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When he pulled away from me, I cupped his cheeks in my hands, my gaze lingering on all the cuts and bruises covering him. Yet, despite everything that had happened, he still managed to smile teasingly at me.
“You’re supposed to be in Boston.”
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. “I wasn’t about to leave without knowing you were safe.”
His expression softened then, fatigue showing in every line of his face. “Good. That means I have a little more time with you.”
With the rain still pouring heavily down on us, I leaned forward and kissed him fiercely. I wanted to tell him my secret right then and there, that after two weeks, he was going to see me every day, but I held back until the time felt right.
Pulling away from him, I whispered back. “Yes, you do.”
* * *
David droppedNyla off at my house while I drove Jensen’s Bronco to take him home.
“I want to look at that bump on your head when we get to your house,” I said, pursing my lips at Jensen.
He kept saying he was fine during the entire journey to his house, but head injuries weren’t something to mess around with. He seemed okay, but that didn’t mean he was okay.
We arrived at his place, and he got in the shower while I sorted through his drenched clothes to put them in the washer. Once that was done, I went back to the bedroom and sat on the bed while Jensen finished his shower.
“Was it crazy out there?” I called out.
Jensen scoffed. “It was scary as hell. I’ve been out in rough waters before, but this was different. I don’t want to do it again.”
Steam billowed out of the bathroom into the bedroom, and with it, the smell of Jensen’s soap. I was so glad to have him back. Nyla and I were able to get a flight out tomorrow which meant I had this one night with him. I couldn’t wait to tell him the good news.
Jensen stepped out of the shower, steam billowing around him, obscuring his features. He grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it tightly around his waist before turning to me with a smirk, his eyes crinkling in amusement.
“Are you hungry?” I asked, getting to my feet.
Jensen’s stomach growled in answer and we both laughed. “Do you mind fixing me a sandwich?”
His favorite had always been peanut butter with strawberry jelly. I gave him a quick peck and smiled. “Sure thing. Meet me in the kitchen as soon as you get dressed. There’s something I’ve been dying to tell you.” I knew I couldn’t wait two more weeks to give him the good news.
Once in the kitchen, I grabbed the bread and peanut butter from the pantry and the jelly from the refrigerator. He liked a lot of peanut butter, so I spread a bunch on.
“What do you want to drink?” I hollered, raising my voice so he could hear me. But there was no answer except for a loud thud that reverberated through my body like an earthquake. “Jensen?” I shouted, fear gripping my heart. “Are you okay?”
No response came, so I raced down the hall toward his bedroom, only to find him lying unconscious on the floor with blood trickling out of his left ear. I gasped as I knelt beside him, pressing my fingers to his neck to check for a pulse. It was faint but steady.
Relief washed over me, knowing he was still alive, but my mind raced with the fear of the extent of his injuries. He’d hit his head on the boat and with blood coming out of his ear, I knew it was serious. Out of all my years as a neurosurgeon and seeing numerous head trauma cases, it terrified me. Not everyone could be saved.
Quickly, I grabbed my phone and dialed 911, trying to keep my voice steady as I explained the situation to the operator. Then, after giving them the address, I hung up and focused on Jensen, trying to assess what kind of head injury he’d sustained.
Tears streamed down my face as I waited for the ambulance to arrive, whispering words of love and encouragement to Jensen, hoping he could hear me. When the paramedics finally arrived, they rushed him to the hospital, and I followed close behind in the Bronco.
The next few hours were a blur of waiting rooms, doctors, and tests. David and Martha were in the waiting room with me, along with my parents, Nyla, and Seth. It killed me not knowing what was happening, especially since I was a doctor and knew what to look for. I wanted to see the scans and assess the situation for myself. But instead, I stood in agonizing silence until finally, the doctor walked in, wearing his white lab coat and green scrubs underneath. He had an unreadable expression on his face—a look I had perfected over years of delivering bad news. From what I’d heard, his name was Dr. Andres Gamboa, and he was one of the top doctors in his class.
“The good news is that Jensen is stable. The bad news is that he has a severe concussion. We also found a blood clot in his brain,” Dr. Gamboa said in a monotone voice. “We need to perform surgery as soon as possible to remove the clot and relieve the pressure it’s causing.”
My heart ached as I listened to the words, trying to control my emotions. I was a professional, after all, and had seen countless patients in this condition. But this was different. This was Jensen, the man I loved more than anything.
The others in the room were crying now, but I couldn’t. I had to stay strong for Jensen.
“We have the best neurosurgeon available to perform the surgery. She’ll be here as soon as possible,” the doctor continued. “We’ll do everything we can to save him.”
“No,” David exclaimed, the whole room turning to look at him.
