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She only nods before stepping out of the room. The doctor looks at Jack, annoyance taking over for a brief moment before he schools his features. “I assume he’s staying?”
“Yes, he stays,” I firmly reply.
“Okay, well, good news. The bullet went through your upper shoulder cavity without nicking any arteries or causing enough damage to warrant surgery. The bones and joint are untouched, and the muscle and other structures are healthy as well. I have to say, you are one lucky woman. If it had been slightly lower, this would be a different story.”
He comes over with his stethoscope to listen to my heart and lungs. I take a few deep breaths at his instruction, wincing from the burn it causes.
“How long do I have to say here?”
“We’ll keep you tonight for observation, but you should be able to go home with pain meds and a referral for an orthopedic follow up. You’ll most likely need physical therapy to help get full mobility back, but from what I’ve seen, I think you’ll fully recover as long as you take it easy and do exactly what the PTs tell you.”
I close my eyes, a relieved tear spilling. Jack rushes to my side. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head, taking a moment to collect myself. When I open my eyes, I have the biggest smile on my face. Jack seems confused at the turn of emotions.
I take his hand in mine, squeezing so hard it hurts. “We did it. It’s over.”
His eyes fill with understanding, and he leans down to give me a searing kiss. I wrap my good arm around his neck. When he pulls back, there’s so much love and devotion in his eyes it would have knocked me back if I weren’t already lying down.
“No, you did it. I’m so fucking proud of you,” he whispers, his eyes turning glassy.
“I’ll be back in the morning during rounds to check on you before discharge. Try to get some rest,” Doctor Rivers says as he goes for the door.
I’m too caught up in Jack’s eyes to respond, but someone in the hall says, “Oh, excuse me, Doctor.” Addy enters the room as Doctor Rivers leaves after a weird dance of awkwardness at the door. I frown at that. Why is everyone being so weird?
Irene, Charlie, and Andrew are right behind her. Everyone seems anxious to hear what the doctor said.
Jack speaks first. “She can go home tomorrow. He said she’s very lucky the bullet didn’t do more damage.”
I find Charlie’s eyes, smirking before saying, “If it wasn’t for Charlie and that damn sheet pan, who knows what would have happened.”
I look of pure rage overtakes her features. “Damn straight! I wasn’t going to let that fucker shoot you! I’m just sorry he got you at all.”
“I don’t know that you could have picked a worse weapon to take on a man with a gun, but you saved my sister, and for that, I’m grateful. Even though I had it,” Andrew says.
Charlie turns to him with a smug look on her face. “You’re just upset I beat you to it.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Andrew cryptically responds.
His arms cross with his brow furrowed like it truly bothers him that he wasn’t the one to take Christopher down.
Irene comes over and surprises me by leaning over to kiss me on the head. “I’m going home to let you rest. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
Giving a pointed look to the others in the room, I grab her hand before she can leave.
“Thank you for everything, Irene. I wouldn’t be here without you,” I say earnestly.
“Oh, nonsense, child. You didn’t need me to kick his ass.” There’s such pride in her voice. “You did good, kid.”
She gives my hand a tight squeeze before releasing it and nodding goodbye to everyone and going out the door.
Charlie comes forward next. “She’s right. We need to let you rest.” She also places a soft kiss to my head. “I love you, bestie. You better never scare me like that again.”
“I love you, too, and I’ll try not to.” My heart is heavy from everything I’ve put these people through.
Charlie gives lingering looks to Andrew the whole way out of the room. He comes up to me next.
“What’s with you two?” I question Andrew.
