"What are you doing?" Ruth asked the nurse standing over Harry's hospital bed.
"Taking out the tube," she said simply.
"I was told his lung would collapse without it," she said quickly.
"We've got his lab work back and it looks very unlikely. It's a very small possibility now he's awake," the nurse said continuing to do her job. "Anyway he wants it out."
"That man doesn't know what's good for him," Ruth said under her breath. She knew Harry had heard her because his eyes sparkled as they darted to her face. He wasn't too distracted then, if he could still look at her like that. About a minute later the breathing tube was out.
"Take a slow breath," the nurse advised. Harry did as he was told. "Now another one." Harry did as he was told until five minutes later the nurse left the room with a smile.
"Happy now?" Ruth asked, taking his hand again in hers.
"Much better," Harry said in such a hoarse broken voice she wondered if this was the best thing for him medically. Ruth didn't know what to say to him and the silence was becoming uncomfortable. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want their relationship to go backwards, not after how long it took to get here in the first place.
"Shouldn't you be at work?" Harry asked quietly.
"Probably," she replied quietly. "This was more important."
"How's your house?"
"I don't know," Ruth said. "I haven't been home since…"
"Oh," Harry replied. "Do you need to go? Sort things out?"
"I don't want to leave you," she murmured. "I've been really worried."
"Sorry about that," he said. "Can you…?"
"Can I what?" Ruth asked bluntly as Harry tailed off.
"Can you come here," he said in a whisper. She smiled and leant closer to him, brushing her lips against his. His lips were rough and cracked, and he tasted of hospitals and doctors but nothing had ever been sweeter to her. It was a soft, wonderful kiss. "You should go," he murmured, his breath whispering across her bottom lip. "I know you have things to do."
"Yes I do," she said. "And you are going to focus on getting better okay, nothing more."
"If you insist," he replied with a small smile. "Go, sort this out. I'm sure Dimitri would want to see you."
"Okay." She leant over him and kissed him again, her fingers trailing over his face lightly. "I will be back before the end of the day."
"Bye Ruth," he said as she left his hospital room. As soon as the door closed behind her he closed his eyes. It was exhausting being shot. But he was glad it was him, rather than Ruth lying in this bed.
Just before Ruth went into Thames House she could see a small blue car with tinted windows following her. She knew that the occupant was watching her and felt incredible relief when the door closed on her. It took a while for security to clear her, considering that she no longer worked there but eventually she managed to find her way to a bustling grid. Dimitri waved her over immediately. "Do you want the long story or the short one?" he asked.
"Short."
"It's the Russians," Dimitri said quickly. Ruth sat down and let him continue. Three pictures came up on screen. "This was your tail, and these two were in the car that shot Harry." Ruth nodded. "Callum found out who they are and who they're working for. All three of them have been privately hired by a small company owned by Ilya Gavrik."
Ruth sighed. She'd had enough of these bloody Russians. "So why is Gavrik trying to kill me? Or has he been after Harry the whole time and I've just been paranoid?"
"No, I think they want you. They've been following you ever since the shooting," Dimitri said bringing up some CCTV showing different Russians watching her. "I think they've been looking for an opportunity…"
"To finish what they started," Ruth surmised.
"There's something else too," Dimitri said. He stayed silent but passed her a brown A4 envelope. Ruth opened it and saw a small stack of photographs. And then realised what exactly she was seeing. The Home Secretary meeting up with the Russians who had shot Harry. Who had tried to shoot her. Towers shaking hands with them. She turned the photos over, not wanting to look at his face for longer than necessary.
"What are we going to do?" Dimitri said quietly. Ruth closed her eyes because at present, she had no idea.
Please review! I have this written mostly so it shouldn't be too long for an update.
