CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
"How is she?" She stirred, Logan? No, Veronica, Logan is on an aircraft carrier in the Gulf remember?
"Should we step out into the hall?"
"I'm not leaving." Sounded just as stubborn and defiant as Logan.
"She was very lucky." Veronica chuckled to herself. Why did doctors always say that? Lucky would mean not getting shot, right?
She started to drift off when she heard her dream Logan ask, "what about the baby?" Veronica tried to focus, tried to stay awake, but her body insisted on falling asleep.
When she woke the room was dark except for the shaft of light from the open door. It cut a path across her bed and the man sitting next to her. Dressed in his green flight suit, he was slumped in the chair. He looked worse than she felt, haggard and worn out and in need of sleep, but he was awake. His bloodshot gaze was focused on her face and in the second she opened her eyes, he leaned forward, "Veronica?"
"Are you real?"
He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, "you scared the…how do you feel? Should I call the doctor?"
"What was his answer?" Confusion darkened his eyes. "When you asked about the baby, what did he say?" Veronica felt her throat close as the panic choked her.
"She's fine. They said…Dick." Logan closed his eyes and turned his face away from her. He rested his forehead against her stomach. His body shook and she could feel each of his ragged breaths as he tried to compose himself. Still unable to look at her, he continued, "Dick was able to tell the paramedics you were pregnant. They said it made the difference."
He didn't need to add made the difference on whether the baby survived or not. Veronica buried her fingers in his hair and cupped the back of his head. "I'm sorry Logan; please don't be mad at me."
He placed a gentle kiss on her belly and lifted his head to look at her, "I'm not mad Veronica, I'm terrified. I can't stop thinking about how close I came to losing you, both of you."
She placed her palm against his cheek. She'd wanted to touch him for months and now, "how are you here?"
He sighed, "we're back to that? Are you going to forget this conversation too?"
"We've had others?"
"Not really conversations, more like you look at me and say, nope still dreaming, then go back to sleep." He gave her a shaky smile, "nice to know I'm a regular feature in your dreams." Logan lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers.
"Maybe I should pinch you just to be sure?"
"You're supposed to pinch yourself."
"Well, that would be dumb, I know I'm here. My question is, how are you here?"
"Family emergency leave and a serious amount of money paying for transport, but you're worth it." His fingertips grazed her lips, trailed along her face and tucked an errant strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Your XO must love you."
"I am pretty loveable." Veronica became aware of his hands. He kept reaching out to touch her, reassuring himself that she was here. She laced her fingers through his and squeezed.
"Is Dick okay?"
"He didn't get shot," he blanched at the word, "if that's what you're asking."
"When he came running up the beach…did he see the shooter?"
He flinched like her question caused him physical pain. "Veronica," her name was a plea for her to stop. "I just can't…" He bowed his head. Veronica tried to reach for him with her free hand. Pain exploded through her shoulder and she fell back against the pillows. His head jerked up, "what's wrong?"
"Nothing," she bit her bottom lip.
"Veronica you're whiter than the sheets. Let me call the doctor and they will give you something."
"No! The baby…"
"Will be fine." His hand slid under her hospital gown and molded itself around the curve of her belly. Veronica's breath caught and it had nothing to do with the pain and everything to do with the look on his face, stunned amazement. It was beautiful. He met her gaze, "I love you Veronica."
"I love you."
A sexy, half smile lifted the corner of his mouth, "can you say that again?" She complied. "One more time, please." Veronica did as he asked. He moved his hand away and she felt bereft at the loss of contact. Logan leaned forward, pressed their mouths together and whispered against her lips, "you can fight me on this, but you won't win." He pushed the nurse call button.
The nurse came prepared with a painkiller, like they'd rehearsed this scene a few times. "Relax Miss Mars. It's a low dose and it won't have any affect on your baby." She checked her vitals, asked if she needed anything, and then left the room with the assurance that she would be back to check on her in a little while.
