice pierced through the fog. He blinked, trying to focus.
She leaned over him, and she looked pale. He tried to lift his hand to touch her but couldn’t. “What’s…wrong? You sick too?”
She shook her head. “Ben, you were shot. You’re at the hospital in Bozeman.”
“I forgot.” Hell—no wonder he felt like he’d been run over by a truck. His eyes started to close, but then he remembered and forced them open again, searching her face. “You okay? I tried to stop him.”
Her warm hand gently touched his arm. “You did and got shot again, but you’re going to be all right. We think Owen’s aim was off because he’d been drinking. Otherwise, he would have hit your heart.”
“Lucky me.” She was okay. That was all that mattered.Lids heavy, he let his eyes close, feeling like he was falling. “What happened…to that bastard?”
“He’s in jail, don’t worry. No bail. I’ll tell you more when you’re better. Rest now.”
He felt her kiss his forehead. “Keep Cooper…safe. Never imagined…”
“I know, Ben. We’ve got him. Don’t worry. You get better.”
He let her voice fade out as he slid back into sleep.
When he awoke, his eyelids would only lift half-mast. She was still beside the bed. Her father was next to her, checking his vitals with another doctor he didn’t recognize who was talking about how fortunate they were that the bullets hadn’t hit any bones or major arteries. Hannah nodded as the doctor talked about replenishing his blood and hemoglobin levels and stuff about pumping him full of antibiotics to prevent infection.
“I don’t know what that green stuff was that you packed the wound with, miss, but it helped. He should have been bleeding far more heavily when the air ambulance arrived. Never seen anything like it.”
“Funny, and here I was thinking I should have gone to medical school, after all,” she joked hoarsely. “Except I puked after the air ambulance left. I don’t want to ever see that much blood again.”
“Then it’s probably a good thing you didn’t become a doctor and are helping in other ways,” Hannah’s father said with a short smile before patting her on the arm as he left with the other doctor.
Hannah looked toward the door, a half smile forming on her face.
“Did he just compliment you?” Ben rasped.
She was taking his hand carefully the next moment, since he had tubes there. “I think so. Hell, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the shock making me think so. I thought Neil would be hisnew favorite, because they worked together to stabilize you once my father arrived.”
He grunted. “I take back every bad thing I thought about him.”
Her laugh was shaky, and he made himself squeeze her hand. “Okay…not everything.”
“You focus on getting well. There are a whole bunch of people who need you, Cooper topping the list.” She touched his face with her fingertips. “Ben, I never want to go through that again.”
“Me either.” He couldn’t manage a weak chuckle. God, he’d never been so tired. “Tell Cooper I love him…see him soon.”
“I will.” She brushed her lips against his cheek. “We’re keeping him wrapped up in lots of love, don’t worry.”
