Wicked Healing

by Madden, J. M.

  It was obvious they would be healing each other.

  Then a tall, dark haired man held his hand out to Erin. He was handsome with dark, gray flecked hair, and his blue eyes smiled. “You must be Erin.”

  It wasn’t until she took his hand that she realized it was a prosthetic. She grinned back at him. “I am. Director Jameson?”

  “Call me Paul,” he said, nodding once. “Did you have a good drive?”

  “I did,” she said, moving aside as the elevator doors shut behind them. “Wicked was happy to get out, though, and ecstatic to see Luca.”

  The director grinned down at the dog, then gave Luca a probing look. “He looks more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him. Mrs. Carmichael didn’t come in?”

  Erin shook her head, not surprised that he knew the woman had come down. Paul seemed to be the kind of guy that knew what was going on in his hospital. “I think she was heading home,” she said carefully. If Luca wanted to tell him about his mother’s shenanigans that was up to him.

  A wet nose buried itself in her palm and she automatically stroked down Wicked’s face. She was a little curious why he’d come to her, though. She looked at Luca. There was a tension around his eyes that made her think his enjoyment of the moment had worn off. Was it the crowd?

  She glanced at the director. “If you’ll excuse us, I think Luca would like some quiet time with Wicked.”

  Paul glanced at Luca and seemed to see the same thing she did. “Everybody back to work,” he called. “Let’s let the two get reacquainted.”

  The crowd disbursed and with a final nod Paul faded away as well. Luca glanced at her thoughtfully, then turned to limp down the hallway, Wicked close at his side. He led her into a room at the end of the hallway. It was a hospital room, obviously, but there were a few personal affects scattered around to give the room some life. Erin could tell he sat in the recliner chair in the corner a lot, because that was where his big insulated drinking cup was and his tablet. There was a candy wrapper on the side table as well. He crossed to the table and swept the wrapper into the trash, giving her a grin, then he waved her into the chair. “Please, have a seat.”

  Then he moved to the bed, which was sitting almost vertical. As soon as he settled to the mattress and scooted himself back, Wicked jumped up onto the bed. Erin laughed, watching as the dog circled twice then lay down with a sigh. Luca immediately began rubbing the dog all over, checking all of his scars. Erin crossed to the bed and showed him exactly where Wicked had been hurt and explained what she’d had to do to care for him. Then she very carefully showed him how to take the prosthetic off, then replace it.

  “Pretty basic, huh?”

  She nodded. “It is, but effective. As soon as he got used to it his demeanor really changed. He was severely depressed when I took possession of him. I told you that. I think even with the best of intentions the military wasn’t able to help him anymore. I’m glad Carolina called me when she did.”

  Luca blinked, shocked at the parallels between Wicked’s story and his own. Obviously, they’d gotten care at the Forward Operating Base, then been shipped to Germany, where they’d been separated. He rubbed the smooth black fur on the dog’s face, and up between his eyes like he liked. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you buddy.”

  Wicked, amazing animal that he was, seemed to sense the weight of Luca’s emotions. Wiggling his body, the dog positioned himself into Luca’s lap, legs in the air, looking up at him with adoration. Tears started in Luca’s eyes and it was all he could do not to break down right there. Yes, Wicked was just a dog. The military considered them tools. But to Luca, Wicked had been the best friend he’d ever had, bar none. The dog had saved hundreds of lives, literally. And he’d been the best therapist, chasing the night terrors from his mind better than any liquor or doctor.

  Rubbing his hand over the scars on the dog’s belly, he marveled at what they’d both been through. And now that they were together again, he didn’t want to separate. “How long can you stay?”

  Erin watched his face. He dreaded the answer, and she didn’t blame him. “I’ll drive back in two days’ time.”

  Sighing, he nodded, resigned. Erin wanted to tell him she could stay longer but she had responsibilities at home. “How long are you in here for?”

