Chapter 2 #2
Right. The doctor said he wasn’t talking…which was probably to her benefit at the moment.
“It’s me. Alaska. You remember me, right?”
She winced at the stupid question, but held her breath as she waited for any hint of a response.
When his chin dipped down a fraction, she relaxed.
“Good. I’m sorry about the fiancée thing. They wouldn’t let me in to see you if I wasn’t related in some way. I won’t hold you to it though.” She smiled awkwardly. “Right, okay…it’s probably better that you aren’t talking right now. I’m sure you’d order me to get the hell out and never come back.”
He didn’t move or otherwise make any attempt to communicate. His blue eyes just stayed pinned to her face.
“Your mom told me you were here. Probably because she knew I was working in Germany. I’m not actually that far away, in Stuttgart.
Anyway, I got on the train and came straight here.
Bet this isn’t how you expected to meet up with me again, huh?
Not that you ever expected to see me again.
I mean…” She sighed. “Sorry, I’m being my usual awkward self.
Clearly I haven’t changed much since school.
But…when I heard you were hurt, I had to come. ”
Leaning forward, she put a tentative hand on his forearm. “I’m so sorry about your friends,” she said softly.
He reacted for the first time since she’d arrived. His eyes closed and he turned his head away from her. It was obvious the doctor was right. He hated that he’d survived, and his teammates hadn’t.
“I’m not a doctor or psychologist,” she said quietly. “I’m just a secretary…and not a very good one at that, if you listen to my former bosses. But I know with everything I am that your friends would be so thankful you’re alive.”
The noise that came from Drake’s throat was a snort, or a laugh, or something.
But it didn’t deter Alaska from saying what she felt she needed to.
“I’m serious. If the roles had been reversed, if it was one of your friends lying here, and you were watching from Heaven, you’d be pissed if they thought for one second they would’ve been better off dead.
The world’s a better place with you in it, Drake.
What happened to them is devastating, and nothing I say will ease the pain you feel…
but I know without a shadow of a doubt that they’d probably want to kick your ass for wishing you’d died and they hadn’t. ”
Alaska had no idea what she was saying. She didn’t know his friends. But she knew Drake. Or at least, she used to. He would never want someone to suffer on his behalf, and she had to imagine his teammates were similar.
Deciding she needed to lighten the mood, she squeezed his arm and said, “You know, I always had a feeling you were Deadpool, and this incident just confirmed it.”
To her surprise, he turned his head again, eyes widening in disbelief.
She smiled slightly. “I know, Deadpool isn’t the best comparison, but with your face all bandaged and all…
it felt appropriate. Not to mention you were buried under all that rubble, and yet, here you are.
It’s like you’re invincible.” Alaska had a feeling she was totally bungling this, but she kept talking.
“I liked the first Deadpool movie better than the second. Isn’t that the case with most franchises?
The first one is always the best. Okay, I think I liked the third Jurassic Park movie best, but the fifth one? No. Just…no.”
Drake’s eyes didn’t move from hers as she spoke.
So Alaska kept chattering about anything and everything.
She had no idea what he was thinking, but he didn’t turn his head away again, which she was taking as a positive sign.
And his inability to speak kept him from ordering her to shut the hell up and get out of his room, for which she was grateful.
Mostly because she didn’t have anywhere to go.
She didn’t have excess cash to get a hotel room for several nights.
She’d be okay for a night or two, but any more than that and she’d be scraping the bottom of her bank account.
She kept up the steady one-way conversation until two nurses entered the room a couple hours later. To her amazement, Drake hadn’t dozed off once. He’d kept his surprisingly alert gaze on her the entire time.
“It’s time for dinner and your bath,” one of the men said.
“Oh, right. I’ll just…I’ll go find something to do,” Alaska said awkwardly.
“There’s a cafeteria on the ground floor if you want to grab something to eat.”
She nodded. “Okay…then…I can come back up, right?”
“Of course. You want us to get a cot for you?”
“Yes, please.” She was too chicken to look at Drake to see what he thought of that idea.
He was probably sick of her and wondering why the hell she was still here.
It wasn’t as if they were close or anything.
Not for many years. But the thought of leaving him before she knew for sure he was going to be all right was something she didn’t think she could do.
