I panicked. I could hear monitors racing in the room.
John’s voice intruded again, “Andie-girl, can you hear me? Calm down! Are you in pain?”
Then Uncle Lon’s voice, “John, I’m going to get the doctor.”
“Andie, please…Andie-girl, can you hear me?” John’s voice again.
I struggled, and managed to open my eyelids enough to see flashes of light and John’s face over me. I moved my mouth, but nothing but garbled sounds came out. I opened my eyes further, and realized I was back in the hospital, at Dr. Lane’s clinic. John reached to pull the oxygen from my face.
“Where’s Banton?” I pleaded, beginning to cry. I realized, I hadn’t dreamed the vision of my husband covered in blood. “Is he all right, where is he?”
“Shhh, he’s alright. He is in the room next door, Dr. Lane just stitched him up. He’ll be in here soon.
“Is Constance,” I swallowed hard, trying to banish the extreme dryness choking my throat. “Is she all right…The Orco bit her!” I cried out, finding my lungs.
“Dr. Renault is working on her now. She’s lost a lot of blood as you have, but he said he’s giving her a transfusion. He gave you one right when you got here. He can’t give you the good drugs he gave her,” he smiled crookedly at me. “She’s ‘Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds’ right about now.”
“What happened to Banton?”
John sat back down in the chair beside the bed. “He flew at the Orcos holding you, and managed to kill one of them Aldon-style. The other one picked up an empty magazine clip and stabbed him in the chest with it. It missed anything major, Doc’s sewing him up right now. Everett finished him off, and those two made twenty-two total bodies the Aldon cleaned up out of your yard and in your house…Clean, and the van gone before the police arrived. Evidently, some of the neighbors heard the gunfire down the street, but it all happened so fast. The police were chasing door to door reports of gunfire, and were searching around the cemetery the last we saw,” he chuckled.
“I remember thinking Everett was hurt, did I dream that?” I asked as he leaned over to get me a glass of water off the nightstand. I gulped it down and relaxed my head back down into the pillows.
“No, you didn’t dream it. Everett’s fine. You can’t even see the wounds …and there were a lot of them. I was worried at first, but evidently, Aldon wounds heal in a matter of hours, if not minutes. You can’t even see scars. I didn’t know one of their kind could injure another by biting them, but I guess they can. The one he killed bit him first, and he’s been kind of sick since. Doc said it will pass.”
Uncle Lon came back into the room with Dr. Renault close behind. “Is she awake…Chandler, sweetheart. You’re awake,” he called out, smiling at me.
“Uncle Lon, how is Aunt Sue?” I asked, remembering how terrified she was when Constance was bitten.
“She’s fine, Doctor Lane gave her something to knock her out. She was already tired from the ordeal, and she wore herself out further rushing back and forth between the two of you. She’s in the examination room with Constance, curled up on a sofa, fast asleep,” Uncle Lon said softly. He pushed the hair away from my forehead to lean down and kiss me.
“Chandler, I’m sorry…I know your nerves are on edge, and you’re in some pain from the bite. I can only give you something mild, same as last time. I wish I could do more.” Dr. Renault patted my leg, leaning over to take my pulse. “When you feel a bit better, I want to do a sonogram and examine you. With the complications you’re already having, your body having to fight venom again is concerning. Are you feeling good movement from the babies? How long has she been awake?” he asked, turning to John.
“About ten minutes or so,” John replied softly.
Dr. Renault turned back to me. “We need to keep a close watch on you. I’ve started you on a couple of IV’s for now, and I’ll be back in a bit.” He smiled as he checked my vitals before leaving the room.
Voices of the SEALs drifted down the hallway and paused the conversation in the room.
“You guys are wearing me out. I haven’t had to put this many stitches in since basic medical training,” Ty’s voice came down the hallway. “I’m going to see about Constance. If anyone else starts bleeding, call one of the docs!” Ty pushed the door to my room open, and stuck his head in. “Hey, Andie-girl. Good to see you awake. I just wanted to check on you before I go back to Constance.
