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“Of course he did.” Alex wasn’t crying, but her hands were clenched into fists at her sides and her voice shook. “He’d do anything to save an innocent. I told him he should have been a marine, but he insisted he could do more in the political arena.”
“He was always so passionate about what we do. He said he wouldn’t make it as a politician himself, but he could do his part helping me.” Elizabeth took a shaky breath. “H-he’s one of the best men I know.”
The two of them lapsed into silence, both staring so hard at the door to the surgical ward that Elizabeth was a little surprised it didn’t start smoking.
Then Elizabeth’s team joined them in the waiting room. They were all a family. They all cared about James like a brother.
The police came and took everyone’s statements. They wanted everyone down at the station, but no one was willing to leave the hospital until they knew that James would be okay, so the police just took their statements in the waiting room.
Elizabeth wished she could be of more help. The whole thing had happened so fast, she had very little detail to give. Fortunately, there were many witnesses, and the police seemed to have a few suspects already.
The police left. Hours passed. Elizabeth’s back started to complain, but she couldn’t bring herself to get up out of the uncomfortable waiting room chair. She felt frozen in place, unable to move out of her state of stasis until she knew for sure, one way or the other, if James was going to make it.
Finally, after twelve hours, the doctor emerged, heading straight for Alex. He had an excellent poker face. Elizabeth was good at reading people, and she couldn’t make out anything of James’ condition from his doctor’s expression. Alex was stoic. She was tall and athletic with short sandy hair that matched her brother’s and a serious expression etched on her handsome face.
“Shall we talk somewhere more private?”
“No, it’s fine. These people are his family, too. They need to hear whatever you have to say.”
“Very well. We’ve managed to stabilize him. He’s in the ICU now. The next twenty-four hours will be critical, but I believe that there’s a good chance he will make it through. It’ll be a long road ahead with lots of rehab, but I think he can make a full recovery.”
It was a good thing Elizabeth had remained seated, because she was sure her knees would have collapsed in relief. She forced herself to get up, pulling Alex into a hug. The two of them embraced tightly for a moment before pulling apart.
“I’m so sorry, Alex. None of this would have happened if not for me.”
“It’s not your fault. It was the maniac with the gun who pulled the trigger. Come on, let’s go see him.”
Only two visitors were allowed at a time in the ICU. Alex and Elizabeth went in. Elizabeth held back a whimper when she saw James. He was hooked up to so many machines, he looked like he was more machine than man. He was pale under all the tubes, but his heartrate was steady.
They sat on opposite sides of the bed, each holding one of his hands.
“Can he hear us?” Alex asked one of the nurses in a small voice.
“It’s hard to tell, dear. Talk to him anyway. There’s a chance he can hear you, and even if he can’t make out your words, the voice of a loved one is soothing.”
Alex nodded. “Hey, James. It’s me, Alex. You’re in the hospital. You were shot protecting Elizabeth. You were so brave—Elizabeth is fine, thanks to you. You’re pretty banged up, but the doctors think you’ll be alright. I know how strong you are. It’ll be hard, but you can fight through this, I know you can.”
“I’ll be right beside you, James. We all will,” Elizabeth assured him. “The others are all waiting outside for you. They’ll come in and visit once you’re feeling a bit better. I should go. I’ll leave you two. Alex, if there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask. If there is any part of his treatment that his insurance doesn’t cover, you’re to send the bill to me, you understand?”
“Elizabeth, you don’t have to—”
“He got hurt saving my life,” Elizabeth said firmly. “The least I can do is make sure he doesn’t have to pay medical bills for it as well.”
“I—alright. Thank you, Elizabeth.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
Elizabeth had already turned to leave when Alex called her back.
“Elizabeth, wait a moment. There is one thing; I was just wondering whether you’re going to be hiring security after today’s incident?”
“You bet I am. I’m not letting anything like this happen to any of my staff ever again. I’m heading to the police station to check on whether they’ve caught the shooter yet, and after that I’m going to start doing some research into security companies.”
“You know… I’ve been trying to start up my own business as a freelance bodyguard. I’ve got a lot of experience in dealing with both armed and unarmed attackers from my time with the marines. I think I’d be good at it.”
“That’s perfect. You can come and work for me!”
“Wait.” Her hand reached out and took Elizabeth’s arm. “I have to tell you all of it before you agree to take me on.”
