Hidden Impact (Safeguard #1)(76)

Chapter Twenty-Three

“She’s waking up.”

“Come see me when you’re done here.”

“Roger that.”

The voices echoed inside her head, low rumbles at different pitches. She struggled to wake faster, working to draw in more air and shrug off the heavy sleep. She wanted to hear one of those voices more. Wanted to talk. There was something important she had to tell it. Him.

Gabe.

“Easy there.” His voice flowed over her, his tone gentle tinged with worry.

He shouldn’t worry.

“Ah, but I do.” His lips brushed hers. Perhaps she’d spoken aloud. Or he’d gotten to the point where he could read her mind.

“I’d rather keep speaking out loud. Where’s An-mei?” Her throat constricted at the end and she coughed once, twice. A previously faint ache in her skull quickly escalated into a painful throb.

“Nearby, but let’s get some water in you first.” Gabe sounded amenable.

Suspicious, she cracked open her eyes. There he was, leaning over her, hale and whole and not a dream. And he was holding a glass of water.

She let her heavy eyelids fall, and she sighed as relief flowed through her. This had turned out much better than she’d been thinking it might not too long ago, however long that was. In any number of scenarios she’d thought it’d be her standing at the bedside with a glass of water and Gabe in the hospital bed.

“Want help sitting up?” The note of worry in his words had gotten stronger.

Careful of the throbbing headache, she nodded slightly.

There was the sound of a click and the bed started to adjust, the top half elevating gradually until she was in a sitting position.

She opened her eyes again and he stood there grinning, all sorts of proud of himself for having pushed a button. Smiling, she reached out and ran her fingertips over the button controls so she could do it herself later. If it was that easy, there was no reason she couldn’t do it on her own.

He handed her the water, holding the glass until she had her hands wrapped around it. She took a sip, then another, and her throat eased from its dried-up and scratchy state.

“I’ve only been gone forty-eight hours, but you managed to get yourself knocked in the head again since I left.” He reached out and touched her forehead. There was a tender spot, probably a decent-sized lump. “Did Jewel hit you?”

“No.” Maylin leaned her head into his touch and he curved his hand over her cheek. “My head hit the floor when she tripped me is all. Actually, she could have done a lot worse to me.”

His brows drew together in a scowl. “Could have. This was bad enough.”

“I really need to learn to defend myself more effectively.” Guilt warred with a pang of sadness. “Here you are freshly back from a dangerous mission and I—”

“Need to rest and heal.” Gabe interrupted her, pressing his thumb over her lips.

Irritated, she caught the tip of his thumb between her teeth.

Heat kindled in his eyes and she blushed in response, releasing his thumb.

Gabe chuckled. “Don’t tempt me. That wouldn’t be rest. What I could do, if you’re feeling up to it now, is take you to see your sister.”

She startled to scramble out from under the light covers.

“Easy, easy.” Gabe’s arms wrapped around her. “You’re going to tip right off this bed.”

The warmth of his embrace seeped through the thin fabric of the hospital gown and through her skin. He held her for a long moment, whispering endearments into her hair, then he adjusted his hold to scoop her up in his arms.

“I can walk!” She didn’t wiggle, though. He had to have been hurt back there on the mission. She’d seen the vehicle flip over. “You should not be carrying me.”

He grunted. “I can handle getting you into a wheelchair. Safer than letting you hop out of that hospital bed and try to run around with a mild concussion.”

Well, even without a mild concussion she was clumsy enough that she probably would have tripped herself up somehow and fallen out of the bed.

There was indeed a wheelchair nearby, and he placed her gently into the seat. He also got a light robe from a nearby hook on the wall and helped her slip it on.

She tipped her head to look up at him. “How do I look?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Beautiful.”

She batted at his hand on the arm of her wheelchair. “Presentable? I need to know if I look presentable. I don’t want An-mei worried about me after everything she’s been through.”

“Can barely see the lump with your hair down.” He leaned in and kissed her for good measure. “And you make the robes here look surprisingly presentable. Ready?”

“Ready.”

He wheeled her out of the curtained area and out of the larger infirmary into the hallway. It wasn’t far, and he turned her wheelchair in to a much smaller room with only two beds, separated by curtains. As he brought them to a stop at the far set of curtains, Maylin reached out and twitched the edge of one aside. “Mèi mèi?”

A form stirred under the blankets on the bed. “Jiě jiě?”

Tears welled up and burned her dry eyes at the sound of her little sister’s voice. Groggy, hesitant, but it was An-mei. Swallowing to ease the constriction in her throat, Maylin tugged at the curtain to open it more.