Karina slept fitfully, surfacing off and on before finally waking at 6 AM, alone.
The smells of a hospital were unmistakable. Nightmares had tormented her sleep, but awakening to reality was worse. Tears rolled down her face and she was helpless to stop them. Chilled to the bone and feeling like she'd never get warm again, she tried to pull the blankets up higher, but her arm wouldn't work properly. The IV needle in the crook of her elbow was awkward and frustrated her attempts to get comfortable. She wanted it gone and not being able to do anything about it was suddenly the last straw. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks in earnest. She didn't want to be there. She wanted to be back in Brian's house, with everything the way it was before Ian's rampage.
That thought stopped her cold. That's what Ian had wished, to turn time back and have things return to the way they were before. Only that option wasn't available—for any of them. Just as Ian had to live with change, so, too, did she. The past twenty-four hours were now a permanent part of her world.
Where was Brian? Was he okay? What about Ian? Had the police killed him? Please, let them have at least caught him. The alternative would be too awful to think about.
Tired, confused and uncomfortable with pain, the tears rolled faster and faster until she was sobbing uncontrollably.
"There, there. Take it easy, dearie. I know you're hurting. It's time for your shot. I'm going to quickly check you over and make sure everything's okay first." The nurse bustled about and Karina lay acquiescent under her ministrations. "You feel rotten don't you? Well, here's your medication. Just lie back and rest now. Soon, it'll all go away."
It was already going away. The nurse's voice floated in and out of Karina's mind, before finally disappearing completely. Karina gently drifted back to sleep on drug-induced wings.
***
The doctor walked in while Brian sat next to the bed, willing Karina to wake. He placed a firm hand on Brian's shoulder and pointed to Karina, deep in slumber.
"Glad to see her sleeping. But you need the same thing. Rest. You're no good to her like this."
"I was hoping she'd be able to go home today."
"Not happening," the doctor replied, checking Karina's chart.
Brian nodded. "Fine. I'll come back in a couple of hours."
"Do that. I need to tell you that her attacker is coming out of surgery now. He'll survive to pay for his actions."
"Thanks for letting me know. I'm torn between wanting him to be worse off and sorry that it was necessary for him to be hurt at all."
"That's perfectly understandable. Don't feel guilty about it. Just head off and rest, and maybe do something constructive to distract yourself. You've got at least four hours before she wakes up again." With that last bit of advice, the doctor left the room.
Brian wasn't happy about leaving Karina. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity to start removing all traces of Ian's visit, which would help her recover faster. There was no way he was going to let her return to Sandra's house.
With that in mind, he headed to his house to clean up. He'd spend a few hours doing that, then he'd come back to the hospital to watch over her again.
***
Opening her eyes, Karina lay still, taking inventory of just where she was and why. Pale-colored light peeked around faded yellow curtains that hung in the window. The quality of the sunshine made her think it had to be early morning, maybe even dawn. Memories began to flood back, and Karina closed her eyes against the unbelievable rush of pain and vestiges of panic. Shivers wracked her system until the realization that it was all over finally settled in.
A distinctly odd sound came from the other side of the room. Slowly, carefully, she shifted to look.
Brian lay stretched out, slumped half off the visitor's chair, fast asleep. Karina grimaced. He was going to be brutally sore when he woke up, not only from his position but also from his poor face. Just look at it. Her heart went out to him.
He made a snuffling noise in his sleep. One of his hands came up and rubbed his nose before falling back to the arm of the chair.
Even battered and bruised as he was now, he was beautiful. When the nurse came in, Karina was lying quiet in the morning light, her gaze locked on Brian. She watched as the grinning nurse tiptoed around Brian's long legs.
The nurse smiled down at Karina. "That's quite a watchdog you have there, young lady," she whispered conspiratorially.
"Isn't he though?"
"Let's have a look at you." The nurse bustled around, checking Karina's bandages and her blood pressure, taking her temperature and adjusting her new IV. "I'll bring you some fresh water. Are you ready for a glass of juice?"
"Yes, please. Any chance of a coffee?"
"I'll see. Be back in a minute." She tiptoed out of the room.
Karina couldn't help it, she giggled. What kind of watchdog was he anyways?
