A strong male voice filled the entire boat. “I need to speak with my son, Dean.”
Riley held out her hand for the communication device. She cleared her raw throat, hoarse from screaming and exhaustion. “This is Dr. Riley Rogers from the Worldwide Care Project. Dean is on the boat, but he’s unconscious. He needs immediate medical care when we arrive.”
Silence met her statement.
“Mr. Matthias?” she asked.
“We’ll be waiting,” he said, before their communication abruptly shut off.
Rodel helped direct her to where they needed to take the boat, but stopped when they both realized that they only needed to follow the flashing lights. They arrived at the dock and hadn’t even stopped before people were jumping onto the boat. Riley stood, as if in a dream.
“Dean’s over here,” someone shouted.
Riley had placed Dean near her on the deck, a pillow under his head and a blanket over him to keep him warm. She’d obsessively checked his pulse every few minutes all night long, just to make sure, although there was no change in his status, good or bad.
“These two need medical attention as well,” someone else shouted.
A blur of faces converged on her while she fought to get closer to Dean. She needed to tell them how many days it had been since he’d been shot, although that detail was a little fuzzy when she tried to think of it. Three days? Maybe four?
Rodel, strapped to a stretcher, was carried past her. He winced in pain, but someone said something to him in Tagalog that obviously helped him relax. They carefully loaded Dean onto a stretcher, and Riley wished he would wince and show some sign of life, but he remained deathly still. She dodged the hands grabbing at her and tried to weave through the crowd to get nearer to him.
“She’s been shot, too,” the medical technician yelled.
Dean’s stretcher lifted, and he was taken from her sight.
Her knees weakened. Someone caught her before she could fall to the deck. “We need another stretcher over here. Female patient. Gunshot grazes on the leg and arm.” A bright light shone into her eyes. “When’s the last time you ate?”
“I need to see Dean.” She fought against their hold. “He was shot three or four days ago. The infection is starting to spread. Start an IV.”
“Dr. Rogers,” a firm voice said, stopping her. She glanced up, surprised to see John, the man who had hired her for Worldwide Care. “We’ll take care of Dean. Please listen to the doctors. You’ve been hurt very badly.”
“I’m fine,” she argued. “I was not shot!”
“You’re in shock,” a woman near her side said. She looked Filipino, but spoke English. “You were shot at least twice. We need to get you to the hospital to get you checked out.”
“But what about Dean? And Rodel?” She sat up in panic. “Rodel was shot in the head at close range. He saved our lives. I have to help save his.”
John’s hand pressed gently on her shoulder until Riley lay down on the stretcher they’d slipped beneath her. “You did save his life. Both of their lives. Now let us save yours. Your family is on their way.”
“We’re going to give you something for the pain,” the woman told her, before Riley felt the prick of a needle in her arm. Warmth spread through her body almost immediately, relaxing her limbs. Riley was carried off the boat under a barrage of camera flashes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
◆◆◆
From her hospital room in Manila, Riley flipped through the television channels, landing on another picture of Dean being carried away on a stretcher. It had been an entire day, and other than hearing that his surgery went well, she was clueless to how he was doing. Manila had a state-of-the-art hospital that was so much better than anything she’d had in her tiny village. When the news station posted her ID picture from Worldwide Care, she turned the television off. She didn’t understand a word of Tagalog anyway.
She had to see Dean.
The door opened, and her mom and dad walked in with trays of food. They’d flown in the night before and hadn’t wanted to be apart from her for a moment. Which made it difficult to do things like pulling out her IV, unhooking herself from the monitors, and sneaking down the hallway to the intensive care unit.
Not that she hadn’t been relieved to see her parents at her bedside when she woke up in the hospital. She hadn’t seen them in six months—the longest she’d ever gone without seeing them. Emails and phone calls weren’t the same.
Even now, her mom’s eyes watered when they landed on Riley. “I brought you some snacks.” She held up a bottle of Diet Coke and a small plastic bag of Oreos. Riley’s favorites.
Riley took the soda, but her stomach churned at the thought of eating. She had to see Dean and make sure he was okay before she could relax. Or at least see his chart. She’d asked a hundred times, but no one seemed willing to accommodate her.
Riley’s mom perched on the edge of her bed while her dad took the chair in the corner. The Matthias family had flown her parents in on a private jet. Her brother had been unable to fly to Boston in time to make the private flight, but she’d since been able to talk to him on the phone and assured him he didn’t need to come. She was okay. Mostly, anyway.
“How are you feeling?” her mom asked.
Exhaustion and fear from the last few days rushed up to meet her all at once. “Like I was shot twice by terrorists.”
Her mom’s eyes filled with tears, and Riley regretted her glib comment. She could only imagine how terrifying this experience had been for her family. Word of their kidnapping had been all over the news, and no one knew if they’d ever see Riley or Dean again. It was a miracle they’d escaped at all.
“I’m sorry,” she said. She took a bite of cookie as penance and forced herself to swallow. “I’m doing better. I definitely don’t need to be on all these monitors.”
“Let them take care of you, Riley,” her dad said around a mouthful of rice.
Riley frowned. “I’m trying. It’s difficult not to be my own doctor.”
