Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
When we burst through the ER entrance, I heard Rhys arguing with the staff.
I followed the sound of his voice and arrived at the same time as two security officers who must have been called to remove him. I held out a hand to them. “I’ll take care of it.”
When I pulled him away from the stretcher Rogue was on, he tried to fight me. “I want to go with him. I need to know what’s going on.”
“We’re taking him into surgery, and we need to go now.” The doctor spoke in a calm voice, but I could tell how serious he was. Grant joined me, and together we held Rhys back as the doctor and nurses wheeled Rogue away.
36
RHYS
I felt Rogue’s pain. My chest ached, and it was hard to pull in a good breath. The world swirled around me, and I had to fight to stay conscious.
I felt Rogue getting further and further from me. I needed to be with him. Would he still be able to sense me? Would he know I was thinking about him?
My grief got the best of me, and sobs made my whole body shake as TJ and Grant pulled me over to a quiet area of the waiting room.
“I… I can’t lose him.”
Someone, maybe Ghost, wrapped a blanket around me. “Keep him warm. I think he’s in shock.”
“Should I get a doctor?” Was that Jacob? Had he come too?
“No,” Grant said. “He’ll be all right.”
Jacob said something about where we could go to wait for news about Rogue.
“I need to be with him now. Why won’t they let me?”
TJ wrapped his arms more tightly around me. “Baby, you can’t be in the operating room. They have to take care of him.”
I knew he was right, but I couldn’t be logical right then, and I couldn’t shake the sense that Rogue would be better off with me by his side.
The next few hours seemed to last forever. Grant and Jacob kept trying to make me drink water and eat. Ghost sat away from us, looking like he wanted to disappear, but for once, that power had been taken away from him. TJ knew exactly what I needed, for him to be there, holding me, never moving from my side, the one thing I couldn’t do for my brother.
Finally, the doctor who’d left with Rogue came into our waiting area. I jumped up. “Is Rogue out of surgery? Is he okay?”
“He is out of surgery, and we were able to repair the major damage. The bullet hit a rib, and fragments of bone pierced his lung.”
“Is he going to be okay?”
He should make a complete recovery, but it’s going to take time.
“That’s… You’re sure?”
“I can’t make promises, but there is nothing evident that would prevent him from recovering.”
Only one person could see him at a time, so I sat by Rogue’s side, waiting for him to wake up. My wait went on and on, long past the time he was expected to regain consciousness. Unable to stand it any longer, I signaled the nurse who had checked on him several times. “What’s wrong? He should be awake by now.”
“The time it takes patients to wake up varies. Let’s give him a little more time.”
The next time the nurse checked on Rogue, I saw her frown as she recorded his vitals. A few moments later, the doctor returned.
“What’s wrong? Why isn’t he waking up yet?”
“I’m sorry,” the nurse said. “You’re going to have to leave while we figure that out.”
“No. I want to stay with him.”
“I’m going to take care of your brother,” the doctor assured me. “But you can’t be in here now.”
“Rogue,” I doubted he could hear me, but I had to try. “I’m going to stay close by. I won’t leave.” Another nurse put her arm around me, and I let her lead me out the door. She explained what was going on to everyone else, and my knees buckled as TJ pulled me into his arms. “Come on. We’re going to step outside and get some fresh air.”
“No, I can’t leave.”
“We’ll come get you if we hear anything,” Grant said.
TJ took me into a courtyard, and we sat on a bench.
“Breathe slowly,” he urged.
I tried, but deep breaths seemed impossible.
TJ cupped my face. “It’s okay. Rogue’s going to be okay.”
He couldn’t know that, but I had to believe it. “Promise me you’ll stay here until he’s out of the hospital, however long that is.”
“Baby, what do you mean?”
“You said you have plans now that you’re free, but—”
“My plans are to be here with you.”
I stared at him. “What?”
“Didn’t you know that was why I told my father I wasn’t coming back. I’m not leaving you. Ever.”
“You… you want to stay at the ranch?”
“Yes, because it’s where you are.”
“But you hate being there.”