“I’m good, Ty. Go and see about your girl,” I urged him. He hurried back down the hallway.
Uncle Lon sat down in one of the chairs in the room. “John, I can’t believe you came out without a scratch. I’ve never seen anyone fight as you did. Fearless, almost as if you were possessed”
A look of fury crossed John’s face. “I want them all eradicated, like the vermin they are. We can’t leave any of them alive,” he said vehemently.
I’d never seen him look so…the hate almost frightened me. He certainly had the right, more than any of us, to want them all dead. He was avenging Brie. That familiar stab of guilt at the thought of her made me wince.
“Son, you look amazingly well, for someone who looked near death last night,” Uncle Lon spoke toward the doorway.
My head snapped up to look at the door. Banton crossed the room to me, and bent to kiss my forehead. The relief sweeping over me was overwhelming; Even though they assured me he was all right, I’d been on edge until I could see for myself.
“Sweetheart, Doc says he wants to do some tests on you and check the babies. How do you feel?” he asked, brushing my cheek with his hand. I took a deep breath – I’d never seen him look so pale, even after he’d been shot. His color scared me.
“I’m all right, just on edge from the venom. How are you? They said you’d lost a lot of blood!”
John got up, letting Banton have the chair beside my bed.
“Fifteen stitches in my chest, a transfusion, a couple of sprains, and a fresh bite to match yours. I’ll be fine by tomorrow,” he shot me a glimpse of his dimple as he joked about his injuries.
“Well, it seems I’m the only one who landed in a hospital bed.” I folded my arms, feeling much the invalid.
“You know it’s just a precaution, for the babies and your condition.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on my lips.
“Um, I think we’ll just go and check on Constance, and see if she’s awake,” Uncle Lon mumbled as he pulled John to his feet. “We’ll be back to check on you in a little while.”
After Uncle Lon and John left the room, Banton placed his arms around me. “Are you really all right? I’ve never been so frightened, seeing you limp in that Orcos arms, seeing Constance, knowing you both could be seconds away from death.” He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his emotions from taking over. I reached and rubbed his cheek with my thumb.
“I love you so much,” I whispered, searching his eyes.
He reached down, and placed his hand on my abdomen. “And I love you, more than my own life.”
As I placed my hands over his, he looked back up into my eyes. “Have you felt them move, since you’ve been awake?” he asked anxiously.
“The doctor said something about it to you?” I asked.
“Yes, he’s a little worried. So you haven’t felt them move?”
“No,” I whispered.
He leaned over and kissed my forehead again. “So, how is Constance?” he asked, a little lighter note to his voice.
“According to John, a lot more comfortable than I am, since she evidently can get the good drugs,” I quipped as he chuckled.
“So what now? John says we finished most of them off?” I asked anxiously.
“Yes, with your help gunning two of them down so the Aldon could get them…we managed to get all except Lucien, Grant, and a couple of others who fled with them. The Aldon are confident they’ve left the country by now. Everett and Stephan followed them, hoping they would get a chance at this ‘Dante.’ They managed to lose them, however, so they don’t exactly know ho
w they left the city.”
“I don’t care as long as they are gone. Now, can our lives get back to normal?” I asked, brushing his pale cheek.
“Not just yet. I think we’ve bought ourselves some time, but this is far from over if Dante and Lucien are still alive. I think it’s time we take this to Somalia and hit them at the source, before they have time to regroup. That has been the Navy’s plan all along, anyway.”
“No! Banton, not again…you can’t leave me! Please…” I couldn’t breathe, thinking about him and the others being deployed again.
“Shhh, Chandler. Sweetheart, it’s going to be all right. It will be a quick mission when it does happen. They are crippled now and have scant resources. But it will be a few weeks before we go, so we have some time,” he tried to soothe me. I nodded, knowing this was not just about me. It was part of his job.
“Now, what can I do for you? Are your nerves as bad as mine are?” He asked, rubbing my arm and shoulder.