"I heard that," came a raspy voice from the chair. "I have to admit, it's one of my favorite sounds."
"What is?" she asked.
Slowly he opened his eyes. That deep, magnetic gaze sought hers and smiled.
"Listening to you laugh—that is, if I can't listen to the sounds you make when I touch you." His voice deepened even further.
Heat climbed her throat and warmed her cheeks.
"And I love the fact that I can make you blush." Amused satisfaction tinged his voice as her skin burned even more hotly.
He pulled his large frame up and out of the small chair, and stretched. With a stifled groan, he worked the kinks out of his back and neck before taking the two steps to her bedside. "I'd scoop you up for a big hug but I don't want to hurt you."
She reached her good arm up slowly to accept whatever version of an embrace he'd give. He dropped the bed's side railing and gently lay down beside her, cuddling her close. His kiss warmed her heart and his smile warmed her soul. But his face brought tears to her eyes.
"How are you feeling?"
"Shh. I'm fine."
She stroked his bruised face, her fingertips brushing across the now brightly colored splotches. "Your poor face! He hurt you." Gently, she reached out with her good arm to stroke the split lip and swollen jaw.
Brian covered her hand with his. "I'm fine. I'm not the one lying in a hospital bed. How are you?"
"I'm a little stiff, a little sore, but I'm okay." she said. "Did anyone say when I could go home?"
"It's up to the doctor, but I'm hoping he'll send you home today to finish healing."
"Home sounds good." Her smile faltered as she remembered what had happened the last time in his home. No, home actually didn't sound so good. She anxiously pleated the sheets with unsteady fingers as she muttered, "I want to go back to Sandra's basement suite."
"Out of the question. First, you need care. Second, the cleaners are in the house right now. And third, I think it's important for you to go back and put all your memories where they belong, in your past."
Karina wasn't happy with his reasoning, particularly as he didn't say anything specifically about not wanting her to leave. Unfortunately, he was also right—she had to go back to the house in order to move forward.
But that was later, not right now. Right now she could enjoy being safe in his arms. And try to forget all the parts of her body that were hurting. And there were so many.
"Now isn't that cute. You should have told me and I would've brought two cups of coffee." The nurse was standing behind them, holding both coffee and juice.
"You've been tripping over me all night, so it's not like you didn't know I was here." Brian smiled at the pleasant-faced woman. "Besides, that's probably not much of a coffee if it came from the cafeteria."
"I'll have you know this came specially from the nurses' station and is exceptional coffee. How was I to know that you were awake? You've growled at anyone coming in to look at this poor girl all night, as it is. We were all relieved when you finally fell asleep."
She carefully set the drinks down on the little movable table and swung it closer to Karina. "Are you sure you want to be so close to this bear, Karina? He looks like he needs a couple of pots of coffee before he's safe to live with."
Karina just smiled at the two of them.
"It's all right. I know what he's like to wake up to. Of course, he's usually much more fun than this," she said with a grin.
Brian flushed a ruddy color, right on cue. Karina chuckled, choosing to ignore his glare.
"When can she go home?" he asked.
"Not until the doctor says so. He won't be here for his rounds until ten, so both of you relax. It will still be a little while yet."
She walked out, promising to return with more coffee.
Karina wasn't feeling quite so good anymore. Aches and pains were surfacing everywhere, especially in her swollen feet. They burned as though they were on fire. She moved her legs restlessly, trying to get comfortable.
She thought of the beach outside of Brian's house. Sitting on the sand, smelling the fresh ocean air, watching the waves roll in would be perfect. What she wouldn't give to be able to soak her feet in the cool water. And there were so many other good things about Brian's home. She'd just need a day or two to get over the memories. Put it all behind her. As she healed physically, she could work on her emotional healing as well.
"Are you all right for a few minutes? I want to make a quick trip down the hall."
"I'm fine. You go ahead. "
The nurse walked in with a steaming paper cup just as Brian walked out.
"You mean he actually left you alone? Wow." The nurse smiled down at her in envy.
"He does leave me alone occasionally," Karina smiled. "But it's nice having him around."
"It's a wonderful thing to have someone like that in your life, for sure. Now, do you want to wash up a little? We can't let you have a shower but I can bring some warm water and help you freshen up."
