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Exhaling deeply, Marco simply nods and lays back down dejected.
“Thank you, Dr. Richards,” I say.
“Please let me know if you have any more questions before you’re discharged.” He leaves the room and Marco and I stare at each other for a few moments.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. I thought I was going to lose you,” I whisper as I wipe away another rouge tear.
His face softens. “I’m okay. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.” He reaches his hand up slowly and caresses my cheek. I lean into his warmth and breathe in the smell of him.
“What happened?” I ask around the boulder in my throat.
“The fucking asshole who has been destroying my city shot me. I got a call of a burglary alarm at a women’s boutique, and I just knew it was him,” he says through clenched teeth. “He pulled a gun on me and shot me before I could pull my trigger. It all happened so fast. I flew back into a clothing rack after, and I faintly remember hearing Smith tackle him and make the arrest. The next thing I knew I was here.”
“So you lost consciousness?”
“I just sort of blacked out,” he replies. I kiss his forehead before meeting his pained eyes. “Now I just want to get out of here and go home. Is Joe in the waiting room? Maybe he knows where my shit is.”
“He is.” I nod and soften my tone. “And your mom is too.”
“My mom?” He scoffs. “What the hell is she doing here?”
“Joe thinks maybe she heard about it from the media. Who knows, maybe one of the local gossips called her when word spread around town an officer was shot.” He rolls his eyes as he shakes his head. “Do you want to see her?”
“Honestly? Not really. Today has been hard enough.”
“Do you want me to go get Joe?” I ask.
“Yeah, please. Tell my mom I’m fine and I’ll call her tomorrow.”
"Okay," I say as I plant another kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be right back.”
I head back into the waiting room and see an even larger crowd than I remember. They all stand when they see me.
I look around the room and say, “Thank you all so much for being here to support Marco and me. Fortunately, he only has some bruising from the impact and a sprained ankle, but nothing more serious. We all know it could have been so much worse.” I see the nods in the crowd. “He almost lost his shit on the doctor when he told him he had to take three weeks off to recover, so I think he’s going to be just fine.”
I smile as the room erupts in laughter.
I look to Joe to say, “He asked to see you. Something about his stuff being stolen from him.” I grin.
Joe laughs and I turn to everyone else and say, “Thank you again for staying to show your support. We’re being discharged soon so you all don’t have to stick around any longer. I’m sure he’ll be updating you guys later. Again, we really appreciate your support.”
Joe gets up and squeezes me on the shoulder.
“Room 137,” I tell him, and he nods and then walks to the double doors.
I turn to Rosalita. “He told me to tell you he’ll call you tomorrow.”
I see a vulnerability I’ve never seen in her eyes before. “Is he really going to be alright?” she asks quietly.
I nod. “I think he’s a little overwhelmed right now with the gravity of what could have happened, and he’s angry too, but he’s going to be fine. I’ll have him call you tomorrow, I promise.”
“Tell him I love him.”
“Of course, Rosalita.” I nod again. “I’m going to get back in there so we can get him home.”
"Okay," she says softly.
I turn and walk back through the doors. I need to call Jess to update her, so I stay out in the hall by Marco’s room. Before I dial her number, I hear the guys talking.