“Yeah, they’re pretty bad this time. I feel I could crawl right out of my skin, and my neck burns,” I answered truthfully. He pulled my hair back to look at the fresh bite mark on my neck. His eyes darkened with fury as he brushed the place with his fingers, and then leaned over to place a kiss there. Pulling me in tightly to his chest, he lay down beside me, and wrapped his arms protectively around me.
“Mmm. It’s the best therapy you can do for me…the sound of your heartbeat is the most calming balm in the world,” I sighed.
* * *
Constance’s voice woke me. “I’m fine, quit hovering over me. I’m just restless. I can’t stay in bed another minute. I need to kick box something, or run a mile or two, or maybe go and kick some Orco ass!”
“Baby, you still need to take it easy, please?” Ty pleaded. The door to my room opened.
“I’m checking on Chandler and my nieces. Go twitch somewhere else,” Constance commanded in an irritated voice. Banton chuckled and helped me push up in bed.
“Chandler, thank God. You look good! Banton, the way she wielded that gun last night, you need to sign her up for some SEAL training! She’s one kick-ass little Sange-Mele!” she exclaimed as she blew into the room.
“I’m proud of both of you. You do need to listen to Ty, though, and don’t push your limits. How are your nerves?” Banton asked.
“Like I could rip something in two, just for getting in my way.” She glared at Ty as he followed her into the room.
“It will pass. You’re lucky you can take stronger stuff than I can,” I pouted.
Ty shook his head and frowned. “She won’t take any more. I told her she at least needs to take the Valium, she’s so wired.”
I nodded at him, and then held my hand out to her. “Please take it. Don’t try to be tough. Banton was the worst about taking anything, and he will tell you it was a mistake to try to work through this without help. Please, take it? For all of us?” I pleaded as Banton chuckled.
“What?” Constance turned to him, a furious look on her face.
“I’m sorry, you’re just so wired. Take the valium. Save the energy for when we need it,” he tried to soothe her
She retorted, “Sure, all right…if it will make Y’ALL feel better!” She stormed out of the room with Ty in hot pursuit. Then her voice drifted down the hallway, “And I know you’re just dyin’ to say something.”
John’s voice echoed out, “Diva Doll on drugs. This ought to be pure entertainment,” he chuckled. Constance let out a string of vulgarities making me blush.
After a tense afternoon and evening of trying to get Constance back to an even keel, Dr. Renault finally got her down for the night. Ty stayed with her, encouraging Aunt Sue and Uncle Lon to go back to the house with John, Colin and Ben. It seemed Dr. Renault was going to help my diet along, so after eating as much liver as I could choke down, I snuggled in for the night next to Banton. Turning my back to him, I spooned up against him as he placed his hands around the baby-bump, which he’d begun to affectionately call the baby-bundle…it was definitely bigger than a bump.
“They haven’t moved at all today, not that I can tell,” I whispered, beginning to cry.
“It’s probably just the venom, they are fighting through this, just as you are. Stay positive, sweetheart. They will be fine.” He kissed the top of my head. No sooner than he’d assured me, the babies seemed to roll around each other and kick furiously.
“See, fighting already. I think they take after your side of the family.” He chuckled as I gasped. I turned in his arms, and he placed a kiss firmly on my lips, and then pulled the sheet down and moved to place a kiss on my belly-button.
“I’m so relieved to finally feel them!” I exclaimed as Dr. Renault came in the room.
“I just wanted to check on Chandler before she turned in.” He placed his laptop on the nightstand.
“We just felt the babies move and kick, Doc,” Banton told him.
Dr. Renault took my blood pressure. “That’s what we’ve been waiting for. Your blood work looks good. I’m letting you go home in the morning, but I want you back on a conservative regime. Nothing strenuous, and no intimacy for a while…there is a new spot we are watching on the placenta, it seems to be detached in a different place. I guess we are going to fight this through the entire pregnancy, but for now, just take it easy. I think it will repair itself as it did last time.”
“Okay, Doc. We’ll keep her down and calm,” Banton assured him.
