SEAL's Embrace - Makenna Jameison Page 0,14

nodding at his team leader. They jogged off toward the general’s office, and with each step further away, Grayson knew he was leaving a small piece of his heart behind.

Chapter 4

Hailey blinked in surprise when she woke up, staring at the bright lights above her. Her head hurt and her ribs throbbed, and she realized that she was in a hospital room. There was an IV in her arm, some sort of bandage wrapped around her ribs, and probably stitches in her forehead, judging from the way her skin felt tight and uncomfortable.

“How are you feeling, Ms. Fletcher?” a military nurse asked in a no-nonsense tone, walking over to her with her chart in hand.

Hailey looked over at the woman in scrubs. “My forehead hurts. And my side.” She looked down, realizing she was in a hospital gown. When had they changed her out of her clothes? She barely remembered anything that had happened tonight, aside from Grayson.

Grayson.

Somehow he’d found her in that building. He’d picked her up and carried her out of there like she weighed nothing at all. With the fire and smoke around them, she’d been terrified. Dazed from hitting her head, in pain from however she’d fallen and hurt her ribs. He hadn’t even seemed concerned—he’d just kicked her door aside and gotten them out. Then carried her the entire way out of the building.

“You needed ten stitches for your head wound, and you also fractured three ribs. We already did x-rays to check for additional broken bones. You’ve been here sleeping for several hours. What do you remember?”

“Not much about what happened,” Hailey admitted. “I’d just gone back to my room and was changing when I heard something crash outside. Then there was a loud explosion. The next thing I remember, Grayson was picking me up and carrying me out of my room. I don’t even know how he found me. He’d come running to search my building.”

“He brought you to the medics and gave them a brief rundown of your condition. You’re very lucky that he found you as quickly as he did. They’re still searching the building for the injured right now.”

“What’s going to happen?” she asked, wincing as she moved slightly.

“You’re being sent home,” the nurse said.

“Home?” Hailey asked, blinking at her in surprise.

“Medevac’d out. With your fractured ribs, you’ll need several weeks to recover. You won’t be able to sit at a desk and continue to work. It sounds like your year-long assignment is almost up anyway, and they’ve decided to send you home early.”

“Oh. Wow.” Conflicting thoughts danced through her mind. She was in so much pain at the moment, she knew she couldn’t concentrate on work even if she wanted to. And she was thrilled to get to go home and see her family and friends again. She’d have to stay with her parents temporarily since her things were in storage and she no longer had an apartment in Arlington, but she’d be moving out to California soon anyway. Now she could actually spend a little time at home first, and then maybe have more time to get settled out in San Diego before she started her new position.

“Will I go through Germany?” she asked. Hopefully they’d wait a day or two to transfer her. Grayson had said he’d come by tomorrow, and she wanted to see him, to thank him for saving her life.

“Yes, you’ll be flown out later in the morning with some of the others. The most severe were already medevac’s out.”

“In the morning? But I won’t be able to say goodbye to anyone.”

The nurse smiled sadly. “I’m sorry. A lot of patients are being moved out quickly because of the bombing. No one can live in your building right now, and there were a large number of injuries. It’ll be better for you to recover at home. You don’t need a lengthy hospital stay, but you do need your rest.”

“Of course,” she said. “I understand. Can I call a friend of mine on base? Is she allowed to visit?”

“Yes, you can have a visitor,” the nurse said, looking at the door. People were rushing by in the hallway, and Hailey wondered if there were a lot more victims of the bombing that were coming in.

“Okay,” Hailey said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I’ll call my friend Kim.” The nurse nodded, checking some of her vitals. Hailey’s heart suddenly began to pound as she thought about her friend. They lived in the same building. What if