"You should go home and get some sleep."
"Not going to happen."
She glanced down at the bed, "I could slide over and make some room for you here with me."
"Tempting, but I believe that's frowned upon in this establishment, something about rules." Veronica reached over and pinched his arm. "Hey."
"When you started talking about rules, I needed to be sure. My Logan wouldn't let some pesky rules keep him from my bed."
"Hmm, that's why you're the smart one in this relationship." Gingerly he moved her over and slid in next to her.
"You're still too far away," She snuggled closer.
"Uh, Veronica, if you keep wiggling your cute little ass against me, it's going to take more than morphine to, uh, relieve my discomfort."
She fell asleep with a smug smile on her face and woke hours later still nestled in his arms. From his deep, even breathing she could tell he was still sleeping and she loathed waking him, "Logan?" A soft 'mmm.' "Logan?" His eyes popped open. "Don't panic, I'm okay, I'm just hungry." A slow smile.
"Good thing I brought food." At the sound of her dad's voice, Logan rolled out of bed like they were caught teenagers. "Behold, the curative powers of chicken noodle soup." Keith pulled the plastic container from the bag with a flourish.
"I hope for your sake there's more in that bag than soup."
He peered into the bag, "nope that's it. Wait, what's this?" A chicken pot pie with a golden crust was added to her bedside tray, along with a fresh fruit salad and a berry smoothie. "The food is actually courtesy of Richard."
Veronica smiled, "that explains the size of the pie."
"I think he meant for you to share it with Logan, honey."
"I'll consider it."
"Word on the street is there's a certain gentleman caller who won't leave your room?" Logan had that look, the look, the one that said a sarcastic retort was on its way, but instead he just gave her father a sheepish grin and shrugged. "I brought you a change of clothes son, thought you might want to use Veronica's shower."
"Uh, thanks Mr. Mars."
"It's Keith."
Logan took the proffered bag of clothes, "thanks Keith." He hesitated. Veronica knew his reluctance to go was not wanting to leave her. Logan brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. "I'll leave the door open."
She gave him her most reassuring smile, but it still took him a long time to walk the twelve feet to the bathroom. True to his word, he left the door open. "That might be a problem."
Keith nodded, "maybe I should mention the giant hamster ball to him?"
"Don't do that, he might not realize you're joking."
"Who's joking?"
Veronica scowled, "maybe it's not such a great idea for the two of you to get along- I'll never be able to leave the house."
"I hear you can do everything on the Internet these days."
"I'm okay." She tried the reassuring smile again with about the same measure of success. "Dad, how did Logan know?"
"Richard called me and I called Dottie." Keith squeezed her hand, "I felt he needed to be here. It was the right decision."
"Thank you."
"You never have to thank me for doing what's best for you, that's my job. I don't care how old you are."
"I love you too."
Keith kissed the top of her head, "there are other people outside waiting to see you." He stood to go, hesitated, and frowned at her, "maybe I should just wait until Logan is back."
"Not you too." Veronica sighed, "I'll be fine. Logan left the door open, I have the call button." She held it up for him to see. Keith remained firmly fixed in his spot by the door. "What? It's not like I can go anywhere." She waved toward the monitors and wires. "I'm hooked up like Frankenstein's monster."
He relented, "I'll be back."
"Your Schwarzenegger needs a little work," she called after Keith's retreating back.
The door barely closed and Mac was pushing it open. "I knew you were desperate for Logan to come home, but really, you couldn't come up with a better plan?"
"I'm sorry, did someone say my name?" A freshly showered and shaved Logan reemerged from the bathroom momentarily distracting Veronica.
She smiled at him and then turned back to Mac, "what no flowers?"
"I brought something better, reading material." Mac held up the redrope expansion file, which was stretched to capacity. The complete case file.
There was a gleam in Veronica's eyes, "you're right. That is better."
