I manage to groan, this time a little louder. The fog in my brain slightly clears. Instead of trying to speak, I focus my attention on that small warm spot in my hand, willing my fingers to bend, curve, anything. I’m here! I want to shout at him. I’m so tired that it surprises me when I feel my fingers move slightly, hugging that warm spot gently to my palm. My entire body sags in relief from the effort.
“It’s going to be okay.”
I manage to blink my eyes briefly. The room is bright, and a blurry image stands off to the side. My head lolls to the other side, the one I know Elias is on, and I soak in the blur of his face, taking comfort in the fact he’s here next to me before I let my eyes close once more. I drift off into a dreamless sleep.
Minutes or maybe hours later, I’m unsure; I open my eyes once more. This time, my vision is clearer.
Noticing I’m awake, Elias makes his way around the bed from where he was standing with my brother. He continually keeps a hand on me at all times, going from my left knee, dragging his fingers along my right knee before settling down with his hand grasping my right one. Once again, I open my eyes, peering up into his devastatingly handsome face.
“Hi,” I say my voice gravelly and dry.
“Hi, baby,” he breathes back almost reverently.
I’m unsure what to say next. Questions bombard me, but our reunion is too precious to ask them right now. Instead, I lay silently, drinking in his features.
“God, I missed you so damn much,” he says, placing his palm tenderly against my cheek. Staring into his eyes, I can see the well of emotions pooling in them, unshed tears barely held back from overflowing. Leaning forward, he presses a chaste kiss against my tender lips, a slight stinging sensation present. Tears fall down my cheeks when he places his forehead against mine.
“I know, Elias. I missed you too.”
“Shh. It’s okay now, I promise you. Don’t cry.” He wipes the tears from my cheeks. A sob breaks free, making present a pain in my chest. I lean forward slightly, clutching my ribs.
“What happened?” I groan. “Last thing I remember I was talking to DJ in the ambulance. Did I pass out?”
DJ steps up to the foot of my bed as he stares down at me with pain in his eyes. “You were bleeding internally. You went into shock and,” he chokes up, swiping his eyes with the heel of his hand, “We almost lost you.”
“But we didn’t,” Elias adds. “You’re going to be fine now.”
They’re both looking at me as if I’m so precious and fragile, and it’s startling being scrutinized so thoroughly. Never in my life have I had one person who cares so deeply, and suddenly, I have two? My heart swells with love for these two men at my side, both who’ve sacrificed hours of sleep and wake to search high and low for me.
“I’ll get the doctor,” DJ says before stepping out of the room. He probably needs a minute to gather himself. I know I haven’t seen my brother in years, but he was never one to cry when we were kids. The fact he’s cried twice in front of me since our reunion tells me he’s probably more than a little uncomfortable right now.
Elias keeps his hand in mine, offering a silent comfort I desperately need but don’t want to ask for. Dr. Jugasek introduces himself when DJ leads him into the room, and he begins briefing me on the various injuries I sustained during my capture.
“You were brought in my ambulance at 0353. After the rescue team found you, you went into shock from internal bleeding. You were unconscious. We rushed you into surgery where we discovered you had a ruptured spleen. It has since been removed.”
Elias gives my hand a gentle squeeze. Always observant, always knowing exactly what I need. I look over into his face as he sits stoically beside me, and I drink in his strength. Never will I get enough of him.
“You have a contusion on this side of her head here,” he points, indicating a spot on the left side of my skull. “You had some swelling in your brain which has since subsided—” I cut him off.
“Wait, you said I was brought in at almost four a.m., what time is it now? What day is it