Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Levi
It’s been two days and I’m finally in a regular room.
Tristan’s my roommate. When I was in the ICU, Felicity kissed me and my heart rate spiked.
The nurses came running in because they thought I was going into cardiac arrest. When they found out it was from a kiss, they told us we weren’t allowed to kiss until I was out of the ICU.
So of course we spent as much time kissing as we could.
Well, when we could get a few minutes of alone time.
Felicity’s brothers all went back to Wintervale. They told us that Felicity should stay with me as long as I needed her. So I told them I needed her forever. They weren’t as amused with my answer as I was.
“We’re trying to see if we can get you guys moved to Lucciola Memorial,” Leighton says to me. “Giovanna is on her way to come and talk to the doctors for both of you.”
Giovanna Mancini had taken some time off from finishing med school. But in the last year, she’s gone back. I don’t know how she does it, she has babies and a husband who’s a professional hockey player. Declan O’Reilly is the assistant captain for the Chicago Redhawks.
Lucciola Memorial is a Level I trauma center, in Lake Renegade. I know that they have everything I need to get better. I’m hoping they approve the transfer, it’ll be so much better being in Lake Renegade with our family.
“Will you come back to Lake Renegade with me?” I ask Felicity.
“Yes. I need to go back to Wintervale to get some clothes and things I’ll need. Emma, Emiko and Piper packed for me. But because we didn’t know how long we’d be here, they didn’t know what to pack. So I need more clothes.” She laughs.
“We can get you new things in Lake Renegade,” I say to her.
“I promise I won’t be long. Just long enough to hug my brothers and get my stuff. And I won’t leave until we know you’re on your way home.”
I pout as she giggles.
“I love having you here with me. I think we have a few things to talk about, though.”
“Are we okay?” She frowns at me. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Baby, no. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I love you and there’s nothing you could do to change that.”
“Can we talk now? I don’t want to wait.”
I chuckle and pat the bed next to me. “Yes.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she says, making faces at the spot I’m patting.
“You won’t hurt me. I want you to be right here when we talk.”
“There’s a chair I can sit on…”
I sigh and pat the bed again. She slowly gets on the bed with me, and as she does, my heart rate jumps up again.
“Stop making out,” a voice comes through the intercom.
Tristan laughs from his bed.
Felicity covers her face and giggles. I take her hand and kiss it.
“So, I have two options. I can reenlist or I can get discharged. I wanted to see what your thoughts are on it.”
Felicity
I stare at Levi. I don’t really know what to say to him. On one hand, I want him to be home with me. But on the other, I don’t want to say that if he wants to stay in. I’ll never be that woman, who tells her man what to do. It has to be his decision with something as big as this.
“What do you want to do?” I ask him.
Levi laughs. “I want to know your opinion on it.”
“But I don’t want you to feel like you have to do something because of how I feel about it.”
“Baby, it’s you and me. So every decision I make is one we make together. And the reason I want to know what you think is because I’m torn. Part of me loves being a Marine, but the other part of me doesn’t want to be away from you anymore.”
“That’s how I feel too. I see how proud you are to be a Marine and I don’t want to be that person. The one that says ‘I’m more important.’ Because I’m not, I want you to have your dreams too.”
“Our dreams, Felicity. Ours. The other question is, if I leave the Marines, where will we live? Do you think it’s possible to split our time between Wintervale and Lake Renegade?”
“You want to live together? Now?”
Tristan laughs more from his bed.
“You stay out of this, Dribble,” Levi grumbles at him
“Can I live with you two?” Tristan laughs more.
“Nope. You need your own house,” Levi says back.
“Aww, come on, brother.”
“Ignore Dribble over there. We need to decide what we’re going to do, it’s what I was going to talk to you about when I saw you. I have six months to decide what we want to do.”
“We can definitely split our time between Wintervale and Lake Renegade. But are you sure that’s what you want?”
“Well, what do know is that I want to be with you. No matter where that is. I’ll be happy with whatever path we choose. I’ve also thought about joining the reserves. That way I’ll be with you and I can still be be part of the Marines too.”
“I love that idea.” I kiss him.
“I love that idea too,” Tristan says.
“You love what idea?” Leighton asks as she comes back into the room.
“Well, I’m going to live with Levi and Felicity. The other parts, I have no idea. That’s all I was focused on.”
“You’re not living with us.” Levi laughs.
“Aww. You made Tristan sad.” I pout too.
“Wait. You want him to live with us?”
“Um. I don’t know…he’s just making me sad.” I giggle.
“Don’t let him fool you, he’ll be okay in Lake Renegade. In fact, with all the family there, I know he’ll be fine.”
“Why don’t you looooove meee?” Tristan wails from his bed.
We all start laughing as Giovanna walks in.
“Wow. I heard that down the hall.” She laughs. “So I got both your transfers approved. Tomorrow, you’ll be airlifted to Lucciola Memorial.”
“Can’t we just go home?” Levi sighs.
“Soon. But you’re not healed yet, and we need to monitor you both for at least a few more days. Then maybe. But you’ll have to stay in Lake Renegade. No traveling just yet,” Giovanna says.
“I should fly home tomorrow to pack and then fly to Lake Renegade. That way I can be there as soon as you’re settled,” I say to Levi.
“I don’t want you to fly alone.”
“The jet is here, and I can fly with you both in the airlift. That way, the jet can take Felicity to Wintervale and then to Lake Renegade.”
“I can go with Felicity,” Armando Marini says to us.
“That would make me feel better, thank you,” Levi says to him.
“No problem.” He smiles at us.
“Okay. Well, you guys should get some rest. The airlift is not really comfy to ride in. And no. You can’t sit up front or fly the plane,” Giovanna says looking at both of them.
“Boooooo,” Levi says.
“Party-pooper,” Tristan adds.