“All right, give us about an hour,” the other nurse said.
Alaska nodded. Then, figuring she needed to ensure they wouldn’t become suspicious of her ruse that she was engaged to Drake, she leaned over the bed. She kissed his bandage-covered cheek gently and whispered, “Don’t talk their ears off. I’ll be back soon.”
She gave him a small smile, then turned and headed out of the room.
Brick could’ve sworn he felt Alaska’s lips on his cheek as she kissed him. It was impossible, considering how wrapped up he was. But he couldn’t deny that he felt more alive right now than he had since waking in this hospital.
Listening to her chat about anything and everything had been surprisingly…invigorating. He was so sick of hearing staff tell him how well he was doing, saying they were sorry about what happened, telling him he would eventually accept what happened and be grateful he hadn’t died.
Alaska hadn’t done any of that. Well…she’d said she was sorry. But then she’d started babbling about random nonsense. Oddly, it seemed to be exactly what he’d needed.
She’d always been one of the few people who’d believed in him without reservation. Going to all his baseball games to cheer him on. Insisting he’d be an amazing SEAL.
And he suddenly couldn’t get the graduation present she’d made for him out of his head.
Casting his mind back, he remembered his mom telling him Alaska had returned the night of his party to give it to him, and when he wasn’t there, Alaska had thrown away the gift.
Thank God Mom had fished it out of the garbage.
Her gift had hung in every apartment he’d ever lived in.
Every time he looked at it, he thought of Alaska’s faith in him.
She hadn’t changed much since high school.
She had the same shoulder-length brown hair worn in the same simple style, the same shy awkwardness, and the same wide, guileless smile.
But she was no longer a kid. Her curvy frame had filled out, became even curvier in all the right places.
And there was a guarded maturity behind her eyes that told him her life hadn’t necessarily been easy.
He’d realized quickly Alaska wasn’t very forthcoming in their infrequent emails, was exceedingly adept at sidestepping his questions, but he’d gotten the impression that she worked hard for everything in her life.
Nothing could’ve shocked him more than seeing her walk through the door of his hospital room.
He also couldn’t believe she’d boldly claimed to be his fiancée, just to see him.
But then again…he could. When she got something in her mind, he recalled she could be stubborn as hell.
Always had been, at least when he’d known her.
He realized he was grateful for that trait.
He also found himself overwhelmingly thankful for her presence. She had a quiet charisma and a realness about her that was refreshing compared to the rigidity of the Navy and the people he came into contact with while on missions.
To his surprise, it didn’t seem to hurt quite as much as the nurses bathed him and rearranged his bedding. Dinner arrived, and he ate absently. Every time he opened his mouth, his face hurt, but he barely noticed. His mind was on the old friend who’d come to see him, instead of the pain.
Exactly an hour later, Alaska popped her head around the door and smiled. “Done?” she asked.
Since he was the only one in the room, he couldn’t help but smile very slightly at the question.
“Right, sorry, stupid question again, huh?” she asked. She walked back to the chair she’d vacated earlier and put her hand on his forearm. The slight weight felt…nice. Comforting.
“You know, this place scares me.”
Brick frowned.
“Not the people, per se. Just that I’m constantly afraid I’m going to say or do something wrong.
The military is like this huge club I don’t understand and definitely don’t belong in, and it feels like any minute now, someone will point at me and shout, ‘Infidel!’ and escort me out.
” She giggled, then sobered. “Again, I’m sorry about lying to get in here, Drake.
I’m certain they don’t really believe me.
I’m sure everyone’s wondering what in the hell you’d see in someone like me.
” She shrugged, then winked. “But you can set everyone straight once you’re back on your feet.
Wouldn’t want your reputation to suffer. ”
Brick opened his mouth to ask what the hell she was talking about, but she didn’t give him a chance. She just went right into another long soliloquy about something she’d seen at her work the other day.
Eventually, she ran out of things to ramble on about. She yawned and apologized. “I’m sorry. I haven’t slept in…” She looked at her watch. “Well, a really long time.”
Brick gestured to the bed behind her. One of the nurses had set it up not too long ago.
“Right. Do you mind me staying?”