“Shit,” I groan under my breath. “Of course, but she needs to be on a different floor. I can’t have her here.”
“Indeed,” she says with a compassionate nod. “I’ll get her sorted out right away.”
I thank her and she gets on her way. I head back over to Tom and Mel and grab his phone off him before calling Logan and letting him know what’s going on.
He agrees to come down and look after Georgie so I can be there for Gigi when she wakes from her surgery.
Chapter 17
Gigi
Rhythmic beeping alerts me to the fact the I’m currently in the most uncomfortable hospital bed known to man.
My eyes creek open to a dim room and I wonder just how long I’ve been out for. I mean, what a shitty day. Did I seriously get shot? As in a bullet pierced straight through my body and I’m still fucking alive? Holy shit. Who else goes to work and comes home at the end of the day with a gaping hole through their shoulder? I mean, I’m going to be a fucking legend around here.
My body is groggy from being under and I’m terrified to move in case I jostle myself and have to face the fact of just how much pain my body is currently suffering through.
My eyelids flutter closed as the memories start processing in my mind. The man. The gun. The terror. The pain. It was awful. It was honestly the worst day of my life. I come to work to help people. This hospital is supposed to be a place of safety, a place of healing, not a place of mass shootings.
I mean, the look on little Geor-
Shit. Georgie.
My eyes fly open. Where is she? Did Sean find her? Is she ok? So many questions fill my mind that I can barely register them all. She witnessed things that a three year old should never have to see. I mean, she helped a fucking gunshot victim. Most adults would struggle with that.
She was so fucking brave.
I need to find her and make sure she’s alright.
I try to sit up in bed and the pain instantly hits me before I hear his angelic voice. “Oh, hell no,” he grunts before movement out the corner of my eye grabs my attention.
Sean rushes towards me with his hands outstretched and gently places them against me, being careful not to touch my shoulder. He presses me back down into the bed and I look up at him, so grateful that he’s here. “Georgie?” I question.
“She’s fine,” he says before walking around my bed and yanking the dividing curtain back to show me the bed beside me. Georgie sits happily in her bed, tucked under her Uncle’s arm as she plays a game on his phone, though right now, I really couldn’t say which Uncle it is. They all look so damn similar, and with a groggy head, it’s nearly impossible to tell.
Satisfied that’s he’s answered my question, he gently slides the curtain back in place to give us a little privacy. “How are you feeling?” he questions as he pulls his seat closer to my bed and takes my hand in his.
“Like shit,” I tell him honestly. “I could probably use some drugs.”
“Ok,” he smiles as he gets up and presses the call button for the nurse.
“What happened? Did they get him?”
He cringes and it’s almost as if I can read his mind. He’s hiding something. “You don’t need to hear about this.”
“Sean, I just need to know if he’s behind bars. I’d feel a lot safer,” I practically beg.
With a sigh he comes clean. “The guy is still in the hospital and will be for another few hours, but don’t worry, he has a police escort.”
“Huh?” I question. That doesn’t make sense. “Why’s he still here?”
He gives me a tight smile. “Because he got beat within an inch of his life and was given a sedative.”
“Oh,” I say, wishing I could feel happier about that, but the pain shooting through my body is far too much for me to handle happiness right now.
Katrina, one of the night shift nurses, pops her head through the curtain and gives me a sad smile. “Can I come in?”
I give her a slight nod and she goes about dishing out the pain meds. She pours me a glass of water and hands it over with the meds. I hit the button to adjust the setting on my bed and bring myself up into a sitting position.
I throw them back and sip on the water. Satisfied that the pills have gone down, Katrina lets me know she’ll grab the doctor before disappearing.
“How’s Mel?” I ask Sean. She had gone through so much today and risked her life by running around the rooms and helping everyone she could. I hope she’s not alone tonight.
“She’s doing ok,” he tells me. “I think she’s in shock. She was here waiting but I sent her home. She didn’t want to go, but she was exhausted. Tom had to drag her out of here.”
“I bet,” I say with a pained smile that doesn’t reach my eyes.
We sit in silence for a little while and I find the quieter the room is, the quicker I notice the pain fading away. “Gigi?” Sean questions, breaking the silence and pulling me out of my head. I turn towards him and wait for whatever it is he has to say. “Georgie told me everything you did for her.”
My lips pull into a tight line. I see the big, whopping, thank you on his lips but I don’t want it. What happened today isn’t something I want to be praised for. I did what I had to do, just like any other decent human being would have done in my position. I don’t want to be recognized for that. I don’t want a constant reminder of this day. I just want to move on and get back to life.
“Don’t,” I say, cutting him off. “I know what you’re going to say and I don’t want you to. I just… I want to forget today happened.”
“Gigi,” he sighs with the rawest emotion in his eyes. “You protected my little girl by risking your own life. You would have given yours for her. I’m not about to pretend like that didn’t happen.”
I close my eyes and let out a slow breath. “I did what I had to do,” I tell him quietly.