  He glanced around the room. “Not sure. I’m about done, really, so I’m going to have to find alternative arrangements. Mom wants me to come up there with them, but there’s no fucking way. Pardon my French.”

  Erin grinned. “I don’t blame you. I can’t imagine going home to live with my mother at my age either. So, what are your options?”

  He sat back on the bed, looking thoughtful. “Well, I’m going to need outpatient therapy after I leave here, so I’ll have to be near a VA. And I’ve been thinking about what to do later. I’m probably going to go back to school, I guess.”

  There was uncertainty in his eyes, and she didn’t like seeing it there. It seemed out of character for him.

  “Dude,” she said bracingly, “you need to look at this as an opportunity. You can do anything in the world you want to do, now. Heck, I know a guy with an amputation that stayed in the Army after he lost a leg. It all depends upon your classification and the job you were doing before.”

  His mouth turned down. “It’s a little different for the SEALs. If I’m not in peak physical form, I’m not risking my guys’ lives on my… disability.”

  She sighed, knowing he was right, and understanding the heartbreak that caused him. Since she’d built the kennel and took in service members’ dogs, she understood the dedication they had for their jobs and their country, and most especially their fellow soldiers. Navy SEALs were probably even more dedicated.

  “How long were you a SEAL?”

  “Seven years. The past three with Wicked.”

  “Can you take a different job in the Navy?”

  He looked out the window. “Probably,” he admitted, looking at her. “But I don’t think I will. There’s no way Wicked would be able to rejoin, and we’re a package.”

  His expression lightened when he looked at the dog, and Wicked thumped his tail.

  “You might consider law enforcement,” she said thoughtfully. “I wonder if their requirements are as strict as the SEALs?”

  He shrugged. “I’ve wondered about that as well, actually. It probably depends upon the district or department.”

  Erin nodded, moving to sit in the chair again. “I think you have some time to decide.”

  He sighed thoughtfully, stroking the dog. “I want to thank you again for bringing him all the way out here. I know it wasn’t easy to schedule.”

  She shrugged lightly. “My mom watches over the kennel when I’m out. She’s retired so she needs the job sometimes, otherwise she’d watch soaps all day. And mettle in my dating life.”

  “How many dogs do you have there?”

  She thought about the dogs in the house and out in the kennel. Then there was the cat room. And two dogs had been in the care room when she’d left, working through belly issues. Mentally she went through the roster. “About seventeen, all tolled, both dogs and cats. Some are regular vacationers, some are deployed military, others are fosters. There are several air bases around Phoenix. And I get some referrals from Texas and California for cases like yours. I even have a few horses boarding.”

  “That’s a lot of animals,” he said with a laugh.

  “Yes, but it’s something I enjoy doing. I wouldn’t do anything else.”

  There was a knock on the door and Paul stuck his head inside. “Mind of I join you for a minute?”

  “Come on in, Paul,” Luca said.

  Paul stopped at the corner of the bed and Wicked looked at him but didn’t lift his head. He’d accepted that the man was not a threat.

  Paul tipped his chin at Wicked. “I love it when we have animals on the floor. There’s an instant upswing of moods, both of the patients and the care givers. Everyone is talking about your dog.”

&nbs
p; Smiling, Erin nodded. “You guys need an animal on staff.”

  Paul looked at her, his head cocked. “You know, we’ve actually thought about doing that. We have a woman that comes in every once in a while with a dog, but I don’t think it’s enough.”

  “I know several children’s hospitals that have hired dogs on full time. It’s huge for kids to have an animal.”

  Paul smiled at her and there was something in his eyes… Erin got the feeling that he was thinking about something more personal. She glanced at Luca. He was scowling at the two of them, and she suddenly felt guilty. He was the one she was here for.

  Paul turned his head back to Luca as well. “If Wicked is amenable, maybe you can visit a few of the guys? I think it would really brighten their day.”

  Luca nodded. “I think I can do that. A few of them, anyway. I’ll see how the dog does.”

