make that call and bust the ass of every medical professional in this building. No one would harm Talyn. Not after everything he’d done for her, and asked for so little in return.
She forced her breathing to calm as she realized how much of Talyn was rubbing off on her.
“Are you all right?” Galene asked.
Felicia forced a smile. “Worried about Talyn.” There was no need to upset his mother any worse. She had enough to deal with.
A tear slid down Galene’s cheek. Brushing it away, she took a sip of coffee. “He’s everything to me, Felicia. All I have in this universe. I couldn’t live if something happened to my baby.” She caught a sob. “Why didn’t he go to med school like I wanted him to? Why?” She broke off into silent sobs again.
Felicia bit her lip to keep from speaking. She wanted to answer that question, but it wasn’t her place. Talyn knew his mother much better than she did. If he’d kept the truth from her, he must have a really good reason.
She sat down beside her. “He’ll be okay, Commander. I know it. He’s too strong a fighter to go down. He won’t do that to us.”
Her lips trembling, she cupped Felicia’s face in her hand. “You are precious. I can see why Talyn chose you.”
“You only say that ’cause you haven’t met me in the morning. I promise, I’m not nice. Rather ferocious.”
Galene laughed. “Like a tiny mia.”
Felicia smiled at the word for mouse. She flashed her fangs at his mother. “Mia with a vicious bite.” At least she was finally discovering she had teeth.
Galene saluted her with the cup. “You’d have to be for my Talyn to love you.”
Uncomfortable, Felicia glanced away. His mother didn’t know she was a paid companion. Galene thought they were dating, and she didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. The last thing she wanted was for his mother to sneer at her like other Andarions did.
Especially given how much Felicia loved him.
She was just finishing her coffee when a nurse came to get them.
His mother took her hand before they followed the female to the private room where Talyn was hooked to monitors. At first, they scared her until she saw how strong his vitals were.
She tightened her hand on his mother’s. “See! I told you he’d be all right. Look at that heart rate, and his oxygen and res levels.”
“But his brain activity is low.”
Felicia studied it. “He’s still in a chemically induced coma. That’s to be expected.”
His mother frowned at her. “You’re from a medical family?”
“I’m in med school. Second year.”
A bright smile lit her beautiful face. “My mother is a leading cardiac specialist and my father’s the royal physician who delivered the tizirani Jullien and Nykyrian. What’s your primary focus?”
“It was pediatrics. But I’m now leaning toward sports medicine.”
“Because of Talyn?”
Felicia nodded. “I’ve already passed my PT certs, and I know he’ll have long-term concerns with what he does during his off-duty hours. I’d like to be able to help him later.”
That seemed to please her.
Galene inclined her head to the small recliner in the corner. “Why don’t you rest while I keep first watch?”
“You sure?”
She nodded. “I’m military and used to sleep dep. And you look like you’re about to fall over.”
Honestly? Felicia was. It’d been a long day, and with finals coming up, she hadn’t been sleeping well. Yawning, she went to the chair.
Galene pulled a spare blanket from the medical supply cabinet and covered her with it.
“Thank you.”
She patted Felicia’s shoulder. “Good night, sweetling.”
As Felicia closed her eyes, she saw Talyn’s mother move to the bed to take his hand into hers. She pressed it against her lips to kiss his knuckles, then held it to her cheek as she whispered desperate prayers for his recovery.
I was so wrong about you. Now she understood why Talyn was devoted to his mother. Why he never spoke ill of her, and had given his hours for her promotion.
He was his mother’s entire world.
Unlike Felicia’s parents with her, Galene didn’t see him as a burden or nuisance. He was her blessing and strength.
That was something Felicia not only understood, but related to. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she glanced back to his bruised face.
Don’t leave us, Talyn.
They both needed him. All her life, she’d felt unwanted and alone. Subpar. But Talyn needed her as much as she needed him. For the first time, she felt like she had a place in this