Finally, he felt he was home.
Chapter 9
CURRENT DAY, 10:00 p.m.
The sound of the alarm on one of the IV machines jerked Langley up straight in his chair, and his eyes flew open. His heart raced from the sudden sound and the lingering effect of his memories.
A nurse came in to check the machine. She flipped off the alarm. “I’ll be hanging another IV bag in a moment.”
Langley rose and stretched, stiff from sitting so long. He studied Trish’s features. She seemed to have a little more color in her cheeks. He ran the backs of his fingers against one, just to be certain it wasn’t the beginnings of a fever. Relieved to find her temperature normal, he stretched and checked the time. He needed to check on his kids.
Zoe Weaver answered the phone on the second ring. His CO’s wife was a strong woman. Even with her bum leg, she just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“We’re fine. I hung out with them, and let them talk about their mom. They’ve all gone to their rooms to lie down now. The girls are together in Jessica’s bed.”
“Is A. J. okay without you?”
“Yeah. Hawk took him home, and they’re piled up in bed together. I wish him luck sleeping with him. He kicks like a mule. A. J., not Hawk.”
Langley chuckled at her attempt at humor so it wouldn’t be wasted.
“Trish is still asleep, still on the ventilator,” he said. “The nurse said they were keeping her sedated to give her body a chance to recover from the trauma, and because it’s easier for her to tolerate the vent.”
“Once she’s awake, it will be her instinct to fight it. They’ll probably decrease her sedation tomorrow and take it out.”
He was grateful for Zoe’s encouragement, but damn if it didn’t make him want to tear up. He swallowed to clear his throat. “I’m going to stay here, if that’s okay.”
“I thought you might. Hawk’s going to come over with A. J. in the morning.”
“Don’t forget to keep the alarm on at night. I don’t know how Clarence could find out where we live, but be on your toes, just in case.”
“I will. I tried to keep the kids from seeing the story on television, but Tad went online and looked it up. He printed the man’s picture out and showed it to the girls and told them to watch out for him.”
Langley shook his head. “You can’t keep them from finding things out. I suppose it is a good idea for the kids to know what he looks like. Don’t worry about it. I can’t begin to thank you enough for staying with them, Zoe.”
“No thanks necessary. The kids are great. And Trish would do the same for me.”
She would. She was the matriarch of the wives in his team, and took the younger ones under her wing. Their group supported each other through pregnancies, illnesses, and emergencies like this one, while the men were deployed, or even when they weren’t.
What would Trish do with the kids if it was him lying there?
“If you could take them to church tomorrow, so they can have something to concentrate on besides waiting to hear from me, it might be good. They can hang with their friends for a while. You don’t have to stay. You can just drop them off and go back and pick them up.”
“I’ve been attending with Trish and the kids lately, and I was going to suggest the same thing.”
At least he was on the right track. “I know Trish has been shouldering a lot of things while I’ve been gone. I appreciate that she has you and the other women for support.”
“You have your team and we have ours.” Zoe’s voice was husky with suppressed emotion. “The others have called to check in.”
“When I know anything more, I’ll call. I promise.” She didn’t say the kids had been asking, though he knew they would be. “You’re welcome to sleep in our bed. The girls can tell you where the clean sheets are.”
“Anna’s given me her bed. She wants to stay close to Jessica. She’s got me all taken care of.”
“Okay, good. As soon as Trish is awake and able to speak, I’ll call the kids.”
“That would be good. They’re hanging in there, but they’re worried. Would you like to speak to them? I can reassure them everything is okay so they’ll relax enough to sleep, but it might help to hear your voice.”
“Yeah. I’ll tell them goodnight.”
Anna and Jessica were a little teary, but they seemed to settle down once he’d reassured them their mom was okay.
He hoped it was the truth. He wouldn’t believe it fully, though, until she opened her eyes and spoke to him.
“Do you think she’s still mad at me, Dad?” Tad asked, anxiety giving his voice a higher pitch.
Every moment of his behavior was probably playing over and over in his mind. A protective rush of sympathy hit Langley. “No. She doesn’t hold on to things like that, Tad. Kids are expected to screw up now and then. If you didn’t, we’d be out of a job. Your mother loves you no matter what.”
“I’m sorry, Dad. You’ll tell her I said that?”
“Yes. I’ll tell her as soon as she’s awake.”
“She’ll be okay, won’t she?”
The doctor had been cautiously optimistic, but there was always a chance something might go sideways. But Trish was tough. “She’s going to be just fine, Tad. I’ll call in the morning when she wakes up.”
“Okay.”
“Help Zoe all you can.”
“She’s good, Dad. She’s like Mom.”
Nobody could be like Trish, but he understood what Tad meant. “You couldn’t sweet talk her into giving you back your X-box controls?”
“I didn’t even try.”
“Good.” He hated that his son was learning a hard lesson in a very tough way, but this would stick with him forever, and make him a better man.
As long as Trish survived.
If anything happened to her… the emotional aftermath would last a lifetime for them all.
