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“Teag flew to Bethesda when Jake was at Walter Reed. He stayed with me for weeks. He did my laundry, cooked my meals, made me take walks. He basically did everything to take care of me so I could take care of Jake.” Her voice broke, and she choked on a sob.
Maria swallowed hard. She’d already accepted the fact that she’d misjudged the man, or at least labeled him and shoved him into a box. If he lived, and he had to live, she promised herself she’d open her eyes and her heart to the real Teag. Hopefully, he’d let her.
At the hospital, Maria got her head in the game right away. She stationed a man at Teag’s door to relieve Tank, and then hunted down the charge nurse for a list of every person who was authorized to come and go on the floor, from the doctors to the janitorial staff. Once she was satisfied with that, she took a deep breath, pulled aside the privacy curtain, and stepped into Teag’s room.
Sandy Tate sat in a recliner, sipping the fresh coffee Jake had thoughtfully stopped to purchase on the way up. Her flyaway hair and the rumpled blanket tossed haphazardly over the arm of the chair told Maria that Teag’s mom hadn’t left his side.
Fiona had already settled into place on the opposite side, while Jake leaned against the far wall, his own steaming cup cradled in his hands. Another young woman, with the same dark hair and blue eyes as Teag, curled onto the chair next to Sandy’s.
Sandy’s face lit up when she saw Maria. “I’m so glad you’re here, dear.”
Maria smiled at the warm greeting.
“This is my daughter, Annabelle,” Sandy said.
The young woman gave Maria a tremulous smile. “Sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. Teag’s told me good things about you.”
Surprised, Maria cleared her throat. “How’s he doing?”
Sandy reached out to hold Teag’s still hand. “Stable through the night, which the doctor informs me is a very good thing.”
Maria let out a small sigh of relief. “I’m staying all day today, along with Dan Jennings, who’s just outside the room. If you’d like to step out, maybe grab a shower at the hotel, I won’t leave him.”
Maria watched the hesitation cross Sandy’s face, but the poor woman looked like she could use a break.
“The company rented you both a room, even if you only want to use it to shower and brush your teeth,” Maria added.
“Are you trying to tell me something, young lady,” Sandy joked, her eyes filled with the same teasing sparkle Maria had seen in Teag’s countless times.
Maria couldn’t help but laugh. “Not at all. I just wanted you to know we’re here for you too.”
“Mum, it’s a good idea. You’ve been here all night, and he’s holding his own. Let me get you something real to eat. Then we can clean up and come back in a couple of hours,” Annabelle said, pleading her case.
Sandy stood and gently touched Teag’s forehead. “I suppose I don’t want to scare him when he wakes up. A hot shower sounds lovely. Thank you,” she said, looking at the small group assembled around her son’s bedside.
They exchanged phone numbers, and Maria promised to text with any news from the doctors or any change in Teag’s condition.
When the two women left, Maria folded the blanket and moved the heavy chair away from the bed a few feet. She stood by Teag’s side for a moment, staring down at his still face.
“His color looks better,” Fiona said.
It actually did. The bluish tinge that had rimmed his lips the night before was gone. While his skin was paler than normal, a hint of pink colored his cheeks. A tube still snaked from his nose, wires and cables connected his body to various monitors, and an IV line pumped drugs into his system, but he looked somehow better than he had when she’d last seen him.
The rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully. Maria checked the identification of anyone entering Teag’s room, chatted with Jake and Fiona, who left before dinnertime, and sat quietly with Sandy and Annabelle when they returned looking refreshed.
There was no change in Teag’s condition, but according to the doctor, that was still good news.
Maria asked why he hadn’t woken up yet, and the doctor told her he would when his body was ready. Maria had to accept the answer, but until Teag opened his eyes and threw a snarky comment her way, she couldn’t breathe easily.
When the next shift showed up, Maria reluctantly left the hospital. This time, Sandy promised to call Maria if anything changed.
**
First thing in the morning, Maria checked her phone. No messages. Fluctuating between disappointment and relief, she threw off the covers, took a two-minute shower, twisted her thick, dark hair into a knot, and dressed. Her rotation at the hospital wasn’t until later in the afternoon.
Armed with a bagel in hand and her Glock in its holster, she made her way to Cam’s suite. His hair was still wet from the shower when he opened the door.
Grunting, he pointed at the coffee pot. Maria shook her head and rolled her eyes, then filled two mugs.
