Torin (Hope City #9) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,65

barely registered as she nodded then dropped her attention back to Torin. “How is he?”

“And you are?”

“Erin. His… fiancée.”

“Erin, I’m so sorry. It looks like both of you had a difficult time today.”

Her gaze moved from the nurse down to Torin, her words sounding almost trite. A difficult time. Difficult. A bomb goes off… so many injured… some died. Difficult? But the warm eyes of the nurse gave evidence that she was sincere in her sympathy. Nodding, she spoke on an exhalation. “Yes.”

“We’ve had the news on, and of course, the hospital is overflowing.” She looked down toward Erin’s blood-covered shirt and bandaged legs. “You were seen in the ER?”

Repeating her actions and reply, she nodded. “Yes.”

“Would you like me to find a gown for you to change into—”

“No!” Seeing the nurse’s head jerk, she softened her tone. “Um… I have someone bringing clean clothes.” The lie fell easily off her lips. Looking back at Torin, she clung to the bed rail. “Please… tell me. I’m a nurse.”

“Oh, well, then you’ll understand how lucky he is. He came in with a complete fracture of the tibia. I also saw on the x-ray that there was fragmentation of both the tibia and fibula. The surgeon used screws and plates to internally realign the bones. He doesn’t have to have the external fixation device, at least as long as the surgeon is satisfied that they are healing properly. And then, there were lacerations all over his back, including his legs. The one on his forehead was the only one that required suturing.”

Erin mentally categorized each of the injuries the nurse efficiently rattled off, nodding occasionally. The nurse pulled the blanket away from his injured leg, giving Erin a first glimpse at what condition it was in.

Thick stitches pulled together the edges of red and swollen skin from his knee to his ankle. She blew out a slow breath, feeling lightheaded and nauseous at the same time.

“I’m Sally. I’ll be his nurse for the rest of my shift.” She continued to monitor his vital signs, tapping the information into her computer. Glancing back toward Erin, she cocked her head to the side. “Erin, are you all right?”

Emotions clashed together, each warring for supremacy. Nodding once again seemed to be the only response she could muster, and she watched as the nurse moved out of the room after telling her she should get some rest. Slumping into the chair, she reached over and clasped his hand, noting it was much warmer than her ice-cold fingers. Bending further, she lay her head onto the stiff mattress next to their linked hands, words leaving her completely as a single tear slid down her cheek.

Silent minutes ticked by as she tried to calm the quivering deep inside. She felt the cold deep, to her very bones, and if she wasn’t afraid of moving his leg, she would have climbed into the bed with him. Watching him carefully, her gaze shifted to his leg. She looked up at the monitors, her nursing training kicking in and checking to make sure he was fine.

His fingers twitched against hers, causing her gaze to shoot to his face.

He blinked, and she took to her feet, leaning over so that she could see his eyes clearly. “Torin?” He immediately closed his eyes again, and she knew he was still sedated. Pain. He’ll be in pain. She looked over at the patient-controlled analgesia pump that would be set up as soon as he was awake. Letting out a shuddering breath, she couldn’t seem to stop the tumultuous thoughts.

“You’re alive. You’re alive,” she whispered, the two words resounding over in her head as she tried to push away the memory of his broken and bleeding body in her arms. Resting her chin on his arm, she stared at his already so-familiar face. There was a time when I remembered John’s face, too. But now, it was hard to remember what he looked like unless she perused the few pictures they took when they were together. Her gaze roved over Torin, and she thought back to the short time they’d been together. I’ve been with you less than I was with John. The knowledge she could’ve lost him today caused her heart to seize in a painful twinge. Is this what a relationship is? Pleasure followed by pain? Fun followed by destruction? Love followed by heartache?

Another tear slid down her cheek. She wanted to beg him to always live. She wanted to beg him to

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