Acceptance- Chapter 25

Yes, I am aware that some of the medical protocols in this chapter are not correct, but that is called poetic license. Please don't kill me, it will all work out in the end. Please leave feedback, as I live for it.

Steph's POV

I couldn't let go of Vince's hand, I was so thrilled that he was finally awake. His dark brown eyes didn't leave mine, and he squeezed mine back, but I knew he was in a lot of pain. I called a nurse in and watched intently as she checked his vitals and his IV. I left the room briefly while he was examined to notify his parents that he was awake. I stood just outside his door, and as I was finishing the conversation, Woody came up to me.

I was so excited that I was practically bouncing. " Woody, he just woke up, He just opened his eyes." I grabbed him and hugged him in my excitement. He hugged me back , but he didn't look happy, like I expected him to. He looked a bit worried. " Steph, that's great. But we have a problem. We were just notified that Ranger just left Rangeman and is heading for the hospital . " He looked like he wanted to say something else, but stopped himself. He looked uncertain, and that is not a look I am used to seeing on Rangemen.

Ok, Ranger was coming. I could handle that. But I didn't want him talking to Vince. Not yet. I wasn' t sure how much Vince could talk just yet, and I knew he was in a lot of pain. I wasn't about to let Ranger or anyone else interrupt his recovery. I must have had a panicked look on my face, because Woody said, " Don't worry, Steph. We aren't going to let him harass you or Vince."

Woody's POV

Shit. Ranger was on his way here and Vince had just woken up. Ranger was going to want to see Vince, and we couldn't have that until both Steph and Vince knew what was happening. Or at least as much as we knew. We were going to have to tell them about Ranger's involvement in the situation. Fuck. I was relieved when Bobby and Lester showed up. Bobby hadn't really gotten a whole lot of sleep, but I knew he'd come here as soon as he heard that Vince was awake.

"Hey, Woody. They called that Vince is awake. I'm going to go check on him." Shit. " Wait, man, we have a bigger problem. Ranger is on his way here. He's going to want to talk to Steph and Vince. I don't think she should talk to him until she knows. " Bobby sighed. " Shit." He looked at Steph inside Vince's room, then back at me. " Ok, should probably be the one to tell her." I felt for Bobby but I was glad as shit that I wasn't the one who had to tell her. I would stay with Vince while Lester ran interference with Ranger.

Bobby's POV

Vince looked much better than the last time I'd seen him. He was in a lot of pain, and he had a lot of healing to do, but for the first time I actually believed he would make it. " Hey, man," I said, and clapped his shoulder. He couldn't really talk because of the O2 mask, but he looked happy to see me. " Don't worry about Steph , Vince, I am taking good care of her, just like I promised." He nodded and closed his eyes again. I took a minute to check his IV and glance at his monitors.

"Steph, Come on out here with me for a minute. Woody will stay with Vince," I said, anticipating her reaction. I led her out of the room, down the hall to the familiar little couch and made her sit. Right away she was wary. " Bobby, you guys have all been acting really weird. Is something going on with Vince that I should know about?"

"Not with Vince," I told her. I sat and took her hand. I had to do this pretty quickly. " Sweetie, there is some stuff you need to know. " She was looking at me with such trusting eyes. Shit. "You know that Vince got injured on a Black Ops mission, so there really are no official details about what happened." She nodded. "" I understand that."

" But me and the guys, we have all been in the military a long time, and we know people, so we did get some unofficial information, just, well, you know, even Black Ops guys talk. It turns out that Vince wasn't originally scheduled to go on that mission. Another team was. But at the last minute, the sniper from that other team was deemed unfit to go, and Vince was substituted." She nodded. So far, ok, but this is where it got tough. " We are hearing from our sources that Vince was put in because the general who ran the mission got a call from a former ARMY Ranger who helped him plan it, a guy who owns a security company now. This former Ranger said that the sniper was unfit for duty, and he knew another sniper, named Vince Sonterra, who was really good and could be substituted."

I paused for a minute to let Steph put the pieces together, and I saw it in her eyes the moment she did. She looked puzzled, then her eyes widened. " An ex-Ranger? " She paused another moment, and I could feel the tension in her body. " OUR Ranger? I simply nodded. Her whole body stiffened, and her voice rose, almost hysterical. "Our Ranger is responsible for getting Vince sent on this mission?" I nodded. " The guys and I asked him about it and he didn't confirm or deny."

Steph's POV

I feel like I've been sucker-punched in the gut, all the breath seemed to leave my body. It took me a few seconds to put together what Bobby was saying, but when the force of it hit, me… " Ranger got Vince sent on this mission." Why would he do that? Vince was his friend and his employee, one of his best guys. Bobby's eyes met mine. " He got Vince sent on the mission to get him out of the way so he could come back and have you."

I wanted to scream and cry at the same time. How could Ranger do that? I knew he could be ruthless, but this was unbelievable. He threw me away, then, when I get happy with Vince, he decides he wants me so he has Vince sent away so he can move in and take me? Oh my God. I felt my face get hot and my blood pressure rise. It was bad enough to send him away , but…then it occurred to me- "He shot Vince?" I asked, my voice shaking from surprise and anger.

