Chapter 52
The bedside vigil
Climbing into Callie’s hospital bed took some effort. Exhausted, Jess was careful not to disturb how Callie was arranged or to interfere with the one remaining IV, but the soft mattress acted like a heavy sedative as Jess lay down. She tried to steal a corner of Callie’s pillow, then happily realized she was nose to nose with the woman who had captured, not rescued, her heart. Jess was grateful to feel Callie’s even breath on her face.
“You need to heal,” Jess whispered, “and wake up. And I need you back in our bed as soon as possible.”
So close, Jess couldn’t help but notice the wrap covering Callie’s chest had slipped lower, exposing a little more skin than it should have. Jess’s hand drifted to Callie’s side below the soft terry cloth band. Her smooth skin was warm and vital, a welcome departure from Callie’s hands that had remained disturbingly cool since their arrival.
Jess would have given anything to have Callie’s fingers intertwine with hers.
Still, for a moment, Jess’s thoughts drifted back to their first night together. The hot tub, the awkward and weirdly exhilarating preparation of her bedroom, and Callie’s reaction to the candles and music. Jess replayed the moment they had lain down together another dozen times.
Each memory of gathering Callie into her arms, both naked, with the heat of their mutual lust blooming. Now Jess fought back tears, praying it could happen again.
Those thoughts led to others, and suddenly Jess was too warm, her breath shallow. She didn’t care that the door stood open, or that anyone might pass. She only knew this—she had been one moment, one bad turn, away from never touching Callie like this again.
Slowly, carefully, Jess slid her hand beneath the loosened edge of the wrap—not seeking, not stroking—just resting her palm there, warm and solid over Callie’s breast. The weight of it. The proof of her. Alive. Breathing. Still here.
Jess swallowed hard.
“I almost lost you,” she whispered, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “I can’t—God, Cal, I can’t—”
Her thumb barely moved, not a caress so much as an unconscious press, grounding herself. She felt Callie’s warmth through the bandage, the steady rise and fall beneath her hand, and it undid her.
“I don’t care if I ever do this again,” Jess breathed, voice breaking. “I just need you. I need you.”
“Can’t,” someone said.
Jess froze.
“Can’t,” Callie repeated, voice rough, eyes still closed. “You can’t skip first base.”
She puckered her lips. “I demand a kiss before you feel me up.”
Jess didn’t move her hand right away. Not because she wanted more, but because she didn’t want to lose the moment by reacting incorrectly.
“You scared me,” she said finally, voice low, steadying. “I don’t ever want to be in a world where I don’t get to touch you. Even like this.”
Callie’s expression softened, humor dimming just enough to let the truth breathe. She shifted slightly, careful of the incision, then placed her own hand over Jess’s wrist—not guiding it, not pulling it away. Just acknowledging it.
“I’m here,” Callie said. “And you didn’t take anything from me. You reminded me I still belong to myself. To us.”
Jess closed her eyes. A tear escaped anyway.
“That’s all I needed,” she admitted. “Permission to believe we weren’t over.”
Callie inhaled slowly, deliberately, as if testing the world. “You don’t get to disappear on me now,” she murmured. “I woke up. That’s my half.”
Jess nodded, finally easing her hand away—not in retreat, but in respect—and tucked it between them, fingers lacing with Callie’s instead. The contact felt almost louder than before.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Callie added, dryly, “Also, for the record? I fully intend to renegotiate base-running privileges once I’m cleared for light activity.”
Jess huffed a wet laugh, pressing her forehead to Callie’s. “Doctor’s orders?”
“No,” Callie said. “Mine.”
That—that was when Jess finally let herself exhale.
Jess pulled back, still stunned by the sound of Callie’s voice and the fact that it was real. Then she realized everything she had just said. “Oh God,” she rasped, “how much did you hear?”
Callie giggled, then licked her lips. “All those good parts for sure. Any more of that out of your mouth, and I’m gonna need another IV.”
Trembling, Jess gasped, her teeth digging into her lower lip. “Oh…Cal… are you okay? I’ve never been so frightened in my entire life.”
“I feel…good,” Callie whispered. “Somehow, I knew you were here, and the others,” she hesitated, “a couple of unusual others?”
“That tracks,” Jess said, cocking her brow. But then she looked serious. “I have to ask you something. There’s no wrong answer,” she added. “I promise I won’t be mad.”
Callie looked genuinely concerned but also had a clue about Jess’s possible query. “Isabel?”
“Mmm,” Jess acknowledged, but shook her head. “Camden,” she said softly. “With your visions…did you know?”