"Thank you. That would be wonderful!" Karina smiled happily at the suggestion.
The nurse bustled about, making her preparations. "We're all talking about your man down at the nurses' station." She looked over at Karina. "We're all jealous, you know. None of us has a man willing to sit protectively over us. It's very romantic."
"He also feels very guilty." Karina said dryly, accepting the bowl and washcloth. Not long after, she felt renewed and refreshed. Thankfully, Brian had brought her a change of clothes including her yoga pants a sleeveless blouse that wouldn't interfere with her bandages.
"How thoughtful of him."
"Isn't it amazing what a little feminine armor can do for you?" The nurse chuckled. "Now you look better. All ready for his return. The clothes will help. The ones you arrived in aren't fit to wear home."
The nurse helped her get dressed, taking advantage of Karina's upright position to check out her wounds. "You look great. You'll definitely be sore for a while but if you don't try to wrestle with anyone else, it should heal fine."
Karina grimaced. "I'll be happy to never wrestle again, especially with a nutcase like Ian."
Brian's hard voice arrived before he did. "You'll never have to deal with him again." He appeared around the closed curtain just as Karina finished dressing. The subject matter twisted his face in anger. "Ian is gone. I watched the police escort him out, myself."
Karina shifted in her bed until she was next to him. A wave of gentleness washed over his face.
"I trust you. I believe in you. I know you will keep me safe," she whispered, reaching out her hand to grasp one of his. She looked directly into his eyes. "I love you."
He bent down, carefully wrapping his arms around her, and gave her a hug. When she whimpered, he immediately loosened his hold. "Sorry," he murmured.
She smiled. "Don't be. I'm fine." Held carefully within his embrace, Karina thought she'd never been closer to anyone in her life. Her heart swelled, because for the first time, she knew what it was to be connected like this to another human being. To be so close in heart, mind and soul, to know how the other thought, when they were hurting and when they needed to be loved.
She could feel Brian convulsively swallowing, obviously choked with emotion. She knew exactly how he felt.
The doctor's arrival shattered the moment.
"Well, it's nice to see you awake, young lady. Sit up on the bed and let me check my handiwork."
Several painful minutes later, the doctor said, "You're a lucky lady, this could have been much worse. The shoulder is going to ache for weeks to come. Under no circumstances are you to rip these. Take it easy for a while. Start using the arm a little bit when it feels better. Other than that, be gentle with yourself. You need time to heal."
He handed her a prescription, saying to Brian, "Take her to her doctor next week or earlier if you're concerned. A nurse will show you how to change the dressing and clean the wounds, which you'll need to do every day. Above all, treat her gently." With that, he left.
A nurse joined them, quickly outlining the steps Brian needed to take for wound care, before leaving the room.
Brian waited for her to stand, holding a sling the nurse had given him.
"No sling." She was adamant.
"No sling," he answered her calmly, "no home."
"That's not fair," she said with a gasp.
"The only reason you are going home now is because I promised the doctor I'd do everything I could to make sure you heal properly and quickly. The sling is part of that." He waited, standing in front of her. "Besides, it makes me feel better."
Her heart softened. "Fine," she said. "But it won't help any."
The one nurse who'd come in to start cleaning up the room smiled, but stayed silent as she walked past them. When they walked down the hall and past the nurse's station, the nurses were grinning at them.
"She looks good in a sling, doesn't she?" Brian commented.
She glared at them all, feeling both embarrassed and pampered. Apparently, that was what love did to a person. By the time they'd made it out to the car, she realized that the stupid thing was helping. That really pissed her off. Disgusted with him, herself and the sling, she shot him a dirty look.
He grinned. "Admit it, it helps, doesn't it?"
She wouldn't deign to answer.
Oh, he loved that. He didn't laugh aloud, but couldn't stop the grin from spreading over his face as he helped her gently into the low-slung car.
"Did you call Susan?"
"Many times. They're coming to the house for a short visit later today."
As he fired the car up and pulled out of the parking lot, he suggested she just close her eyes and sleep.
Still irritated over the sling, she fired back, "I'm not tired."
She was out before they hit the main street.