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“They have run absolutely every test under the sun on her, I have ensured that,” I add. “I suppose I should be grateful I happened to acquire this hospital and employ those top-of-the-line doctors when I did,” I joke, but I can’t bring myself to smile.
“I have had men keeping an eye on the doctors just in case. It seems that they are all more than happy enough with their compensation. They have all been the definition of discrete. Ms. Ivankov’s name is listed on nothing, and the twins are keeping a steady eye on all internet traffic coming in and out of this hospital.”
“Good,” I agree and turn my attention back to Helena again. At least the rise and fall of her chest is steady… but I want her to do it on her own. I keep waiting for her to suddenly wake up and start pulling at the tubes and wires on herself. I keep hoping that one time when I wake up, it’s going to be to her staring over at me.
“They are moving in on the hospital though, boss,” Michael adds as softly as he can. He leans against the small counter and crosses his legs at the ankles. I hate that he brought it up, but I know that I can’t avoid the subject of Nikolai and his men for much longer. Not since I missed the exchange date.
“I can’t say I’m surprised. He likely thinks that I have double-crossed him or that something has gone wrong in some capacity or another.” I glance back at Helena. Technically I didn’t fail, her heart did stop… it just didn’t stay that way. I haven’t been able to come up with a solution to my Volkovich problem. I don’t know how to get us out of this situation without bloodshed.
If I were him, I would likely demand the very same thing.
“The men and I have been stalling, keeping him at bay, but I don’t think that Volkovich will keep playing along for much longer,” Michael says softly. If I asked him to go to war over this, I know he would without question. He’s waiting for me to either put a gun in his hand or give him some other peaceful solution.
I haven’t decided which of the two options is going to be necessary.
I finish my coffee and drop the empty cup in the trash. “Very good,” I offer, and move back to my chair. I sink into it slowly with my back to Michael. “I’ll have orders tonight. Make sure that the men are ready.”
Michael dips his head into a bow. “Of course, I shall check in with any changes.”
“Tell Henry goodnight for me?” I ask as an aside.
Michael nods and excuses himself from the room with a soft click of the door. I reach behind me for the second cup of coffee I know he left and let the heat of it warm my hands. It's a hopeless situation. I can't leave Helena's side until I know what will happen to her. In a strange way, it's almost as if I need her outcome to make my own decision. If she dies, it's already too late. If she survives, I'll have to declare war.
I lean back into the chair and scrub one hand down my face. I push my knuckles against the three days’ worth of stubble on my cheek before sitting forward again. I reach for Helena’s hand and hold it in my own while carefully avoiding the wires attached to her. I rub my thumb against the back of her hand.
“I hope you can feel that,” I say softly. “I’m still here… I’m not going anywhere.”
Is it crazy for me to stay in this room when there is so much I need to do? Such urgent, pressing issues, and yet I cannot, no matter what, force my feet to carry me out of this room.
“I need you to wake up now,” I say with as much softness as before. “Wake up, and I promise that whatever needs to be done to fix this… well… I’ll fix it. I just need you to wake up and stand at my side, Helena.”
Tears threaten me, and I choke them back.
“I need you, Helena.” I bend forward and kiss the back of her hand softly.
It twitches.
Soft, but more than just the shifting of her skin or a reflex response. I stop breathing. I kiss the back of her hand again, and it happens again. Just a small twitch of her fingers. I will kiss every single inch of her right here in this hospital bed if it means that she’s going to wake up and look at me again. I need those stormy eyes on me right this instant.
As I rise and switch hands, I place my coffee on the chair behind me. I clutch her hand and run the other up her forearm. I gently massage and rub her skin, leaving a soft heat to push into her muscles until I reach her shoulder. Her eyelids roll under the tape. I probably shouldn't, but I remove the tape in the hopes that she'll look at me.
A soft wheezing groan leaves her as the monitors on either side of her start to buzz and beep like crazy. She moans in pain again, rolling halfway to her side as she starts to wake up. Her eyes blink a few times, and she finally opens her perfect eyes to blink at me in wide-eyed panic for a moment. Her free hand reaches up to pull at the tube in her mouth and I quickly move to help her as she splutters and coughs the thing right out of her.
I want to hug her and crush her into my chest. It doesn't feel real. She reaches up to hold my wrist and keep me in place as I cup the side of her pale face. It's about the only movement I believe she can manage. I'm not sure if she remembers the fall, but I hope she doesn't. She does not need to remember any further trauma.
My thumb brushes against her cheekbone, catching the single tear that falls down the side of her face.
A doctor comes into the room and shuts off the beeping monitors. He knows better than the try to move me out of the way as he removes the various pieces of medical equipment. He mutters that since she’s awake, he will come by in a moment to finish up medically. He was likely uncomfortable by the moment that he walked in if I were to judge by how quickly he rushed right back out of the room.
Once we’re alone again, she smiles softly, and leans into my hand. She kisses the inside of my palm softly. I feel like if I move, I’m going to wake myself out of this obvious fever dream. It doesn’t feel like she’s really looking at me, but she has to be. Shemustbe.
“Are you crying? Over me?” she says painfully, her voice hoarse from disuse.
I can’t help but smile. “That’s what you have to say to me?”
She smiles a little bigger and tries to pull me closer. “Tears don’t suit you.”
“I see that a near-death experience hasn’t changed you at all.” It’s teasing, but it’s also the truth. I’m overwhelmingly pleased that she doesn’t seem worse off or have any lasting brain damage.