Callie’s face went blank. “What?” she gasped. “Is he okay? How long have I been here? What’s happened? Did I know what?” Callie grimaced, getting agitated.
Jess sighed in relief. “So, assuming you hadn’t warned Isabel about the possibility of…” Now she winced, trying to push the thoughts away. “But guess who showed up in one of the helicopters… with your vampire biker healer?”
“Excuse me?” Callie’s reaction was priceless. “You can’t be serious. Cam?” she squeaked, but her surprise gave way to a warm smile. “Cam has magic.” Callie’s face pulled into her classic lopsided smirk, and Jess started to cry, having wished so hard to see it again.
Callie snorted. “Owww. That little shit, I’m gonna—” she groaned, “that hurt. He didn’t want to be a…oh Jess, I love him so much.”
“Yeah,” Jess smiled, then stroked Callie’s face. “Your charge nurse, she’s an odd one. Tagged him as an empath and a good one. It’s been a couple of interesting days.”
“Apparently.” Callie’s eyes flew open. “Our witches, the team—please tell me that everyone is okay.”
“Bumps and bruises are the official answer,” Jess said softly, “but I think there were some close calls.”
“Hope,” Callie gasped, and Jess was quick to calm Callie’s fears. “Our little Hope did more to secure our goals than anyone. She’s fine.” Jess’s brow arched. “Though she did bring Cam a gooey bar from the cafeteria. Best we keep an eye on her.”
“She’s so young?” Callie asked.
“Barely,” Jess nodded. “And Cam is almost eighteen.” She grinned. “Hardly the age gap thing.”
“Such a ridiculous trope,” Callie snickered, then caught movement at the doorway. “We have visitors.”
“They can wait,” Jess said, lifting her free hand in a subtle, firm signal toward the hall, “before you get stampeded.” Jess leaned in and kissed Callie, but she pulled back before Callie could reciprocate. “I love you, Callie. With everything I am and will ever be. I was so scared.”
“I’m here now, my darling Jessemay,” Callie whispered. “I love you too. I didn’t know everything that might happen. All I know is that you need to be cherished. I know that I am the one for you.”
Callie gritted her teeth. “I’m assuming we’re out of the woods from a global domination point of view. You got him…Max is gone?”
Jess nodded. “It’s a blur, but yes. Gone. The Veil is sealed, and Virelich is locked away again.” She shook her head. “Now we concentrate on getting you back on your feet. Lots of quiet time ahead.”
Callie puckered her lips. “There may be other positions I would enjoy.” She smiled, then accepted another kiss from Jess. “Is that water in the cup next to you? These lips are parched.”
Jess reached for the cup and helped Callie navigate the straw, only for Callie to pull it out of the Styrofoam cup and dribble water over her lips. “Oooh, babe, look what you made me do. I’m all wet.”
“Even now?” Jess smirked, though grateful for Callie’s playfulness.
“You’re in bed with me,” Callie shrugged. “It’s constant.”
A calm silence fell over the room, but only for a moment.
“Earlier,” Callie asked, “did you say vampire biker healer, or am I on some really good meds?”
“May have,” Jess sheepishly admitted. “Her name is Robin, and Isabel brought her in from the Twin Cities. Very much has a black-leather vibe… oooooh, super judgy. She was nice to me later. Not so much at the beginning.” Jess paused, “I’ll apologize later.”
“And she flew in with Camden…” Callie finished.
“And I was more than a trainwreck,” Jess added. “Cam came to my rescue, then yours.”
A knock at the door drew their attention. Jess looked over her shoulder to see Cam bouncing on his feet, wearing a teary grin.
“Ah,” Callie smirked, “the man of the house has arrived. I suggest we bid him a fair welcome.” She leaned close to whisper in Jess’s ear. “Remember where your hand was also? I want to get rid of the pillow between my knees. I want you there instead.”
Jess shrieked and started laughing, but waved Cam over. As he stepped from the doorway, Robin and the charge nurse filled the space behind him. It was clear a line had formed in the hallway.
As Camden walked into the room, his eyes swept the monitor and the overall generic colors and furniture. Stopping a couple of steps from Callie’s bed, he looked at his mother, then Callie. “Hey,” he croaked out, then cleared his throat. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you, buddy. It’s good to be back.” Callie reached for him. “Get over here and hold my hand.”
Callie took his hand, and Cam winced, surprised by Callie’s strength. “Gear up, bro. I’m gonna be back on the ice in a few weeks. I’ll kick your butt.”
