Author's Note: The music from Forbidden Friendship song in How to Train Your Dragon was so perfect for the later part of this chapter. The gentle wonder and discovery in the melody is what got me. I hope you listen to it-you'll know what part of the chapter I'm talking about if you hear the music. If this was a movie, that's the song I'd want for this scene. :)
The room spun. Trudy was crying. She could see the doctor's mouth move, but she couldn't hear what he said. Bleeding. Transfusion. Brain infection and swelling. Pete grabbed her arm and plopped her in a chair.
The neurosurgeon squatted before her. His voice sounded tingy. "Mrs. Port, he's tolerating this amazingly well. Things were worse than we thought when we got in there, but he's young and strong. He's on aggressive antibiotics, and he should wake up from the anesthesia soon. We're monitoring him closely. He's stable, we just want to give a one-pint transfusion to keep him in tip-top shape because of the infection. He'd be able to handle the blood loss fine otherwise. Some families like to know where the blood is coming from, and this isn't an emergency, so that's why I'm offering if one of you want to donate. He's AB positive, so practically anyone can donate to him." He looked at all of them.
"I'm A," Trudy said.
"I'm B," Pete offered.
"I'm B positive too," she said, her voice shaky.
He asked several questions to rule out any problems with donating. Trudy was on medication that ruled her out. Pete looked at her.
"May I?" she asked.
Pete nodded. "I can be backup."
"You're certain there's no chance of pregnancy?" the doctor asked as he led her down the hall.
"No."
"Are you certain? This wouldn't be safe during pregnancy."
She was about to burn for another lie. "No. Between my car accident and his health problems, there's been abstinence." Her face felt warm.
He didn't seem to question the legitimacy of their farce marriage. "Alright. Here is the lab. They'll do a fingerstick to check iron levels and everything first. I'll be by to check on him when he wakes up." He started to go.
"Doctor?"
He turned.
Her lip quivered and she held out a hand.
His eyes grew misty, and he clasped her hand. "It's gonna be okay." Then he left.
She walked into Jason's new room a few minutes later to see Pete pacing and Trudy sitting in a chair near the foot of the bed. He laid in a bed with the unburned side of his face up but turned away from the door. The strong, steady beating of his heart echoed in the room.
"The nurse said he asked for his burn to be covered after surgery," Pete said. "He woke up for a moment but fell back asleep almost instantly."
She set down her coat and purse in a chair, her eyes not leaving Jason. The morning sun shined through the window. Taking slow steps toward him, her heart beat fast. The short hospital gown sleeves left his arms bare for her to see for the first time. His fingers were long and elegant, with chisled veins leading up to well-defined forearms with a sprinkling of dark hair, and large biceps. His shoulders strained the hospital gown and melted up to a sprinkling of chest hair peeking up over the top and then into a strong neck. Then her eyes glided up to his face, her heart beating slow and steady. She took a deep breath, ready to see the man she loved.
A square jawline, with a hint of a five o'clock shadow, molded so perfectly to match his strong, calm personality. A thin upper lip and full lower lip whispered to be kissed. Long, black lashes rested on high cheekbones. A toned muscle line from his cheekbone to chin spoke of dimples during a smile. His straight nose led up to a strong brow, with a perfectly deepset eye under a black eyebrow. His black hair, just long enough to have a slight wave, beckoned her fingers to run through it. No woman could argue he didn't look like a hearthrob from this side.
Her fingers glided down the side of his face, learning the contours and marveling at the smoothness of his skin. Even the light scratch of his stubble was wonderful. She slowly sat on the edge of the bed, drinking in every line that had been hidden these past weeks. This was the man who had stolen her heart, and he was more beautiful than she'd imagined. Because she'd first seen his heart.
Gently cupping his face to turn the surgical site up so it wouldn't swell, the soft cotton bandages covered the entire other side of his face. They stretched from high into his hair, down the middle of his forehead, around his nose, over part of his lips, to his neck, and disappeared under the hospital gown. Less than a half inch of warped, shiny lips peeked out from under the bandage. His lower lip pulled down slightly too much, as if taught, scarred skin tugged it. Downturned lips would explain his difficulty with drinking. But they still looked perfect.
He stirred slightly and sighed. His throat convulsed as he swallowed. She let go of the right side of his face but gently stroked his left cheek with the back of her knuckles. His eyelid slowly fluttered and fought to open. Then his gorgeous blue eye opened and focused on her.
"Hi, Jason," she whispered, her smile reflecting the love in her heart.