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His eyes dance and his lips curl into a grin. “Honeymoon it is.” Grinding his cock against my core, he dives back in and takes my lips with his. “I prefer it here, anyway.”
ARCHER
“Doctor Tran?”
I’ve kept my vigil by the waiting room door for hours. My eyes on the halls, my ears open to hear every announcement made over the speaker system. I’ve managed to learn Minka’s surgeon’s name, so when the dude stops at the desk across the hall, I’m ready.
I dash to my feet and risk dropping to my ass when my knees wobble from exhaustion, but I slam my way through the door—only for the noise I make to have the doctor startle in alarm.
He’s a small man with pale skin and dark hair. His eyes burn with fatigue, but worst of all, his blue scrubs long ago absorbed crimson blood.
A lot of it.
My stomach heaves as my consciousness processes not just droplets on the fabric, but massive stains. Puddles, like someone threw a water balloon against his torso… filled with Minka’s blood.
It’s been too long since I slept. Or ate. Or knew for sure that my wife was safe. So as my vision swirls black and my head whooshes with nausea, I feel the doctor’s fingers on my arms, and then his hand on the back of my head as he pushes me into a crouch.
“You can’t sit for six hours straight with an empty stomach and then get up to run a marathon, Detective.” Tran crouches with me, but I hear the new chatter in the halls.
The request for a chair.
For a bottle of juice.
For a sandwich, even.
“You can’t do that.”
“Is she out?”I will not pass out. I will not fall. I will not fucking fail when she needs me.
I concentrate on sucking in deep breaths to fill my lungs, but when that makes my head swim more, I slow down and instead study the lines on the scuffed linoleum floors. The speckled look the interior designers were aiming for. The skid marks from shoes, and the track marks from hospital beds being wheeled through the corridors.
Employing every ounce of willpower I possess, I drag my head up and blink to clear the stars from my vision. “Is she okay?”
He nods. Short, sharp, and certain enough to lift a one-ton anvil from my heart. “Doctor Mayet is in post-op now. She’ll be moved into a room in a little while.”
I feel a strong hand loop around my arm and tug me up to stand tall. Glancing to my left, I find Tim guiding me, while Doctor Tran follows on my right, until my ass hits a plastic chair lining the hall and the back of my head rests against the wall.
I study the ceiling and breathe through the pain in my chest.
“She lost a significant amount of blood,” Tran continues gently. “Hypovolemic shock was a concern. Nevertheless, we transfused what she lost and continued with our surgery. Both the coracohumeral and glenohumeral ligaments in Doctor Mayet’s shoulder were torn and required extensive repairs. During which,” he sighs, “her hemarthrosis was exacerbated. We were aware this would happen, however, so we were prepared.”
He pauses, then admits, “We’ve discovered significant markers of joint disease, Detective Malone.”
“What does…” Frowning, I look to my left when Aubree steps out of the waiting room and watches the doctor. Then I look back to Tran. “What does that mean?”
“It means that I suspect this is not the first injury Doctor Mayet has sustained to her shoulder. The damage is extensive and will, in time, present as painful arthritis.”
“She hasn’t… she doesn’t…” I dangle my head and shake it side to side.
“She’s never mentioned shoulder pain before,” Aubree murmurs. “Not to me, anyway.”
“Me either.” Dragging my head up, I search Tran’s eyes. “What else? Did you fix everything?”
He nods. “Significant bruising on her arms and chest, and x-rays indicate dangerous hemarthrosis in her left hip joint. This will be painful for her, Detective, and it’ll limit her range of motion for the next little while. However, rest, ice, and daily infusions of clotting factor will help resolve these issues.”
“I don’t understand half of what you just said.” My head thuds with an ache that makes my eyes water, but I look desperately toward Aubree. “I don’t know what—”
“She’s gonna be sore,” she mutters. Compassionate, she comes to my side and lowers to take my hand in hers. “They’re big scary words, but he just means she’s gonna be swollen until her meds take over.” Then she glances to Tran. “Can we see her?”
