Chapter 17

Ana's scream tore through the air and sent Christian to his feet and across the ft. that separated the chair he had dozed off in some 12 hours after she had been attacked and rushed to the hospital.

Ten hours since she had been diagnosed as having a serve concussion, bruised ribs, and possible swelling on the brain and/or spinal column.

Ten hours since he had taken his place beside her so she wouldn't wake alone. "Ana, Baby, you're safe…" he said as he took hold of her hand, running his thumb up and down its side as he tried to call her to him and a nurse ran in.

But Ana kept screaming and as the nurse went to inject a sedative into the IV, Christian leaned over Ana's body and carefully cupped her face with one of his hands: "Look at me, Anastasia. Look. At. Me." he demanded in his Dom voice, and it had its desired effect as she opened her eyes wide and stared into his grey ones. "Come on, Baby, breathe. You're safe now… breathe with me," he said as he started to inhale and exhale slowly, watching as she matched her breathes to his. "That's it. Calm down… you're safe now," he told her as he ran a finger down the undamaged side of her face.

"He hurt me," she whimpered as she tried to focus on his face as well as his voice.

"I know…" he whispered as he slipped onto the edge of the bed while the nurse took vitals. "You're safe now."

"How..?" she asked as she started to look around her blurry surroundings.

"Your friends, Luke and Cassie pulled up just before Taylor and I made it around back. They scared Hyde away.
Luke chased after him and Cassie went in for help.
Taylor and I found you…" he informed her as easily and simply as he could.

She swallowed back tears: "you must have been so scared…"

"Only for you," he admitted as he pushed back her hair. "You've been unconscious for 12 hours," he told her as the nurse went to tell the doctor that she had woken up.

"I knew him," she whispered. "I worked for him in Seattle. I don't understand what he was doing… why…" she shook her head.

"We'll find out. He's in jail now."

Ana forced a smile: "I'm surprised you didn't kill him," she said softly as she held tightly to his hand.

"I was stopped from doing too much damage by your friends," he admitted. "They're here… well most of them. Last I heard Adam got his wife to go home to be with their twins and relieve Cassie. Savannah went with her to check on her daughter. Angie said she'll go later to make whatever you want to eat…"

"Her soup," Ana sighed.

"I'll tell her," he smiled and went to say something as her doctor walked in. "I'll be down the hall. I'm going to make sure they know you're awake. Taylor will be right outside," he said instead as he rose and kissed her forehead: "I'll be back as soon as they let me…"

Damien shook his head: "Dad, I still don't see how I can do this job, not in my condition!"

"Your condition is more in your head than a lack of physical ability," Adam shot back as he watched Damien massage the stump of his ankle: "hell, you helped to save Savannah from that psycho father of hers with a bullet in that stump!"

"It was adrenaline," he hedged.

"You have the skills. You were wearing your blade, not foot last night. You don't think Taylor noticed?"

"Maybe, but do you think Grey did?" Damien wondered.

"Did I notice what?" Christian asked as he approached them with Marc and Angie, who had had caught as they were heading to the cafeteria and Grant, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"This?" Damien muttered as he gestured towards his damaged limb.

Confused for a moment, Christian looked down and then up to Damien's face: "and I would care why?"

"Adam said you offered me a job as a CPO for Ana."

"I did…"

"And this doesn't bother you?"

"Apparently a hell of a lot less than it does you," Christian said, then clarified: "Ana is comfortable with you people. She needs to be comfortable with her CPO. You also have the skill set required."

"Still…"

"Would you look pass the missing foot to hire a man of your skills if it were your wife?" Christian asked.

"I protect what's mine without help," Damien grumbled.

"Well, I need the help. Job's yours if you want it," Christian deferred. "You can discuss it with Ana, if you like."

"She woke up?" Angie asked as Damien squinted his eyes at Christian.

"Yeah, surprised you guys didn't hear her. She was caught in a nightmare. But the doctor's checking her now. "

"Does she remember what happened?" Marc asked.

"Unfortunately."

"Actually, it's good. Means that the head trauma probably isn't as bad as they initially thought."

Christian nodded: "I told her you were here, but I'd like a little time alone with her. Also, Angie, I told her you would make her something she wanted. Ana doesn't eat as a rule and eats hospital food even less."

"it's fine. What did she request?"

"Your soup?"

Angie asked: "I put a batch up in Adam's freezer yesterday, and I'll make some more. Cooking helps keep me calm, so whatever she wants she gets."

"Thank you," Christian said as a nurse came in and March whispered to Angie that he knew something else that would keep her calm. "Think about the job," Christian said to Damien: "you don't want it, fine, but don't try to act like it's me thinking you don't possess the qualifications," he finished before walking out.

"I'm I the only one who finds him to be… well moody?" the Hispanic man asked.

"Aren't we all?" Adam wondered. "Aren't we all?"

Christian rubbed at the back of his neck as he walked down the hall to Ana's hospital room trying to rid himself of the encroaching feeling that something wasn't right. He wasn't sure why he just couldn't shake it. Ana was awake and talking and she remembered what happened to her.
Once she was feeling better they could have their talk- but one thing he was sure of he wasn't going to let her go again.
But even with that, he had a pit in the bottom of his stomach. Something wasn't right…

As he reached the door, he nodded to Taylor who wore a pinched smile on his face: "what's wrong?"

"She's waiting for you Boss…" was all Taylor would say, causing the pit to become a lump in Christian's throat and weight on his chest.
Taking a deep breath, Christian opened the door and walked in, pausing as he took in Ana looking off to the window with tear streaks drying on her cheeks: "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked as he moved across the room and took her into his arms. "Talk to me, Ana. You're scaring me…" he entreated as she buried her head into his shoulder.

"It might be nothing…" was her muffled replied.

Closing his eyes, he moved back slightly to look at her: "what is it?"

"I can't… I can't…"

"You can't what?"

"I can't feel my legs properly Christian…"