Bobby looked straight into my eyes. " Honestly, honey, I just don't know. There is no evidence that he shot Vince, just that he sent him on the mission. I have known Ranger for years and I can't imagine him deliberately hurting a friend." I couldn't imagine that either, but who really knew what Ranger was capable of? I wouldn't have though him capable of getting a friend sent on a dangerous mission so that he could move in on a girl, either, but apparently he had. Poor Vince ahd gotten hurt because of me.

I felt weird, an odd combination of angry, hurt, and numb. Ranger had sent the man I love into danger on purpose so that he could move in on me. This after spending five years ignoring my feelings and then tossing me away like a used Kleenex?

Bobby must've recognized the look on my face, because he tried to calm me down. " Sweetie, we don't know what Ranger is capable of, so its best that we not accuse him directly. As he pointed out, if he has that kind of power, then we are smart to be very careful not to piss him off. So don't do anything drastic or rash. Just don't let him convince you to go back to him." I cringed. I wouldn't go back to him for anything. Bobby squeezed my hand. " Sweetie, he's on his way here. Just don't do anything drastic. I'll be right here with you."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the elevator dinged and Ranger stormed off, flanked by Lester and Hal. He passed Vince's room and walked right up to me. I stood stiffly, and Bobby rose next to me. Ranger walked up to me and said, " I hear that Vince is awake." I went to open my mouth to blurt out exactly what I was thinking, but I stopped when Bobby squeezed my hand in warning. " I want to talk to Stephanie, alone," Ranger said, dismissing the guys. Bobby squeezed my hand. " I'm going to go with the nurse to check on Vince. Lester and Hal will be right outside the door. He pegged Ranger with a testosterone laden look. " Just call if you need us."

I stood with Ranger, and neither of us said anything for the longest time. I could see Bobby in Vince's room, talking with a nurse. My anger at Ranger was bubbling up inside me, threatening to overwhelm me. "Babe," he said. " Don't babe, me Ranger. I heard about what you did, having Vince sent off like that so you could move in on me. You didn't want me, but no one else can have me. How could you do that to a friend?" Ranger just stayed quiet and let me yell at him. He was as cool as a cucumber, not even the slightest bit worried about getting found out. " I see the guys have told you their theories."

"Theories? Are they just theories?"

"Well, they have no proof. Since its Black Ops, they never will. Besides, do you honestly think that I have the power to alter a Black Ops mission on a days notice? "

I wasn't sure what kind of power he had. There was always so much about himself that he kept hidden from me. So many things that " I wouldn't want to know. " I have no idea anymore what you would do. At one time I was in love with you, but I don't even recognize you anymore."

His dark eyes locked with mine, taunging, challenging, " If I do have that much power, its probably smart for you to give me what I want." He moved closer, until our bodies were touching, not letting me back away. " And I have decided that I want you."

" Don't come near me. I don't want to talk to you ever again. " I reached up, and as hard as I could, I slapped him across the face. His jaw snapped back, his cheek had a huge red imprint of my hand. His hands fisted and his eyes shot fire. I could tell he was pissed., and trying to keep from smacking me back. Lester and Hal saw me slap him and came running over, afraid he would retaliate against me. They quickly pulled me away , and Lester shoved me behind his back. Ranger gave Lester one of those deadly menacing looks of his, then his snapping eyes looked at me and he smirked.

" I'm going to go visit Vince," he said , as if nothing had happened between us. " Alone." Lester moved closer to me as Ranger stepped past me and went to Vince's room. He spoke with Bobby , Woody, and the nurse, and they let him visit with Vince in private.

Bobby's POV

I left the room when Ranger came in. He had a right to visit Vince since Vince was his employee, and Vince was sleeping anyway, and had an oxygen mask on, so Ranger couldn't talk to him anyway. I went over to Steph, who was now almost shaking with the adrenaline surging through her after her confrontation with Ranger.

Lester said to her, " I can't believe you smacked him. I was aftraid he'd use that as an excuse to smack you back." I put my arm around her shoulders. " Well, I agree with the sentiment. Ranger definitely deserves to be smacked, at the very least. But I hope you didn't just make him angrier and more determined to have you. "

She frowned. " I know I shouldn't have done it, but I couldn't help myself. It just happened. "

We were all gathered in a small circle, trying to calm Steph, keeping her occupied so she wouldn't worry about Ranger visiting Vince. Mr. and Mrs. Sonterra came off the elevator, and we spent a few moments updating them on Vince.

I saw a splash of black go past my eyes, and I noticed Ranger left Vince's room and went right to the elevator. Good. That meant he was going to leave Steph alone for awhile. I could feel the tension starting to leave her body when she saw Ranger get on the elevator.

We spent another moment talking, then I took Steph's arm to lead her back to Vince's room. We had just cleared the corner when the area erupted in noise. "Code blue, ICU." What the fuck? Nurses and equipment raced into Vince's room. I left Steph with Lester and Hal and went racing into Vince's room. No one protested since I had worked here before as part of medic teams.

I was almost deafened by the frantic wailing of the alarm, and the organized, noisy chaos of a code. All eyes were glued to Vince's heart monitor, which registered a flat line. A nurse was doing CPR and a doctor was charging up the defibrillator paddles. I heard, "CLEAR!" and I saw Vince's body jolt as they shocked him. " No change. Asystole. "

As they prepared to shock him again, my eyes fell to a small vial on the floor. I was close enough to recognize it- it was an empty IV vial of potassium, which, when put straight into an IV , can definitely cause cardiac arrest. I watched Vince's body jolt as they shocked him again. Oh, fuck.