This made Riley’s dad laugh, which was a welcome sound in the gloom. Riley’s mom joined in, and Riley even managed a smile.
“It’s good to see you smile,” her mom said. She slid off the bed and took the chair next to Riley’s dad to eat her lunch. Riley sipped her soda, managing to drink half of it.
When they were finished, her dad stood with the trays. “I’m going to find a place for this and visit the men’s room.”
The door closed behind him, and her mom said, “We stopped by the ICU on our way to the cafeteria.”
Riley’s heart monitor started to beep at the increased rate. “Did you see Dean? How does he look?” Her hands shook so much that she could hardly set her soda on the bedside table.
“We didn’t see him. But his mom says he’s doing well.”
“Were they able to remove the bullet from his shoulder? Is the infection under control?” She wanted to scream with the need to see his chart.
“They were able to remove the bullet. And I didn’t ask about the infection, but I’m sure it’s healing if they’re considering sending him home.”
Or they wanted to send him to an American hospital for the best treatment possible. Her mind raced through all the best hospitals they could send him to. “When is he going home?”
“A week. Maybe.”
“And then what?” Riley pressed.
Her mom reached over and took Riley’s hand in her strong grip. “He’s going to be okay, Riley. The damage was extensive, and his mom said he’ll need months of physical therapy, but he’s going to get through this.”
Riley swung her legs off her bed. “I’m going down there.”
“No.” Her mom rushed over to her side. “Riley. They’re not letting anyone but family in to see him.”
“They’ll let me.”
“Honey, you need to think about yourself right now.” Her mom sighed. “The Matthiases are chartering a flight for us to take you home.”
“As soon as you’re discharged.”
Which could be that night. If Riley were her own doctor, she’d send her home with the instructions to follow up with her primary care doctor. Her vitals were steady and her pain under control. She’d received twenty stitches between her two hands from the cuts she’d sustained while climbing from the window. The two shots—one at the edge of her shoulder, the other on her hip—had both skimmed the skin, leaving wounds that couldn’t be stitched but needed to be watched closely for infection. She’d be a mess of scars once she healed, but at least she was alive.
She had to see Dean before they left.
Through the window near her door, she saw a shifting shadow. The security guard. Dean’s family had hired them to remain outside their rooms to ensure that nothing else happened. It was comforting to see him there. Even so, she didn’t know how long it would be before she could sleep peacefully through the night again.
The door opened and the doctor walked in. “I hear you’re ready to go home,” the doctor said. “I’m fine signing you off for release. How do you feel about it?”
“I’m ready,” Riley said, eager to get out of the room. A plan was starting to form in her mind.
“Okay. Let me finish your paperwork, and we’ll get you out of here.” Riley shook his hand, and he left. A nurse came in several minutes later to remove her IV and monitors. She removed the bandage on Riley’s shoulder and exposed the gunshot wound.
Riley checked it out, pleased with how well it was healing. After applying a fresh bandage, the nurse did the same for her hip and then left.
“Help me get dressed?” Riley asked her mom.
“Sure.” Her mom rifled through the duffel bag she’d brought from home and pulled out some of Riley’s high school clothes. “I wasn’t thinking straight when I packed this.” Her mom laughed and showed her the old cheer sweats she’d brought, causing Riley to laugh too. They had Riley’s high school name running down one leg, and RILEY ROGERS down the other. The T-shirt looked like it had been washed one too many times and prominently displayed their school mascot, the rattlesnake.
Riley shook her head. “I don’t even know if I’ll fit in those anymore.”
“Stop,” her mom said. “Sit up and I’ll help you.” Together they got the clothes on Riley—a little snugger than they used to be, but not bad. “There are reporters everywhere outside the hospital,” she warned. “We might be able to sneak out the back.”
“I’d love that,” Riley said.
Her mom ran a brush through her hair and fashioned it into a French braid. It brought Riley back almost twenty years to when they’d do this nightly to keep her hair from getting tangled.
“You seem different,” her mom said, out of the blue.
“Different how?”
“More at peace.”
Riley turned to look over her shoulder. “I don’t feel that way.” She was worried about Dean and jumped at the smallest noises.
“When you left to come here six months ago, you were broken. And now …” She shrugged and swiped at a tear. “It’s good to see you smile again.”
“Doing Worldwide Care changed me. Made me a better person,” Riley said.
“So you don’t regret it? Even after all of this?” She indicated Riley’s wounds.
Riley paused to think about her answer. She couldn’t imagine her life without the people she’d met over the last six months. They’d given her lessons in compassion and forgiveness, humility and grace. She’d learned that she could be a good doctor under pressure.
And Dean. She couldn’t regret meeting him and getting to know the man behind the magazine, seeing his smile light up his face or feeling the tender touch of his hand across her cheek. “Coming here was the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Her mom watched her closely. “Maybe it was.” She stood and folded Riley’s hospital gown before setting it on the edge of the bed. “I’d like to ask you something personal.”
There’d been a time when her mom wouldn’t have had to ask for permission, but too many years had passed, and they weren’t as close as they’d once been. “Okay.”