  “That’s all I can ask,” Paul smiled. “He’s a beautiful animal and with the prosthetic, I think he’ll really have an effect.”

  Yes, he probably would. Erin had seen more than one patient in the halls with obvious amputations. She had thought about being a volunteer over the years, but she already had so much on her plate.

  “Anyway, I was talking to your team, and they seem to think that you’ll be checking out of our hotel soon.”

  Luca’s brows lifted. “Really?”

  Paul shifted on his feet. “Well, your prosthetics seem to be fitting well. And everything else has healed, for the most part. Surely they’ve talked to you?”

  Luca shifted on the bed, reaching out to stroke Wicked. “They have. What kind of timeline are we looking at?”

  “A few days,” Paul shrugged. “Maybe a week. When Erin said she was bringing the animal out I thought it was in preparation of you going home.”

  Luca’s mouth fell open, and he kind of sat back against the mattress. Paul seemed to sense his distress because the man stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Luca. Didn’t we give you a timeline when you came in?”

  He nodded, a little numbly. “Yeah, you did, but, damn…”

  “I didn’t bring all of Wicked’s paperwork, if we are transferring possession,” Erin said.

  Luca looked at her. She seemed concerned as well, though not as shocked as he felt.

  Damn. He could go home in a couple of days. But where the hell was he going to go? He pulled in a breath, deep enough to make his chest ache. “I guess I’d better be looking for somewhere to go,” he said, forcing a smile for Paul’s benefit. The guy hadn’t meant to blindside him.

  Paul had been around the block a time or two though. It was obvious he could see that Luca was rattled. “Don’t worry, kid, we won’t turn you out on the streets. Well, I’ll let you get back to your reunion. And start thinking about where you’d like to go. If you need it I can give you some recommendations for half-way houses.”

  Luca gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “I’ll figure something out.”

  With a final wave, Paul left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

  Erin looked at him, her soft brows raised. “Seems like that was a bit of a shock.”

  Luca snorted, looking out the window. “It shouldn’t have been, really.”

  His throat was tight, like he was about to get his ass kicked. What the fuck was he supposed to do? Going to his parents’ house was out of the question. He would have to be at the bottom of the barrel before he’d go back there, though he was sure his mother expected him to. Because what other options did he have?

  Apparently, he could do a halfway house, but even that sounded not cool.

  “Hey,” Erin said, walking up to stand next to him. She braced a strong hand on his shoulder, smiling down at him, and he appreciated the touch, though he cringed a little at how well she could probably see his injuries now. “Don’t freak out. If you want we can start surfing the net to find you a place. I assume you don’t want to go to your mom’s house.”

  “No,” he said definitively. “There’s no way she’d let Wicked go with me.”

  “So, you want to look for a place that allows dogs. You need a fenced yard for him,” she warned. “Or a place with an actual kennel. Yes, he’ll be with you probably ninety-nine percent of the time, but you need to have a safe way to lock him up.”

  Yeah, he would, and the possibility of finding a rental like that was probably a stretch. Luca felt overwhelmed. “As ridiculous as it sounds, I’ve never had to do this before. Look for an apartment, I mean. I joined the Navy when I was eighteen, right out of school.”

  Erin grinned and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “You’ve missed out on the finer points of home rental, then. Well, just so you know you’ll have to have a deposit and probably the first month’s rent, as well as references. Think you can get a couple of buddies to vouch for you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell you now that actually getting into an apartment or house within just a couple of days is going to be hard. There are a lot of hurdles. Then you’ll have to set the place up to live in. Maybe we can find a place that’s already furnished.”

  Luca felt his heart racing and he had to brace his arms out to the side of himself. Wicked whined, obviously aware that something was wrong. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm his breathing and get a hold of his panicked emotions. Besides finding a place, the thought of stocking it to make it livable gave him hives. Where would he even start?

