Hot Pursuit - Denise A. Agnew [40]
“Had to?” she asked cautiously.
“A few years back a medic friend of mine trained me in a technique. I had to reach in his wound and pinch the nick in the artery to keep him from bleeding out.”
“You saved his life.”
Vic shook his head and tightened his hold on her hand. “Nah. The paramedics and doctor’s saved him. I just made him last long enough for them to get to him.”
If Lucy hadn’t already known she loved Vic, this would have assured her that she did. Far more quickly than she ever imagined she could. His modesty wasn’t false. She saw it in his eyes. He didn’t see what the big deal was, or even if he did, he wouldn’t think of bragging on himself. His just-the-facts-ma’am face told it all.
She swallowed hard. “The nurse said she’d let me know how he is, but since I’m not family….” She shrugged.
Vic smoothed his fingers over hers, tightening his grip. His big hand was warm and strong, and she wanted to wrap him up, keep him safe forever. “Maybe we’ll get to see him.”
“You’d stay here to find out how he is?”
“Sure.” Vic’s eyes darkened with more emotions, some which flicked by so fast she couldn’t identify them. “He’ll be in surgery for a while. If his parents get here tonight, they’ll need someone to let them know what happened.”
Oh, Victor Moore. Could you say another thing to make me fall for you even harder?
“This place is small potatoes to you, isn’t it?” She gestured with one hand. “Battlefield first aid. Lying in a hospital. You’ve been in war zones. You were just in a hospital recovering from your leg wound and here you are again.”
She remembered the scar showing that he’d healed, but just barely. Her concern had been that some of their sexual escapades would hurt him. He’d told her that if he hadn’t already been a day away from coming back from a tour, his type of wound wouldn’t have warranted enough to send him back.
“Yeah, this war zone is pretty tame. But I won’t be here too much longer. Someday soon I’ll return to the sandbox, and it it’ll be war all over again.”
Her heart panged. “Did you have to remind me?”
Before he could say anything else, the doctor came in. All smiles, the young doctor had a great bedside manner and pronounced Vic in great health.
“Doc,” Vic said. “What about Mendoza? He’s in surgery, right?”
The doctor nodded. “Yep. He’ll be in there awhile. By the way. Damn fine work you did on him out there. Without you the man would have died. No doubt about it.”
Vic brushed aside the doctor’s praise with a smile and thanks. Vic signed release papers, and within a few moments he’d pulled on a set of scrubs. His sweater and jeans had been so blood stained they probably weren’t salvageable. He gathered his coat, hat and gloves. Her stomach jumped, the thought of having the wherewithal to help someone like Vic had overwhelming her. Admiration welled up inside her. More than ever, she couldn’t ignore her feelings for him—they’d grown as big as the room.
They returned to the room where their friends waited. There were handshakes all around, relief clear on everyone’s faces. When Lucy told them she’d stay here with Vic and wait for word on Danny, they all understood. They left shortly afterwards to return home.
By this time it was getting late. Vic slipped his arm around her waist and before she knew it, they stood in the waiting room with their arms around each other. She sighed. Yeah, this felt good. Way good. Then she thought about Danny, so busted up, messed up, and wondered where the man she’d known through emails had gone.
Lucy woke with a start. Her tailbone ached from the unforgiving chair in the emergency room. She glanced around, realized Vic wasn’t next to her and sat up straight. A sterile-looking metal clock on the wall across from her said one in the morning.
She yawned, stretched and shifted to her left cheek in