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NATALIE
The doctor comes in and gets ready to pull out the piece of metal. Tucker suggested I step out of the room, and I’m glad he did. I didn’t want to have to watch and still try to stay strong, so I'm standing in the hallway, waiting to go back in when they’re done.
My eyes catch on a little boy in the next room over. He’s maybe only about four or five, and he’s got bandages all over his arms. The scene just breaks my heart. I wonder if Tucker had to save him and he ended up in the hospital. I guess the scare of Tucker’s injury would be worth it if he was able to save that little boy.
About thirty minutes after I stepped out of the room, the doctor who was hitting on me earlier comes out and tells me I can go back in. He doesn’t even check me out again, and I know it’s because Tucker scared the shit out of him.
He can be so intimidating, but I kind of love how possessive he is. I know I shouldn’t, but it honestly gets me hot when he goes all alpha.
I step back into the room and see that Tucker now has a bandage over his side. Without the metal sticking out of him, I can admire his wide, muscular chest. I walk back over to his bed and sit down next to him. He grabs my hand, giving it a quick squeeze, his dark eyes holding mine captive. So many emotions swirl in his gaze, I’m almost tempted to look away.
“How much longer until I can spring you out of here?” I ask to break the intensity of his look. Any additional emotions right now and I may break completely. Realizing just how dangerous Tucker’s job is has my mind spinning in all sorts of directions.
There are so many scenarios where Tucker’s injuries could’ve been worse. I could be sitting in the waiting room hoping for a miracle instead of sitting next to him while love shines in his eyes. It’s all too much yet entirely not enough.
“They’re putting together the paperwork now. Should be a few minutes.”
I nod my head at him. “There was a little boy over there. Did you save him? Was he in the fire?”
“Yeah, he was. I grabbed him from a closet, and then the floor caved in underneath me. That’s how I got stabbed and he got the burns. One of the nurses said he should be okay, though.”
“That’s good... That’s... good.” I keep my eyes on my lap.
“Nat, look at me.”
“When we get home, Tucker. I can’t do this here,” I whisper. Every emotion I’m feeling is bubbling in my chest. If I try to say anything else, I know it’ll all come spewing out, and a hospital room is not the place or time.
“Okay, love.” He tugs on my hand, a request for me to look at him. He pulls me closer, and I smile as I gently place my lips on his. I am so in love with this man, but it’s going to take me a minute to come to terms with the dangers of his job.
I’m honestly mad at myself for waiting this long to tell him. I should know better after losing my dad so suddenly, yet still, I was afraid to tell him. I guess I just didn’t want anything to change between us. It’s not like I thought he’d run away from me or anything, but we’ve been having so much fun together I felt like saying those words would ruin it. I know my concerns were silly, and sitting on this hospital bed is the push I need to tell him my feelings.
The nurse comes in with the paperwork to let Tucker leave. He signs everything, and I help him out of the bed and into a wheelchair.
He grumbles about not needing it, but when he leans heavily on me in order to get into it, I roll my eyes at him.
“Will you take me to see the kid I brought in?”
“Of course.” I wheel him to the room next to his, where there’s a nurse checking the kiddo’s vitals.
“How’s he doing? I’m the firefighter who brought him in,” Tucker says so she knows why he’d be asking. The nurse nods her head in understanding.
“So far, so good. We’ve got him sedated, so he’ll be out for a while. His little body is under a lot of stress right now and needs to heal. We’ll send him up to the pediatric floor in a bit and get him settled until he’s healed up.”
“Does he have any family at all?”
The nurse gets a pitying look on her face and shakes her head. “No, the social worker on his case came in to make sure he was okay but said he didn’t have any other family.”
“Oh, that’s so sad,” I say quietly. Tucker just nods his head because what else is there to say?
“Can you keep me updated? I’d like to be here for him when he needs someone,” Tucker asks, writing down his cell phone number so the nurse can put it in the file.
“Sure.” The nurse takes Tucker’s number and puts it into the kiddo’s chart.
“I’m ready,” Tucker says, looking back at me. I nod my head and turn him so we can leave the room. We head out of the ER and through the sliding doors.
“Can I leave you here and go get my car? Then I don’t have to roll you all the way out there.”
“Of course.” Tucker smiles at me. Once I’m in my car, I pull into the bay and park. It’s kind of nice being the one to take care of Tucker instead of him taking care of me. He’s always the one making sure I have everything I need, and now I can return the favor.