Langley said goodnight and ended the call. He turned back to his sleeping, injured wife and wished for the thousandth time that she would open her eyes and speak to him.
Chapter 10
SUNDAY, 1:00 p.m.
Trish floated on her back upon the water, the sky above her velvety dark with a scattering of stars, with a gray, wispy cloud draped around them like a scarf. The water soothed her tight muscles and made her drowsy.
The wake of someone else entering the water moved around her. She knew it had to be Langley. His fingers glided along her forearm, more a caress than just a touch. His voice was louder than she expected.
“Trish, you need to open your eyes. Come on, honey, you’ve slept long enough.”
She obeyed him, but he wasn’t alone, and she wasn’t in the pool. A strange man stood beside him, and a woman. A horrible, claustrophobic feeling attacked her. She tried to swallow and couldn’t. There was something in her throat, choking her. She fought the urge to gag, and couldn’t resist that, either.
Langley leaned over the bed, and she focused on his face. Where was she? She reached for the trach tube, and he caught her hand. “A machine is helping you breathe for a little while. You can’t touch the tube, honey.”
She tugged at her hand, and an alarm on the machine started going off. She struggled against his grip.
“You have to relax, Trish. The machine is breathing for you.”
She didn’t believe it. She couldn’t get the rhythm of it, and she felt like she was choking. Panic set in.
She gripped Langley’s hand, hard, and started to sit up. The doctor placed a hand against her shoulder. The alarm continued to scream, and the doctor’s voice sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher wa-wa-wa-wa-wa.
She had to breathe. She gripped the tube with her free hand and pulled it out. She heaved and coughed as she held her side where something stuck out of it. She folded in on herself in pain.
“Jesus Christ!” Langley exclaimed. He wedged himself in between Trish and the nurse and gathered
her close. “Lean against me, honey. I’ve got you. Just breathe, slow and easy. Slow and easy, Trish.”
She finally captured a rhythm that felt natural to her. She leaned into him and rested her forehead against his shoulder, trembling with reaction. His arms tightened around her.
“Raise the head of the bed.” She heard the doctor’s instructions clearly for the first time. “That was a dangerous thing to do, Trish. You could have damaged your vocal cords, or worse.” He sounded pissed as he pressed a stethoscope against her back. He listened for what seemed forever, moving the stethoscope around from place to place.
“Now if you’ll lean back so I can listen to your chest.”
She felt weak and sore all over, now the adrenaline had leached from her system. She was grateful to Langley when he eased her back against the pillow.
She was finally able to see the doctor’s face. He looked too young to be a physician.
He checked her throat, both with a tongue depressor, and by palpating her neck.
“Get her a cup of water,” he said. The nurse poured some water from a pitcher beside the bed into a plastic cup.
Langley rose from the bed, making room for the nurse. His hands shook visibly as he raked fingers through his hair.
She held the water in her mouth for a moment to wash away the lingering stale, plastic taste before she swallowed. It hurt a little, but was bearable. She looked up to find Langley watching her every move. “I’m all right, Langley.”
She sounded like she had a terrible case of laryngitis, and her chest still ached a little, but she could breathe.
While the doctor listened to her chest, the nurse wrapped a blood pressure cup around her arm and pushed the button to take a reading. The doctor folded the stethoscope around his neck. “You’re moving air well, and have good breath sounds in both lungs. How would you say your pain is from one to ten?”
She assessed how she felt and held up three fingers.
“It may get worse. I’ll prescribe something. And I’m scheduling respiratory therapy. They’ll be here later. You’ll need to exercise your lungs to keep from developing pneumonia, and to encourage healing.”
He explained to her about her surgery, and how the bullet had been left in to prevent causing more damage. The longer he talked, the more tired she got.
When he and the nurse finally left, she wanted very badly to close her eyes and go back to sleep. She took a moment to really study how her body felt. A dull ache hit her every time she drew in a breath, but it was manageable.
Her throat felt dry and sore. And she felt weak, as though she’d run for miles, even though she just woke up. “More water?”
Langley poured some for her and held her propped up a bit, while she guided his hand with the cup to her mouth.
“Are the children okay?” Trish asked when she had enough water.
“They’re fine, Trish. Zoe is staying with them. The girls are having fun playing with A. J., and Tad is toeing the line right now.”
She nodded and relaxed a little more. “Mary Clarence and her children?”
“They’re all fine. You saved Mrs. Clarence and her children’s lives by calling the police. Clarence had tied them up in one of the bedrooms and brought a gas can into the house. They think it was his plan to kill them and set fire to the house.”
“Who told you that?”
“One of the deputies came by to check on you, and was a little talkative when he found out I was military and a SEAL.”
“So you pumped him for information?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I needed to know what happened.”
She paused for a moment and thought back on her interaction with Clarence. “Clarence is psychotic. He accused me of trying to take his wife and children from him. Did they get him?”
“Not yet. But they’re looking for him.” Langley sat on the edge of the bed, grasped her hand, and absently ran his thumb over and over the back of it in a soothing gesture. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His thick, dark hair stood up in disheveled whirls where he’d run his fingers through it.