He stands and leans in towards me so our faces are just inches apart. “You did so much more than that,” he tells me before lowering his face to mine and pressing a gentle kiss to my lips.
If I wasn’t having such a shitty day, I probably would have eaten that up and gave him everything I had, but not now, I need a few moments to find myself. “Thank you, Gigi,” he murmurs as his forehead rests against mine.
I nod ever so slightly, letting him know I truly hear him so we can put it in the past. He presses his lips to mine once again before reaching up and wiping a tear away from my eye that I hadn’t even realized was there.
“How are you feeling now?” he questions as he moves back and takes his seat again, making sure to keep his hand firmly in mine. “Are the pain meds working? Do you need more water?”
His thumb moves across my knuckles and I concentrate everything on that, not wanting to feel any other part of my body right now. “The meds are starting to work,” I tell him and watch as relief comes to his dark eyes.
“Good,” he murmurs as he lets out a breath.
Dr. Monroe comes in through the curtain and explains to me the extent of my injuries and to tell the truth, I’m glad it’s him. He’s one of the best trauma surgeons we have and I wouldn’t want anyone but him being my surgeon.
He demands that I have six weeks off to heal and I let out a groan. I absolutely love my job and the thought of having any time off kills me. I can’t even sneakily go back early as I work in the same damn place as the guy.
He checks my chart, moves across to check Georgie’s and leaves.
I let out a sigh and immediately start pouting. I mean, what the hell am I going to do with six weeks off?
“You ok?” Sean asks.
“No.”
His eyes go wide and fly across to my shoulder. “Are you hurting?”
“No.”
His eyebrows furrow. “You’re upset about having time off?” he guesses.
“Yep. Wouldn’t you be?”
“No,” he scoffs. “I’d give anything to have more time off to spend with Georgie.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t have a kid.”
“Fair enough,” he says as he tries to hide a smirk.
“You wouldn’t happen to know where my phone is, do you?” I ask. “I should probably call my parents and Mel.”
“Yeah, right here,” he says as he reaches across to the little table beside the bed and hands me my phone. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
“Thanks,” I smile as he gets up and walks out, probably to check on Georgie.
I instantly pull up my mother’s number. It rigs five times before going to her voicemail, so I give dad a try instead. I fear that’s going to go to voicemail as well when he picks up with just moments to spare. “Pumpkin, how are you?” he says with his usual chirpiness that makes me want to break down in tears.
I instantly realize that they haven’t been told and why should they? I have Mel down as my emergency contact as she’s usually the closest person to me and I doubt Mel even has their number.
“Hey daddy,” I say. “Are you with mom?”
“What’s going on?” he questions.
“Dad,” I repeat, quickly getting frustrated. “Are you with mom? Can you put me on speaker?”
He lets out an annoyed huff and I hear him walking around the house before talking to mom in the background. He presses a few wrong buttons before finally putting me on speaker. “Honey, is that you? Are you alright?” my mother asks.
“Hi mom, are you sitting down?” I ask.
“I knew we were going to get this call sooner or later,” dad grumbles to himself.
“Dad,” I snap. “I’m not pregnant. There’s been an incident at the hospital.”
Mom gasps as dad finally zips his lips. “What kind of incident?” she questions.
I take a deep breath, unsure if I can get the sentence out without breaking down. “There was a gunman on my floor today,” I start.
“Stop that,” mom cuts in, instantly upset. “You stop that right now.”
“I wish I could mom,” I sigh.
“How bad is it?” dad asks.
Shit. This is harder than I thought. I take a breath and rip it off like a band aid. “I was shot through the back of my shoulder. I’ve spent the afternoon in surgery but I’m alright.”
“Oh, honey,” mom sobs.
I try my hardest to soothe her, but it’s not going to happen until she can lay her eyes on me and see for herself. “Alright, pumpkin. We’re coming now.”
“Thanks, dad. See you soon.” I hang up the call and let out a breath. That couldn’t have been easy for them, getting the phone call to say your child has been injured must be awful and I don’t doubt they’ll be here in record time, probably breaking a shitload of traffic laws in the process.
With my phone still in my hand, I hash out a text to Mel, which is actually a lot harder in my left hand than it ought to be.
Gigi – I’m ok.
She texts back almost immediately.
Mel – Oh, my God. I’m on my way.
I can just imagine her, running around our apartment, grabbing her things on the way and most likely forgetting a few things. The thought brings a true smile to my face and is enough to keep the tears at bay.
With the most important people in my life on their way, I take a moment to catch up. I close my eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. With each breath I find a small piece of myself and am eventually able to pull myself together.
It doesn’t take long before my parents show up and instantly check me over. Mom fusses about with tears in her eyes as she orders the nurses to grab more blankets and pillows, all of which I don’t need, but if it’s going to help ease her mind then I’ll deal with it.
Mel soon bursts her way through the door with Tom hot on her heels. She throws herself at me making both my mother and Sean gasp, but I trust her completely. The second her tears are dry, she dives for my chart and instantly goes off on a rant about Katrina the night nurse for not giving me the absolute strongest pain meds available.
