AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He tried to fight back, Sergey. He saved us. What if something happens to him? What if... What if I don’t see him again?”
Sergey shook his head. “It’ll take a lot more than that to kill him, Giselle. He’s a fighter. Don’t worry, he’s going to be fine.”
Just then, the door opened, and the doctor stepped out. “Doctor, how is he?” I rushed out.
The doctor smiled reassuringly.
“Please calm down, Mrs. Vadim. Your husband is in a stable condition now. I reviewed his x-rays and the wound, and I must say, he’s really fortunate. The bullet hit slightly missed his heart. It appears that the bullet’s trajectory was somewhat deflected by the muscle on his chest, which acted as a natural barrier. ”
I didn’t understand most of what the doctor said, but I understood that it meant Nikolai was going to be fine. That was enough to make my heart soar.
“Can I see him?”
The doctor shook his head. “You can, but he’s unconscious now and should wake in a couple of days at most. I’ll keep a close eye on his recovery, Sergey, but based on the current assessment, there is no reason to believe that this will result in any long-term complications. Physical therapy and proper wound care will be necessary to ensure full recovery.
Sergey stretched out his hands and the doctor shook it. “Thank you, doc.”
The doctor acknowledged us with a curt nod and went on his way.
“See?” Sergey said as he turned to me. “What did I say? Nikolai wouldn’t die so easily.”
With a grin and teary eyes, I ran inside the room and stayed by his side. Sergey closed the door behind me, and I knew that was his way of giving us privacy.
The room was hushed, and rays of dusk poured into the room from the windows. He lay on his back, with his arms by his sides, and my hand gently cradled his. I saw his face. It had taken quite the beating, but not enough to mar his handsome features.
His left eye was encircled by a vivid, angry shade of purple. The cheekbone, too, displayed a darkening bruise, extending towards his jawline. Around his nose was a dusky red hue, and there was a tiny bruise extended to his upper lip, making it appear swollen.
Despite that, he still looked beautiful.
Memories of our time spent together sprung up, and I placed a hand on my stomach, sniffling quietly. I lay by his side, determined to stay by his side till he woke up. The minutes turned into hours, and night turned to day.
I had a quick shower and then washed his face, dressing his more minor wounds. Sergey had breakfast sent upstairs to our room. But I wasn’t hungry. I resumed my place by his side. All that mattered to me was Nikolai waking up.
I looked for a distraction to keep my mind occupied while waiting for him. I began by fluffing the pillows under his head and smoothening the rumpled sheets on the bed, careful not to disrupt the drip attached to his arm.
I moved to the dresser and arranged Nikolai’s work ties in a neat row. Then, I went over to the closet and tidied up the few clothes strewn around. Chores were not exactly my forte, but they served as a good diversion.
As I moved gracefully about, I remembered how he passionately protected me yesterday from those men, and how he willingly put himself out there, ready to face the danger. I brushed a lock of hair from his forehead and marveled at his life, waking up to different daily threats and knowing he couldn’t enjoy a single day without watching his back.
I trailed my finger down his jaw and froze when he twitched under my touch. I thought I’d imagined it and went ahead to knit our fingers together. His arm flexed, and then he stirred.
My eyes widened and a happy sob left my lips. He was waking up
Nikolai was waking up.
His lashes fluttered and he groaned. Then, his eyes opened, and he shot from the bed, eyes reddened with fury. That was not a good sign.
Angrily, he ripped the drip out of his arm and struggled to get out of bed. I parted my lips, but no words came out. He put his feet on the ground and gripped the edge of the wooden bed frame to aid his steps.
Finally, I managed to find my voice. “Nikolai...” I called, but he ignored me and kept gripping things for support.
He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, and then pushed himself off with resolve burning in his eyes.
“Nikolai!”
No answer.
“Nikolai, what are you doing? I stood up and went over to his side. I tried to hold him, but he grunted and shrugged me off. “Nikolai, stop. You’re only going to hurt yourself. You’re not strong enough.”
