Chapter 2 #3
He shook his head. Surprisingly, he didn’t. If asked just a day ago, he would’ve said he wanted to be alone. But now that she was here, he couldn’t stomach the thought of her leaving. He enjoyed her company.
“Okay, but if I snore, throw a pillow at me or something,” she joked.
She picked up the bag she’d dropped at the doorway when she’d arrived and disappeared into the small attached bathroom.
She reappeared a couple of minutes later wearing the same clothes she’d had on all day and settled on the cot next to his bed.
“I truly am sorry about what happened, Drake. But I’m so damn grateful you’re still here,” she whispered.
“I know we haven’t talked much since high school, but I’ve thought about you pretty much all the time…
and smiled, just knowing you were out there somewhere, kicking ass and taking names.
I’m proud of you. Thank you for what you do. ”
Brick swallowed hard at her words. He’d been thanked more times than he could count over the years, but he’d always brushed aside the kind words. Somehow they carried more weight coming from Alaska.
She fell asleep almost immediately, and Brick lay there, watching her doze for most of the night. By the time the sun began to inch over the horizon, he’d made a decision.
To heal. To get home and become the kind of man Vader, Monster, Bones, Rain, and Mad Dog would expect him to be. He no longer wanted to be a Navy SEAL, had no desire to put on the uniform ever again. Though, he figured that probably wasn’t an option anyway with his injuries.
He had no idea what he’d do, but he wanted to be a man Alaska could continue to be proud of. Somehow, some way, he’d pick up the pieces of his life and honor his fallen teammates…as well as his old friend who’d gone out of her way to be by his side when he was at his lowest.
Alaska was amazed at the changes in Drake over the next two days.
He no longer simply lay in bed, staring at her.
He ate all his meals, sat up for long stretches, and genuinely seemed interested in what was happening around him.
A huge difference from the day she’d arrived, when all he’d done was stare at her or the ceiling as she rambled.
The doctors attributed his improved attitude to her being there, but Alaska didn’t think that was the case. She wasn’t the kind of woman to inspire such a difference in anyone, but whatever happened, she was relieved.
The third night, when she’d settled down on her cot, Alaska said, “It’s probably time I got out of your hair.”
She felt more than saw him turn his head to stare at her.
His mattress was higher than hers, and she felt oddly safe with him being above her like he was.
It was stupid; nothing was going to happen to her inside a military hospital.
But she couldn’t help but feel as if any minute now, the military police would burst through the doors and drag her away for lying about being engaged to Drake.
“Stay,” he said quietly.
Surprised, Alaska sat up and stared at him. “Did you…Drake, you spoke!”
He smiled and said in a rusty voice, “Call the press, it’s a miracle.”
Moving back to the chair she’d been using for the last few days, she reached for the call button. “We need to tell the nurses!”
But Drake moved faster and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “They’ll figure it out tomorrow.”
Alaska stared at him for a long moment before saying, “Something’s very different.”
Drake nodded.
“I’m glad,” she said somewhat shyly. Now that he could speak, she braced herself for his questions. For him to lecture her for lying to the military.
Instead, he whispered, “Thank you for coming. I needed this. You.”
She memorized those quiet words. Knowing she would bring them out again and again, anytime she was having a down day.
“I…They didn’t deserve to die.”
Alaska felt tears fill her eyes. “I know. Tell me about them?”
For the next hour, Drake did just that, regaling her with story after story of his fallen teammates. She laughed, she cried, and she mourned alongside him, for the loss of such amazing men and friends.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do…but I’m going to find a way to honor their memories,” Drake vowed.
His voice sounded rough. Probably from the trauma his vocal cords had suffered and from not speaking for so long. But every word was like a gift to Alaska.
“I know you will.”
“You’ve always believed in me,” he said.
Alaska could only nod. She had.
He stared at her for a long moment, then asked, “You gonna get shit for being here with me? For being away from your job for so long?”
She shook her head, knowing she was totally lying.
She was already in trouble. Her boss had sent her a threatening email just that afternoon, saying if she wasn’t back behind her desk in the morning, she wouldn’t have a job to go back to.
But she didn’t care. Secretaries were a dime a dozen.
She’d get another job. Being here with Drake was more important.
“Good,” he said. “Once I talk to the doctor, I’m sure it’ll be a matter of days before I’ll be headed back to the States.”
Alaska’s stomach dropped, but she smiled at him anyway. “That’s great.”
“I’m not gonna be staying in the Navy,” he said somewhat forcefully, as if he thought she might protest or something.
“Okay.”
He grinned. “That’s all you’re gonna say about that?”
“Yup,” she said with a shrug. “If you aren’t a SEAL, you’ll be something else equally amazing and wonderful and kick-ass.”
He chuckled, then got serious. “Thank you for believing in me, Alaska.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that,” she replied firmly. Then, before she got too weepy, she stood and went back to the cot. “You need to sleep,” she said. “And not jabber all night.” She grinned to let him know she was teasing.
Once she got settled on her bed again, she saw him turn to look down at her.
“Alaska?”
“Yeah, Drake?”
“I owe you one. If you ever need anything, and I mean anything, you let me know and I’ll be there for you.”
Tingles shot through her entire body. “Thanks. Code word ‘fiancé,’ right?” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.
But Drake didn’t smile. “If anything goes south enough that you need a code word, sure. But I’m serious. You just may have saved my life. I’m in your debt.”
She frowned at that. “You would’ve figured things out, Drake. I know it.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But that doesn’t change the fact that from here on out, I’m gonna be your pen pal. And more than one email a year. I want to keep in touch, Alaska. I…I need that.”
“Okay,” she agreed quietly. “I’ll want to know all about whatever greatness is in store for you, anyway.”
“And I want to know the same about you,” he returned.
Tears filled her eyes again. There wasn’t anything great about her life.
It was just…there. She wasn’t saving the world or finding a cure for cancer.
She was simply going through the motions.
But she was all right with that. She was seeing the world.
Meeting new people. Experiencing new cultures.
Maybe one day, she’d move back to the States. Maybe.
“Deal?” he asked.
“Deal,” she agreed.
“Sleep, Al,” he ordered. “Things are gonna get exciting in the morning.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle through her tears. Drake always loved surprising people, and his doctors were going to be extremely shocked when they found out he could talk…and that his attitude had completely turned around.