  Erin rested her hand on his shoulder again, and Luca appreciated the contact. Then she began stroking his hair at the back of his neck. “Hey,” she whispered, her golden eyes kind. “Don’t worry. We’ll find you something. This isn’t anything to get upset about. It’s just work. You’re about to be able to be back with Boss full time, and you’re getting out of this damn hospital. You should be shouting from the rooftops,” she laughed.

  And she was right. If he could walk out of here with Boss at his side and find a place to settle, he would be a happy man. He glanced at Erin, feeling ridiculous for reacting to something that civilians did every day.

  “And it can be fun. My dad helped me find my first apartment and it was an incredible adventure.”

  “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “you haven’t seen me at my best. I’m normally a pretty cool guy, suave with the ladies,” he twitched his eyebrows at her, making her laugh. Then he sobered. “This injury, and everything that’s gone along with it, has really humbled me,” he admitted, his throat tight. “I want to thank you. I mean, I already owe you my life for saving Wicked. But you don’t have to stay and watch me fumble around trying to find a roost. If you want, you can go. I don’t want Wicked to leave but I understand if you’d rather remove yourself.”

  Erin continued to stroke his too-long hair, sending shivers up his spine. “And if I prefer to stay?” she asked softly.

  Luca looked up at her, giving her good eye contact. “Then I would owe you more than I can say.”

  Erin sighed dramatically. “It might be nice to have a Navy SEAL owe me a favor,” she said thoughtfully.

  Luca chuckled, feeling regret. “I’m not a SEAL anymore, but I will owe you.”

  “Sounds good to me,” she said, moving back to the recliner.

  Luca felt her loss acutely.

  “Let’s see what we can find.”

  Chapter 6

  They surfed the newspaper ads on line, and even a few realty sites. They found a few places that could be options if they had more time. Only one place sounded ideal, with a fenced back yard and a kennel, several miles outside of San Diego. But it was currently occupied. It wouldn’t be open until the end of the month, two weeks away.

  “You know,” she said thoughtfully. “If you have the money you could stay in a motel in the intervening time.”

  Luca’s frown deepened. “I have money, but I don’t want to be in a motel or hotel that long. Especially not with him.”

  Wicked was still curled at the end of th
e bed. He was a good-sized dog. Being trapped in a room that small would drive him nuts.

  “Do you need to stay here on the coast?”

  Luca looked thoughtful. “No, not necessarily. It’s just what I’m used to.”

  Well, that opened up their search area.

  Luca’s bedside phone rang. Reaching out a long arm he snatched it up. “Yeah,” he paused, his dark gaze flying to the clock on the wall. “Oh, shit, Trey, I’m sorry. Be there in a minute.”

  He dropped the phone into the cradle and gave her an apologetic look. “I have rehab. I totally forgot.” He dropped his tablet to the bedside table and began shifting from the bed. Wicked jumped down from the bed, looking up at Luca with alert eyes.

  Erin gathered up her things. “Well, we might go ahead and go, then. I’ll find a dog park for Wicked to run for a while and we’ll be back in the morning.”

  Luca stood, straightening his t-shirt. He reached for the cane at the end of the bed, then paused, looking down at his buddy. Lowering himself to his good knee, he cupped Wicked’s head in his hands, rubbing his ears. “You be good for Erin, Boss.”

  Wicked whined, sensing that something was amiss. Erin leaned down and fastened the lead on his collar.

  “I’m sorry, Wicked.”

  Luca pushed to his feet, using the end of the bed to brace against. Then, with a final look at Erin and Wicked, he walked out the door. It was like ripping his heart out all over again.

  * * *

  Erin could tell that Wicked was upset. As soon as she loaded him up into the SUV he curled up on the seat and refused to look at her.

  “Hey, now, you seem to forget who actually brought you to see your partner, buddy. That wasn’t a small thing. And it’s not like you’re not going to see him again. We’ll be back tomorrow.”

  The dog looked at her as if he understood her words, and she wondered again what his vocabulary was. The average dog knew or recognized about 165 words, but it was obvious from working with Wicked that he understood way more than that. He was eerily alert and watchful.