11. CHAPTER ELEVEN - PASSIONATE RESCUES
I struggled to keep my eyes open, the pain throbbing in my shoulder like a relentless drumbeat threatening to pull me under. I gazed up at Lily”s beautiful face as she caressed my hair, her fingers tracing comforting patterns through my hair. My head was on her lap, her gentle touch doing its best to soothe the pain.
Finally, the ambulance arrived, and as the paramedics approached, I couldn”t fight it anymore. I had lost too much blood and ended up passing out, the voice of Lily continuously calling my name, echoing in the background as I slipped into the darkness.
I woke up to white, fluorescent lights blinding me, and I needed to blink my eyes to adjust to the brightness. I tried to raise my hand to shield my eyes, but a sharp pain assaulted me immediately, causing me to groan in pain.
“Jake?” I heard Lily call out my name and rush to me. I turned to see her. The look of relief on her face was evident, but it looked like she had been crying for a long time. Tear tracks glistened on her cheeks like silver trails.
“How long?” I managed to croak out, my throat parched and raw. “How long was I out?”
“Fourteen hours,” came her reply, filled with both exhaustion and relief.
“They were able to remove the bullet from your shoulder, but you wouldn’t stop bleeding and I, I…” She paused, her voice cracking in fear.
“It’s okay Lily. I’m alive, aren’t I?”
“I was so scared Jake, I thought you would fall into a coma, or worse,” she said.
I reached out with my good hand, and she took it in hers. I offered her a weak smile, guilt gnawing at my insides for putting her through such anguish. “I”m sorry for making you scared,” I murmured, my voice barely audible above the hum of the hospital machinery.
She shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. “Don”t apologize, Jake. Just focus on getting better.”
I tried to sit up, but her hand stopped me, her eyes wide with caution, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I want to sit up?” I said.
“Don”t stress yourself. Especially your arm,” she warned.
“I don’t think me sitting up will affect my arm,” I chuckled.
“Just don’t move around. I’ll go find a nurse.”
“Deja vu, huh?” I quipped weakly, attempting to lighten the mood despite the pain coursing through my veins. Reminiscing about the time when she was in the hospital after I saved her from her burning apartment.
Lily giggled with happiness. “Something like that. I’m just happy you’re okay,” she replied, with her radiant smile.
As she left to find a nurse, I leaned back into the bed and let out a sigh. I was grateful to be alive, but my mind kept drifting back to the masked men. Who the fuck were they, and what did they want with us?
Anger boiled inside of me, and I folded my fist, causing the pain to shoot up through my arm again, and I winced. One thing was for sure, though - I would definitely find them and teach them a lesson for putting me in this hospital and endangering Lily.
Soon enough, Lily came back with a nurse, followed closely by a doctor. Their voices blurred together as they gave me a routine checkup.
The doctor”s voice was calm yet authoritative as he approached my bedside, his footsteps echoing softly against the sterile floors of the hospital room.
“Mr. West, I”m Dr. Reynolds. How are you feeling?” he inquired, his eyes peering over the rim of his glasses as he introduced himself.
I shifted uncomfortably against the crisp white sheets, the ache in my shoulder still intense. “Could be better,” I admitted with a wince, my voice strained from the effort of speaking.
The doctor nodded in understanding, his expression sympathetic. “You took quite a hit,” he remarked, his fingers deftly probing the bandages encasing my injured shoulder. “But you”re lucky. The bullet missed any major arteries and we were finally able to stop the bleeding.”
I let out a sigh of relief, gratitude washing over me like a soothing balm. “Guess I have you to thank for that.”
“Actually, you should thank your girlfriend here. She’s the one who called for an ambulance, and she knew to put pressure on the wound.”
My gaze drifted towards her as she stood by my side, a flicker of pride illuminated Lily”s features, her smile tinged with relief.
“I’m just glad you”re okay, Jake,” she murmured, her hand finding mine in a gesture of support.
The doctor continued his examination, checking my vital signs again and monitoring my progress, paying attention to detail. “You”ll need plenty of rest and rehabilitation,” he advised, his tone firm yet reassuring. “But with time and proper care, you should make a full recovery.”
I nodded, determination burning bright within me. ”I”ll do whatever it takes,” I vowed, my gaze meeting Lily”s with unwavering resolve, and then it flicked back to the doctor. “But Doc, how long till I can go back to work?”
“Work?” Lily exclaimed.
“Within a couple of weeks. Give or take by the second week you should be feeling much like yourself,” the doctor said.
I grunted in frustration. Two weeks was a long time, and I wanted to be out and about as soon as possible. I still had a job to do, and there was the issue of finding those masked men.
“Thank you, Doc,” I sighed.
As the doctor made his exit, leaving us alone once more, I turned to Lily to see her pout in annoyance. “What’s wrong babe?”
“Work? Are you serious right now?!” She seemed angry.
“I don’t understand, Lily,” I said.
“Why would you want to go back to work?” she exploded, her frustration bubbling to the surface like a pot left unattended on the stove.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I”m a firefighter, Lily,” I explained, my tone gentle yet firm. “It”s my duty to protect the people of Lakeridge.”
Lily”s reaction was immediate, her lips twisting into a pout of annoyance as she turned to face me. “Are you actually being serious right now?” she exclaimed, her eyes flashing with a mixture of frustration and concern.
“Lily, you of all people should know just how important my job is to me,” I explained, my tone gentle yet firm. “I can”t just sit around and do nothing while there are still threats out there.”
Her pout deepened, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “But what about us?” Lily countered, her voice filled with fear. “I don”t want to lose you, Jake. Not again.”
I reached out, taking her trembling hand in mine. “I didn”t get shot on duty,” I reassured her. “We were attacked, remember? Going back to work won”t change that. What matters is that those masked men are caught.”
But she continued to protest, her pleas growing more desperate with each passing moment. “Please, Jake,” she begged, her voice raw with emotion. ”Just stay with me. That”s all I ask.”
Before I could respond, the door swung open suddenly, and Cole rushed in, his expression a mixture of fear and relief.
“Jake, are you okay?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
I nodded, offering him a weak smile. “I”ll be fine, Cole. Just a flesh wound,” I reassured him, my gaze flickering towards Lily as I spoke.
Cole”s brow furrowed in confusion. ”What happened?” he inquired, his eyes scanning the room for answers.
As I recounted the terrifying events to Cole, memories of that fateful night flashed before my eyes like scenes from a nightmare.
“They came out of nowhere,” I explained, my voice strained with the effort of reliving the ordeal. “I saw them coming for us, so I had to act fast.”
Lily”s grip tightened on my hand as I continued. “I rushed at them, trying to put some distance between us,” I recounted, the adrenaline of the moment still coursing through my veins. “I managed to dodge and block most of their attacks, but a few of them got through.”
I winced as I recalled the sharp pain that had radiated through my shoulder, causing Cole to look at my bandaged-up shoulder.
“And that?” he pointed.
“I managed to take down a few of them, but there were too many. And then…” I paused, gritting my teeth in anger. “I heard a gunshot,” I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “And then everything went black.”
“I pushed her out of the way,” I explained, my voice tinged with regret. “But after that, the pain… everything went blank.”
I trailed off, unable to find the words to describe the agony that had consumed me in that moment.
“We”ll catch them, Jake,” Cole vowed, his voice filled with determination. “Trust me, I won”t rest until we do.”
I smiled, stretching my hand out for a fist bump. Cole smiled back, connecting his fist with mine.