Cam gasped, hung his head, and broke down crying. When he tried to force a smile, Jess was on the move, gathering him into her arms, crying as well. “I know,” she whispered. “This time we all get to go home.”
“Sorry,” he tried. “I don’t like hospitals.” He gestured over his shoulder. “This crew…interesting.”
“Sooo,” Callie prodded, “something about magic?”
Cam scoffed at his mother. “God, Mom, already? She’s only been awake for like, five minutes.”
“More than that,” Jess returned, blushing hard. Callie rescued her.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Callie said quickly. “We can all go out in the country and blow shit up.”
“Callie,” Jess said through gritted teeth.
Callie cleared her throat. “On rare occasions.” Glancing at Jess, she mouthed, We are so gonna.
“Sure,” he said softly, “though I might be grounded until I’m thirty.”
“Grounded is the word I would use,” Callie said warmly, then shared a smirk with Cam. “I’ll start working on her; maybe get her down to twenty-one.” Callie’s brow arched. “I think I understand, we understand, but you and your mom, the mother-son unit, will be my jam.”
Her grip on him softened, and they parted with a light squeeze. Callie’s eyes were shining. “I have so much to be thankful for,” she whispered. “And you’re pretty high on my two-person list.”
Cam’s lips quirked like he was trying not to cry and laugh at the same time.
Jess, watching them, said nothing. She reached for Cam’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then saw movement behind her son. It was the charge nurse, and that meant all business.
But that morning, the woman approached Callie’s bed like smirk had been the word of the day at their staff meeting. It dawned on Jess that she had never taken the time to learn the nurse’s name.
“Sorry,” Jess apologized, readying herself to climb off Callie’s bed.
“Nah, you’re good. This’ll just take a second.” With an authoritative click of her pen, the nurse went through her notes, stopping only to make overly large checkmarks on Callie’s chart. “Plus, if you can remind her not to sit on the call button again,” she grinned.
Jess flushed. “That was once.”
“True. So, your vitals are good, and we’re looking for the incision to be clean and a nice, pretty pink. You can come back in for a check-up in a week. As there are internal stitches, they’ll dissolve.” She bent to look at Callie’s flank and went quiet. “Just an FYI, your surgeon does cross-stitch as a hobby.” She paused. “Do you like little woodland animals. Hopefully, squirrels?”
Jess coughed a laugh. Callie blinked, not sure there was more kick to her pain meds than she’d thought.
Still, Callie stared like a fool. There was a moment when the nurse looked up and tilted her head ever so slightly in recognition. “Good to see you awake, Dreamer,” she said softly, “and with your family.”
“At my rink,” Callie gasped, making the connection. “You’re just not appearing in a mist and changing my entire world…” She looked at Jess. “For the better.”
A troubled expression clouded the woman’s face. Both Jess and Callie saw the concern. “What?” They received a loud tapping of the pen on the clipboard. It sounded like scolding.
“Says here you broke another stick. You’re officially on my list.”
“Uh…what list?” Callie ventured, teeth gritted.
“The three-stick limit. First your hockey stick, and now your battle staff.” The nurse put her hands on her hips. “One more, and all you get are pool noodles and glitter glue.”
Jess snorted. “She’s not kidding. Yesterday, I asked for a pen and got a juice box and a time-out.”
Cam had tried to take all of this in quietly, but with his hands covering his mouth, he had begun to shake the bed. His mother’s comment put him over the edge, and his pent-up emotions went with it. He busted out laughing, but got a stern look in return. “And you, Mr. Junior wizard…”
Cam straightened, mock offended. “I have literally done nothing.”
“Mmm, sure,” she hummed, unimpressed. “I’m putting you in charge of these two…partners in crime, magic…emotional chaos.” She reached to straighten Callie’s chest banding, “and whatever else is going on here.”
Jess raised a brow. “Rude.”
“Accurate,” Callie murmured, blushing. Cam, wheezing with suppressed laughter, saluted the nurse. “Understood, Commander.”
She winked. “God help you, kid.”
The nurse stepped back toward the doorway, glancing once over her shoulder where a woman in scrubs waited patiently, tablet tucked under her arm, posture relaxed but attentive.
A single silver earring—thin and dangling, like it didn’t belong in a hospital—caught the fluorescent light when she shifted. Her eyeliner was a shade too sharp to be accidental, framing eyes that looked amused by chaos but never surprised by it. She gave a slight nod—unobtrusive, observant, unmistakably in charge of what came next.
“See ya around,” she added, then turned to the door. “Dr. Subtle, you’re up.”