“I’ll be back to check you in the morning, before we discharge you.” Dr. Renault nodded at Banton, and then pulled the door closed behind him.
“Now, lady, rest. I’m ready to take you home and get you settled. I want you rested and back on your feet,” he murmured, pulling me in closer.
“Wow, our trip home to Texas is in two weeks…I hadn’t thought about it, with everything going on. I can’t wait to see Laurilee!” I grinned as he traced a finger around my lips. He stilled, his expression unreadable except for the muscle in his jaw. I knew it meant he was worried.
“I know that you were looking forward to that trip, Chandler, but this isn’t good timing. After this attack at the house, I don’t want to take you away anywhere unprotected.”
“No! I want…no, I need to see Laurilee! And I’m ready to go back, to see my parents’ graves. I left so suddenly, and I feel I need some closure.” I glanced up at him through my lashes.
He sighed, and then cupped my face gently between his hands. “Baby, you know I would do anything for you, but not this. I’m so sorry, but until I get some confirmation from the Aldon, I’m not risking a trip with you.
“She was counting on us coming, to watch Dan ride, and I wanted to take you to a rodeo, see the riding club my dad rode with,” I murmured, agitated that I sounded like a petulant child.
“Sweetheart, I want that too. I promise I’ll take you home just as soon as we make sure it’s safe.”
He stood, and ran his fingers through his hair, then locked his hands behind his head and turned back to me. “When everything is back to normal, you should plan ahead when Dan goes on long rodeos. Offer to fly Laurilee down here for a long weekend. Or fly out to Texas to see her,” he offered.
“It might be a little difficult in a few months; I don’t think I’d want to take the twins on a plane by myself.”
“Don’t be silly, I’d keep them. I know you’ll need some girl time, and I know you miss her.”
“You would keep the babies by yourself?” I asked, doubtful.
“If you trust me to. Of course, if I got in a jam, I know my mom or Claudia would be here in an instant to help me.”
“Wow. I don’t ever remember daddy taking care of me while momma went anywhere, not until I was twelve or thirteen.” I searched through my memories, trying to decide if my dad would have ever done that. “My mom had told me once Rob Collins never changed a diaper in his life, and never got up for a nighttime feeding.”
He sat on the bed beside me, and then stretched out an
d pulled me into his side. I melted into him as always, resting my head on his chest.
“Well, I think our dads were from a different generation. I intend to be very hands on, Chandler. We’re a team, remember?”
“Yeah. We are, aren’t we?” I said.
He switched the lamp off, pulled the covers over us, and kissed me goodnight.
Chapter Forty-Three
Everyone was in high spirits when we arrived home the next morning. Dr. Lane let Constance go at once, and she appeared to be as wired as the day before, insisting Ty go jogging with her. Aunt Sue and Uncle Lon were relieved there didn’t seem to be any ill effects from her being bitten and partially transformed, but I knew it hadn’t occurred to them yet she might not be able to conceive. I was just so relieved everything was out in the open with my family. It would make everything easier between us.
Aunt Sue had lunch waiting when we arrived from the clinic, a delicious rare prime rib which satisfied a craving I didn’t even realize I had. I giggled, amused as Uncle Lon spent a lot of time nuking his in the microwave.
“I know you all crave this, and it’s good for you. I just can’t eat bloody meat,” he shook his head.
“Banton’s always eaten his this way, it wasn’t any transition for him,” John quipped. He slapped Banton on the back as he came around the table.
“Evidently, this craving for rare meat happens immediately. Constance would hardly let me get it warm before she was slicing it. She would hardly touch meat before,” Aunt Sue wondered at Constance’s sudden change in diet preferences aloud.
“How is she today?” Banton asked Uncle Lon.
“Wired and bossy. Nothing too out of the ordinary,” he answered sarcastically. Aunt Sue finished filling her plate and sat down with us.
We proceeded to eat quietly, everyone lost in their own musings. It seemed we were all dealing with coming off the adrenalin rush from the attack. Aunt Sue finally broke the awkward silence as we finished eating.
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