She reached up and smoothed it in place. His masculine features and pronounced jaw had a homely-handsome appeal that she’d found sexy as hell when they first met. She still did. When she was better, they were going to make up for lost time. They hadn’t made love nearly enough lately. She’d been too distracted by work, the children, and her own exhaustion.
“Do you think you can stay awake long enough to talk to the kids for a minute?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He reached for his cell phone.
“Langley.”
His attention snapped back to her face. “I love you.”
His throat worked as he swallowed, and his eyes glazed with emotion. He reached for her. She went into his arms and pressed in close, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart. Soaked in the touch of his hand as he stroked her hair.
He smelled of sweat and the hospital air, and she didn’t care. Just being close to him was everything.
“I thought we were going to lose you, Trish. The kids were terrified, and I was too.”
“Marshall saved my life.”
“That’s the deputy sheriff?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“We both owe him.”
She nodded. “Clarence was going to kill me. I think when Marshall shot at him, he tripped or something. That’s when the gun went off and he shot me.”
Was she making excuses for the asshole? “There was blood at the scene that wasn’t yours. He didn’t just trip, Trish, he was hit. He would have killed you, just like he planned to kill his family. Deputy Marshall saved your life and theirs by showing up when he did.”
She nodded. “I know he did.” She leaned back against the raised portion of the bed, her side aching. “Call the kids. I need to talk to them.”
Once she reassured the girls she was okay, they were still teary, but relieved. Anna was being brave for her little sister. “We’re all fine, Mom. We even went to church this morning with Zoe and Hawk.”
“That’s wonderful, Anna. I hope you thanked them for taking you.”
“We did.”
“Good. I know I can count on you to be thoughtful like that. I love you, and I’ll be home soon.”
Jessica seemed a little more emotional, but quieted as soon as Trish soothed her. “Thank you for being good for Zoe, sweetheart. And I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed playing with A. J. You’ll be big enough to babysit on your own in a few years. Think you might like that?” she asked.
“I don’t know. It’s pretty exhausting.”
Trish held her hand to her side as laughter threatened. “Yes. Little people have a tendency to be very active. You were once like that yourself.”
Jessica’s, “Gee. Maybe I should apologize,” threatened to trigger laughter again, and she held her breath a moment.
“You were just the way you were supposed to be, Jess. No apology necessary. I need to speak to your brother. Okay?”
“Okay. I love you, Mommy.”
“Love you.”
The phone sounded like it was fumbled, then breathing came on the other end. “Mom?” Tad’s tone was uncertain. “You’re awake?”
“Yeah. I have laryngitis, but I’m okay.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
Had he been worrying about his behavior all this time? “I know you are, honey. You’re going to make everything right with Jessica, and put it all behind you. I know you are. I love you.”
“I love you, too. When will you be home?”
“I don’t know. As soon as the doctor says I can. But I’m better. I’m sure they won’t keep me long.” She glanced in Langley’s direction. “I’m going to send your Dad home to get some rest. He’ll be there in a little while.”
“Okay.”
“I need you to wake the girls in the morning to get ready for school at your regular time. Okay?”
; “Yeah. I can do that.”
“Thank you, Tad. It helps knowing I can depend on you to hold down the fort while we’re away. I’m going to go now because I’m still very tired. I think it’s the medicine they’re giving me. Thank Zoe for me.” She’d talk to Zoe once she was a little stronger.
“I will, Mom.”
She extended the phone to Langley. “You need to go home and rest, Langley. You look really tired.”
He raised his brows. “Geez, Trish. You’ve been awake all of forty minutes, and you’re already directing the troops like a general.”
She smiled. “The kids feel more secure if they stick to their regular routine. It distracts them from the situation.”
“Yeah, I know. I have been known to take care of them now and then. That’s why I asked Zoe to take them to church this morning, so they could hang with their friends and get out of the house.” There was a bite to his tone, his jaw tense.
She bit her lip to keep from smiling. “That was a good idea.”
“Thanks.” He sounded only a little mollified. “You need to rest now you’ve talked to them.”
He was right. Every ounce of energy had drained away again. “I’m turning over command to you, Senior Chief. But you need to rest, too.”
“I will.”
“I think I need to go back to sleep.”
“I’m not surprised. You need to learn to relax a little, Trish.”
“Yeah. I do. I’ve been going full-tilt for months.”
“Don’t you mean for years?” he corrected her.
She nodded. Whose fault was that? Hers? His?
And what was he going to do to help her escape this stress-laden rut she’d fallen into? Resign from the teams?
She wanted to go back to the pool she’d been drifting in before they so rudely interrupted her dream. She wanted to float on that water until she felt better. She closed her eyes with the buoyant warmth in mind. “I’m a little tired.”
Langley swore beneath his breath and shook his head. “I think you need to quit your job, Trish. There are other things you can do with your degree. You could be a guidance counselor at a school, or be a geriatric advocate at a hospital or nursing home.”
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