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Chapter 8
My eyes slowly open, and I feel drained. I'm disoriented and don't remember where I am or how I got here. My eyes scan the surroundings. Am I back inside the cave from this morning? The depth would tell me no. I glance over at a bloody Stephanie whose eyes are closed. Is she okay? I make a move to sit up and check on her. Instant pain and dizziness make me groan and fall back. The noise startles her and her eyes open wide.
"Carlos," she breathes, sitting up. "You shouldn't move." She carefully sets my head back on the rolled up blanket. She checks the wound I didn't realize was in my chest. She gives me a small smile.
"You lost a lot of blood, but the bleeding has stopped now. I'm going to clean it up a bit before sewing up the hole," she informs me as she grabs some supplies. She apologizes about being out of anything to numb the pain. I've been in worse situations with less sterile tools. I'm sure I'll be fine with this gorgeous nurse taking care of me. She takes her needle and pierces my skin. I clench my teeth to hold back from making a noise or moving. I can't let her see how much it hurts because I know she will only feel worse. She works quickly for which I am grateful, but the pain doesn't lessen. She finishes by tying it off neatly and placing fresh gauze on my wound. I wonder how much of that she has left. She rifles through her backpack once more before sterilizing her equipment and storing it again. She pulls out her water pouch and a shiny pouch. She dribbles some water into my mouth and then feeds me the freeze dried food. I tried to stop her, but my arms felt too weak to hold up. We sit in silence as we hear the occasional gunshot in the distance.
"Thank you for saving my life again," I tell her sincerely. "I must have gotten hit with a stray bullet." She nods and squeezes my hand.
"I thought I almost lost you from the amount of blood you lost," she whispers, and I wonder if she feels our connection too. What would I do without my personal guardian angel saving me after every bullet? My eyelids feel heavy before I can say anything more. She brushes the hair away from my face as I drift to sleep.
Sleep is uneasy, and I feel sweaty. Tossing and turning awakens me with pain. Stephanie is there to dribble water into my mouth and shh me back to sleep. I don't know how long I sleep for, but I'm in and out. I know I am as safe as I can be in this situation. Stephanie is watching over me, and caring for me in a way I never thought I would need. Finally, I feel rested and my body seems to cool down. I open my eyes slowly and see the natural sunlight filtering into the opening of our hideaway.
"How are you feeling?" She asks, putting a hand to my head. She smiles and looks me in the eyes. "Your fever has gone down." I smile back.
"How long was I out?" I question, I want to sit up, but I know that's not an option right now. She frowns.
"Three days," she replies quietly, studying the ground. Three days? Three days.
"You're body seemed to be fighting off an infection or virus, although neither of your wounds are infected. I was able to feed you two Tylenol pills and water, but you've had little else," she explains. "I've been worried." I feel bad for making her worry. I want to grab her hand and tell her I'll be fine. She hands me some food, and I accept it quickly. I finish eating and realize I need to relieve myself. It has been three days after all.
"Can you help me get outside?" I ask, hating the neediness. I wish my body wouldn't betray me like this, but I have no other choice. I know I can't walk on my own. She nods.
"There hasn't been any gunfire since you were hit," she says. "I think I'll venture out tonight in search of the base we're looking for." My eyes dart to her.
"No," I reply. "You can't go alone." She stops in her movements to pin me with her gaze.
"Then who do you suggest goes with me?" she questions. "You obviously can't go in your condition, and we're running out of supplies. I'm our best bet." Her argument is reasonable but I don't want her to go alone. I couldn't even fathom what I would do if she got hurt. When I don't say anything, she continues helping me up. I'm angered that I have to lean so heavily on her. My legs almost crumple beneath me, but she supports my weight. She takes me to a tree outside, and I lean on it for support. She stands by my side. I shoot her a look, and she turns around. I fumble with my pants but manage alright. After finishing and pulling my pants back up, I grab her arm as she leads me back to the cave. I settle down and she gets me another sip of water. She eyes me cautiously.
"Maybe I should wait until tomorrow night," she says as she takes in my ragged appearance. I nod. Even though I'd hate to admit it, she's probably right. I can barely stand on my own. She sits quietly against the back wall of the cave. I see she braided her hair and cleaned the blood of herself. She leans her head back against the cave and closes her eyes. I can see the dark circles underneath of her eyes. She looks as tired as I feel after my short trip to the bathroom. She sighs before opening her eyes.
"Tell me about yourself," I request so we can both take our minds off where we are and what we're going to do. She looks at me but doesn't protest.
"I'm from Trenton, New Jersey where I was raised by my mother and father. I have an older sister named Valerie who is considered the perfect child," she informs me, "I was the rebel child who jumped off the garage roof trying to fly, who hit Joe Morelli with the Buick, and who hasn't settled down to have a family. Instead I joined the army nurse corps." So she's from Trenton where my second office building is located, and like I thought, she has a fire within her.
"My best friend Mary Lou is already settled down with a husband and kids, and my sister moved to California where she got married and currently has a baby girl," she continues, "I just finished nursing classes I had been taking secretly. Told my boyfriend of three years I had joined the nurse corps, informed my parents, and I packed it up to Fort Sam Houston. I now have more friends: my team. And I think I know who I am now." She stops talking and gives me a look.
"Did you expect any of that?" she questions seeming to be unsure of herself. This woman is the strangest, most wonderful I've ever met. One minute she's on fire, full of spunk, and the next she's unsure and quiet.
"No, but it's nice to hear that you chose your own path rather than follow everyone else's," I reply honestly. She flashes me an award winning smile.
"Now, why don't you tell me about yourself," she suggests, scooting closer to me. I nod.
"Well, my parents live in Newark, New Jersey but I was a troublemaker as a child so they sent me down to Florida to live with my grandparents. I grew up with no real plan, but 9/11 happened. I joined the Army which is where I met many of my business partners and closest brothers. We became Rangers together, and I was appointed the leadership position. Most of them call me Ranger," I start with the basics, "After doing our tours, we went to college thanks to Uncle Sam. Afterwards, I opened up a security business called RangeMan and Bobby is one of my partners. We have three locations and one happens to be in Trenton." I give her a smile and she nods back.
"If you finished your tour, then why are you here now?" I had a feeling she would ask that.
"I never retired or was discharged. I simply go in for missions that are difficult," I explain, "I was called in along with my business partner Lester." She nods and we drift into silence.
AN: Thanks for all the wonderful support and reviews! They keep the muse going. Next chapter will be up next week! Tell me what you thought.