On her way across the room, Logan intercepted her. "I'll take that, thank you very much." He took the file from Mac's hands and put it on the windowsill, far out of Veronica's reach.
Before she could complain, Dick strolled in. Mac glared at him, "only two visitors at a time."
"What like it's the ark?" Dick ogled her, "does that mean it's up to us to repopulate the planet?" Mac rolled her eyes. "Hey Ronnie, how's two percent?"
It took no time at all for the comment to register with Logan; a cocky smile spread across his face. At Veronica's baleful stare, the smile widened.
Dick caught their exchange, "see? He gets it."
"Oh, he's going to get it all right."
"Ah, I think the point of this conversation is that I already got it –multiple times, if memory serves."
"Nice, dude." Dick held up his hand and the two of them high fived.
Veronica's grin faded and a pensive expression stole across her face. She titled her head and studied Dick.
Logan groaned, "uh-oh that's her, I-rather-be-playing-Nancy-Drew-instead-of-resting, face."
She paid him no attention, "you called my name and started racing up the beach before the first gunshot, did you see the shooter?"
"No, I saw who you were talking to."
Her brows furrowed, "you know…" An image of blood and Marjorie's missing face made Veronica shudder. Logan touched her shoulder and she knew he wanted her to stop, but she couldn't. "You knew Marjorie?"
"She was at my open house beach party." Dick's eyes darted to Mac and he quickly looked away, "she sorta spent the night."
That fit with Philip's assessment of his sister's love life. A constant new man and from the designer labels in her closet, a constant new rich man. Unlike Piz, Dick would've been an ideal candidate. It was also an ideal time for her to either plant the gun or act as a distraction for whoever did. Veronica's gaze wandered to the out-of-reach case file. "I don't suppose any of you saved my notes before Lamb descended on Dick's house?"
"I was a little busy, Ronnie."
A little busy saving you and the baby, Veronica. "You really are my new guardian angel."
"Yeah well I don't really like the job description and the pay sucks so how 'bout you just stay out of trouble?"
Wallace chimed in from the doorway, "that's an excellent idea."
"Hey look who it is, Webster." Dick's relief at the interruption was palatable. It took him a second to realize everyone, except Logan, was frowning at him. "What? Was it something I said?"
Mac shook her head, "I'll be back when there's less testosterone in the room and in the meantime, Dick will let me search through his house for anything Lamb missed." She bent to kiss Veronica goodbye, her face solemn. "I'm really glad you're okay."
"Thanks Mac."
She straightened and turned to Dick, "come on. I'll let you help me search."
Logan watched them leave and turned to Veronica with eyebrows raised; she shrugged her shoulder and winced. His arm moved and his intent was clear. Veronica wrapped her hand around the call button preventing him from using it and turned her attention to Wallace, "hey buddy."
"Hey yourself." He took a seat on the edge of Veronica's bed and nodded toward Logan, "Logan."
"Wallace." It was awkward and strained. She was half tempted to squeeze the call button herself and beg for some more morphine. Logan glanced at her, and then back to Wallace. "I'm really sorry about Piz, man." The double meaning in his apology was clear and the tension in the room eased. "I'll leave you guys alone to talk." Veronica was surprised, but she didn't object. "I won't be far." He leaned over the bed and kissed her.
Once the door closed behind him, Wallace turned to her. "He hasn't left your side since he got here."
"He's worried."
"Like the rest of us. Who would want to shoot you?"
Veronica was about to protest that the shooter wasn't aiming for her and this was about Marjorie when she stopped. The event played through her mind. The blood splashing over her face was obviously from Marjorie's head wound, which meant that if the killer was only interested in Marjorie that first shot was a success. There was no reason for the second shot unless it was meant for her. If she hadn't turned toward Dick…
"What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry Wallace. I'm just really tired. Come back tomorrow?" Her smile was strained, "you can tell me all about your new point guard."
"Sure V, do you need anything?"
"Logan. Can you send Logan back in?"