Yawns start ripping through me and with my parents satisfied that I’m still alive, they get on their way, promising to be back first thing in the morning. They walk out the door accompanied by Logan which is when Tom clears his throat to gain my attention. I turn to him with a raised eyebrow, wondering where the hell this is going to go.
“I, um… owe you an apology,” he says, looking as if the sentence could make him throw up.
“No shit,” I grunt.
“Would you shut up and listen?” he demands.
I gape at him. “I just got shot and you want to yell me?”
He lets out a frustrated groan making Sean turn on him. “Dude, seriously?”
His groan turns into a sigh as his eyes come back to me. “How can I make it up to you?”
“You can start by dealing with that phoney speeding ticket for starters,” I tell him.
“Done,” he says with a look in his eyes that tells me he truly is a genuine person, just a little rough around the edges, or maybe a lot rough, but either way, I need to come to terms with the fact that he’s an asshole who means well.
I nod ever so slightly and just like that, our drama is put behind us.
Tom eventually manages to pull Mel out of the room and suddenly, it’s just me and Sean with Georgie fast asleep on the opposite side of the curtain.
Georgie’s doctor comes in and clears her to go home which is when Sean brings her over to my side and takes a seat with her in his lap. “What are you doing?” I question.
“We’re keeping you company,” he explains as Georgie gets comfortable on his lap.
“Uh, no you’re not.”
He looks at me with confusion in his handsome eyes. “Why the hell not?” he argues.
“Well, firstly, because Georgie has been stuck in a hospital for the past twenty-four hours and has gone through things no child should ever have to go through so she needs her own bed and her own home.”
“And secondly?” he grunts with an attitude I want to slap out of him.
“And secondly, I want to go to sleep.”
He lets out a huff and I know I’ve won this round. “I don’t want to leave you,” he admits.
I press my lips together and shake my head. “Too bad,” I tell him.
With a sigh, he places Georgie down on the end of my bed and gets up. He walks over and presses his lips to mine, instantly giving me butterflies in my stomach. “Do you mind if I come by tomorrow?”
“I’d like that,” I say as a blush takes over my cheeks.
“Do you need anything?” he asks.
“No,” I smile.
“Ok,” he whispers as he takes a step back and collects Georgie off the bed. He heads towards the door before turning back. “You know you can call me, right? Even if you’re just lonely. I’ll come.”
My heart warms. “Thank you,” I murmur before he flashes me the kindest smile and disappears out the door.
I try my best to get comfortable in my bed and close my eyes. Today has been awful but there have certainly been some bittersweet moments. Another yawn rips through me and pulls on the stitches holding my lip together. I realize this is something I’m going to have to learn to deal with over the next few weeks.
Unable to find comfort, I call in Katrina and get the stronger pain meds that Mel insisted I should be taking. The second they’re down the hatch, I close my eyes and wait for them to work.
Ten minutes later, I fall into the worst sleep I’ve ever had.
Chapter 18
Sean
I walk up to Gig’s door feeling slightly nervous. It been four weeks since the shooting, making it six weeks since we started doing this little dance. So far, it’s been great, apart from the obvious, but I can’t help but feel things are starting to get a little more serious.
Since she was hurt I’ve been doing everything I can to try and be there for her, but I can tell she’s getting frustrated. She clearly doesn’t enjoy people fussing over her, which she has coming at her from ever
y angle.
The second she was starting to feel a little bit better, she made that fact well known with one of the best hissy fits I think I’ve ever seen. She told her parents to back off, she told Mel to take her pain meds and shove it and she even told Tom to fuck off for good measure.
I was the lucky bastard who came out the knight in shining armor and I have to admit, it felt pretty good.
I know this frustration mainly comes from being holed up in her little apartment when all she wants is to do is get back to work. Being a nurse makes her feel whole and the fact that she’s unable to do that right now is killing her.
The second she said she was feeling better and the pain had mostly eased, I told her I’d take her out. She deserves it, even if it’s only for a little while to get her out of the apartment and feel like a normal human being again.
And honestly, I can’t wait to be the one who offers her that freedom.
I stand before her door and give a quick knock. After a minute or so with no answer, I try again. “Gigi?” I call through the door. Still, there’s no answer.
I’m sure she’s here as her car was parked right out the front. “Gigi?” I call again. Still nothing.
Maybe she’s showering or has forgotten, though, had she forgotten, she still would have answered the door. I try the handle to find it unlocked. “Gigi, I’m coming in,” I warn her before turning the handle.
I step into the little apartment and look around. I have to double check that I’ve stepped into the right one. The place is a mess which is not who Gigi is. I haven’t known her long, but one of the things I’ve already picked up about her is that she’s a clean freak.
Dishes lay discarded on the counter, blankets and pillows are all over the living room and Gigi is nowhere to be seen. I don’t hear the shower running so she must be in her room.
I walk down the hallway and poke my head into the open bathroom to double check she’s not there then I gently knock on her bedroom door and push my way in. The sight before me breaks my heart.
Sean: Denver Royalty (Book 3) Page 13