Chapter 20 Cam #2
When he reached the twelve-foot-tall main gate at xTerra, one side swung open, admitting his truck at once.
He exhaled heavily. His message must have gotten through.
He was expected. Cam parked crookedly in front of the Medical Center, where Captain Wilson waited.
A doctor and a nurse stood beside his captain with a stretcher.
Cam was grateful they were organized. Lissa might need surgery to remove the bullet.
From what he’d guessed from his quick field assessment, she had just an entry wound.
He flung his door wide and opened the back. “She’s here.”
The medical staff transferred Lissa to the stretcher and rushed inside.
“Dave mentioned she’s your friend?” Captain Wilson said as Cam retrieved Lissa’s filthy pack, preparing to follow.
Cam nodded. “She’s the one who took care of me when I fractured my foot. I stayed with her for seven weeks and left a map so she could visit.” A sick feeling washed over him. If she hadn’t tried to come, she wouldn’t have been shot. His gut churned. His gaze cut to the path toward surgery.
Wilson grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. “This isn’t your fault. It’s the Slains.” He must have seen something on Cam’s face.
Cam clenched his jaw and nodded. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
They walked toward the entrance of the building, the cool air on his face.
“I didn’t know the Slains would have us surrounded and be monitoring our traffic so closely.
” Cam’s voice sounded distant. He focused his gaze on Lissa’s pack, not meeting Wilson’s eyes.
Cam was afraid he might unravel if met with too much sympathy.
“I’m going to wait.” He couldn’t lose her when they’d just found each other.
“Why now? I wonder,” said Captain Wilson, drumming his fingers against his thigh while the other held open the door.
Cam stopped. “What do you mean?” His voice was sharp as a blade.
“You came back months ago. Did she wait to travel in the spring, or did something send her on the road looking for you?”
Cam hadn’t considered why she’d appeared.
He’d just been thankful she was alive. He swallowed.
The crates at Fort Robinson meant the Slains might have plans there too.
Maybe her home was in danger, and she’d come to him for help or refuge.
He resumed walking. Hopefully she would be okay, and he could ask her the reason for her journey when she woke after surgery.
Wilson was right, she wouldn’t have left her cats behind without cause.
***
After her successful surgery, the doctor let Cam sit with the unconscious Lissa in Recovery.
They’d assured him that post-surgery, her vitals were stable even if they didn’t know when she might wake.
They’d given her a blood transfusion, and she still had an IV tube attached to the back of her hand.
Despite the transfusion, her skin remained pale as chalk.
His heart swelled at the prospect of getting an opportunity to take care of her, not just to repay his debt, but because he cared.
He hauled his chair beside the hospital bed and took her icy hand into his much larger, warm one.
Yawning, he glanced at the clock. 4:30 a.m. He’d been awake all night, something he hadn’t done in years.
His eyelids drooped as he settled in to wait, hoping everything would be okay when she woke.
Twice he nodded off, his head jerking up, before he shifted closer, scraping his chair against the floor. He laid his head on the edge of her bed near her lap. He’d just rest his eyes for a few minutes.
Some time later, Cam returned to awareness.
From the crick in his neck, he must have slept for longer than planned.
He lifted his head, his gaze switching to Lissa at once.
With an ear-splitting yawn, he sat up, stretching his sore neck.
He rubbed at the stiffness and picked up her hand again.
He couldn’t seem to stop touching her, as if to remind himself she was actually here. In xTerra. With him.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and her amber eyes met his startled gaze. “I wondered how long you’d sleep,” Lissa said, her voice barely more than a whisper. Tears slid down her cheeks.
“You’re alive.” He grinned, unable to contain his joy. “What did the doctor say?”
“I haven’t spoken to anyone,” she said, wiping the tears with the back of her hand. “I was letting you rest.”
“Are you crying because you’re sad or because you’re hurt?” He was touched she’d let him sleep, but he wanted to be the one taking care of her this time.
Her eyes widened, her gaze serious. “I’m relieved I found you. There’s something you need to know.”
He pressed a kiss to her palm. “I missed you. Last night, you terrified me. I wasn’t sure you’d survive. How did you end up shot?”
“I encountered a jeep full of men yesterday afternoon. I ran for hours. At dusk, I was exhausted and tried to hide, hoping they’d give up in the dark.
I scaled some boulders, and it almost worked.
One of them gambled, climbed up, and took a few random shots.
One ricocheted and hit me, but they didn’t realize because I kept quiet and didn’t move. ”
She must have been in agonizing pain.
“A flare recalled them, and they left. It wasn’t easy getting down, but I knew if I made it to xTerra, and to you, everything would be okay.” The trust in her gorgeous eyes meant the world.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn’t deserve her trust after giving the Slains an opportunity to hurt her. “I should get a doctor. Then I’ll come back.”
Wide-eyed, she shook her head. “Wait. The reason I came. I have important news. I need you to find someone in charge. The Slains are planning to bomb your walls and invade.”