“You seem very concerned about Dean Matthias.” Her mom tried to sound casual, but Riley knew her well enough to hear the implied meaning.
Riley’s heart raced. “That’s not a question.”
Her mom gave her an impatient look. “Riley. Your eyes sparkle when you talk about him. The only time I’ve ever seen you like this was when you …” Her words drifted off, and a sad look crossed her mom’s face.
“When I what?” Riley pressed.
“When you got accepted into Harvard for med school. You had an inner glow, a happiness that has dimmed over the last few years.” Her mom blinked back tears, and Riley found her own eyes growing watery. “The glow is back, honey. Every time you talk about Dean.”
Riley didn’t know what to say. All she knew was that she’d never met anyone like Dean. Every time he looked at her, she got lost in him. And the thought of maybe never seeing him again was enough to make her stomach twist into oblivion. “I like him,” she said simply, but the words were too weak. Every part of her longed to run from this room and be at his side. Her cheeks flushed at the memory of his kiss. “I really, really like him.” Still not strong enough.
She looked to her mom for help. Her mom reached out her arms, and Riley returned her hug. “That’s a lot of reallys.”
Riley closed her eyes and immediately pictured Dean. “He’s incredible. And he makes me feel like I’m incredible too.”
“People like that don’t come along very often.” Riley’s mom pulled back—meaning heavy in her eyes—before she hugged Riley tight and whispered in her ear. “I can get you to the intensive care unit, but you’ll have to find a way into his room on your own.”
Riley pulled back, her eyes wide and stinging with tears.
“Do you need a wheelchair?” her mom asked.
“No.” She stood, her legs weak and tired, but excitement propelled her forward. Her mom opened the door, and Riley’s breath stopped at the sight of three armed guards standing outside her room. She hadn’t realized there were so many. Two of the guards followed Riley and her mom, while the other remained at the room. Riley’s mom’s phone beeped, and she pulled it from her pocket.
She took her mom’s arm when they got close to the nurse’s station. “I’d like to see Rodel, too.”
Her mom’s brows furrowed, but she nodded. “Your dad just sent me a text saying that we have thirty minutes before we have to leave to catch the plane. He’s going to pack up your stuff.”
It didn’t give Riley a lot of time, but she had to make sure Rodel was okay. Her doctor had informed her that Rodel’s surgery had gone well also, but his health was poor to begin with, and he’d lost a ton of blood, so healing would be a slow process.
She leaned on the counter and got the nurse’s attention. “I’d like to see Rodel …” Her voice drifted off. She didn’t know his last name.
“Rodel?” The nurse typed a few things into her computer before motioning for them to follow her down the long hall until they arrived at a room with guards posted outside. Riley tentatively knocked before pushing the door open. Rodel’s eyes were closed, but they cracked open at the noise. He smiled when he saw Riley.
“This is Rodel, Mom. He saved my life more than once.”
Her mom walked forward and shook his hand. Riley wished she could talk to him, ask him what had happened, why he’d decided to save them. Instead she took both of his hands in hers and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
He squeezed her hands. She blinked back her tears at the sight of the bandaging wrapped around his head. It was difficult to tell how it was healing or if the hospital had treated it appropriately beneath all of that gauze. But the fact that he was awake and that his coloring was normal were all good signs.
Rodel wouldn’t be running around the rain forest any time soon, but he’d
live to see his family again. Riley sagged against the bed with relief. All night long while she’d driven that boat, she wondered if she’d arrive on shore with two dead men, a vision that continued to haunt her even though everyone was recovering.
Saying goodbye to Rodel was more difficult than she’d anticipated. Her words were locked up in her tight throat, so instead she hugged him and then retreated.
Her mom tugged her into a side hug as they left. “Are you sure you’re up for seeing Dean?”
“Yeah.” She swiped at the tears on her cheeks and stiffened her spine. “Let’s go.”
Her mom led her to a heavily guarded wing in the intensive care unit. Riley recognized Dean’s dad from occasionally seeing him on television. Another man stood with him—Dean’s brother. She recognized him from his picture in the magazine. They both wore rumpled suits and loosened ties, and their eyes had the weariness of people who hadn’t slept in days. She knew exactly how that felt.
Their conversation paused when Riley approached.
She took a deep breath and held out her hand to Dean’s dad. “Hello, I’m Riley.”
He ignored her outstretched hand to pull her into a hug. “They tell me you saved his life.”
“How is he?” she asked.
Mr. Matthias pulled away. “He’s going to be okay.” He said it as though trying to convince himself even more than her.
“Could I see him?”
“That’s not a good idea,” he said regretfully. “He’s been so unwell, and just got out of surgery. We want him to rest.”
“I understand that. But I need to see him.”
Mr. Matthias shook his head. “Leave me your contact info, and I’ll make sure he gets it when we get back to the States.”
Desperation swelled up in her. She wasn’t leaving without seeing Dean.
An older woman rounded the corner, holding two drinks in her hand. She looked enough like Dean to make Riley have to do a double take. “What’s going on?” the woman asked.
“Nothing,” Mr. Matthias said through his teeth. “I’m taking care of it.”
Hearts In Peril (Billionaire Romance) Page 12