“Take your fucking hands off her right now!” I roar. “If you hurt her, I’ll own you and this hospital!” Both nurses freeze, seeming too shocked to move for a moment. The one holding Lia drops her arms, stepping back uncertainly. Lia takes a few halting steps toward me before I quickly cover the rest of the distance, scooping her into my arms as gently as I can. There is blood dripping from her hand caused by the IV, which she dislodged during her struggle. I know she needs medical attention immediately, but I also know she needs to feel safe before that happens. She curls into my arms as if knowing I’ll protect her from the world. I perch on her bed, juggling her on my lap before finally getting us both settled. “I’ve got you, baby,” I whisper against the crown of her head. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Shhh,” I continue to soothe her until her body relaxes against mine.
By this time, two security guards stand in the doorway, along with Aidan and my aunt. The two nurses seem to have calmed down somewhat, and I motion to the one with the syringe. It kills me to have to do it, but I understand that unless Lia is sedated, they’ll probably be unable to reattach her IV lines without hurting or subduing her. I continue to speak softly to Lia, trying to reassure her with my presence. When the needle goes into her arm, she flinches but doesn’t try to pull away. I can feel her breathing grow heavier, and just as I believe she is asleep, her eyes pop open and she grips my arm. “Don’t leave me, Luc,” she pleads in a voice that slays me.
“Never,” I vow, which seems to give her enough peace to close her eyes and drift off. I hear my aunt dismissing the security guards. She walks over to me, looking down at Lia with concerned eyes.
“She’s out now, Luc. Lay her down so we can work on getting her lines reattached.” Grudgingly, I stand with her in my arms. Dropping a kiss on her forehead, I slowly lower her to the bed and step back to let my aunt and the other nurses do their work. Aidan walks up beside me looking unnerved.
“Is she going to be okay?” he asks doubtfully. I know this is torture for him, and he’d rather be most anywhere else. Nevertheless, he is loyal to a fault and doesn’t want to leave until he knows I no longer need him.
“She’ll be fine,” I say with more confidence than I feel right now. “I know you must have a million things to take care of today, so why don’t you take off. I’ve got everything handled here for now.” I see the relief that flashes across his face for just a split second before he disguises it. It’s a testament to the strength of our friendship that he would stay here for as long as needed even though this hospital is filled with painful memories for both of us.
“All right.” He briefly clasps my shoulder. “Keep me updated, and let me know if you need anything.” With those words, he is gone and relax slightly. Having my friends and family study Lia and myself so intently is exhausting. I’m tired of trying to explain our relationship when even I have no clue as to what it is. All I do know is that she is mine and I am hers. The particulars of that statement are too complex to ponder, so I don’t even attempt to try.
I walk back toward my aunt who is talking with her co-workers. “Do you have any idea what caused her to get so upset?” I ask, needing to know what happened in the short time I was gone.
The nurse who had been holding Lia spoke up, looking at me warily. “We were taking her vitals when she started to thrash around in her bed. Her eyes were closed, so I assumed she was having a bad dream. We tried to calm her, but it only seemed to upset her more. She had gotten out of the bed before she opened her eyes. I knew she was hurting herself by trying to walk with her injuries, but the more I tried to reason with her, the more upset she became.” Pointing to the other nurse, she said, “So, Lettie ran to the nurses’ station to get a sedative, and we were attempting to give it to her when you walked in.”
His aunt stepped forward after checking Lia’s IV line one last time. “It’s not unusual for someone who was the victim of a violent attack to cycle between dreams and reality. More than likely, she was still asleep when she jumped from the bed but woke up at some point. She recognized you, Luc, and responded to your reassurances. Moving around in the manner she was would have caused her pain which is likely what finally woke her.” His aunt dismissed the other nurses and took a seat next to the one I had pulled up at Lia’s bedside. “Even though she wasn’t raped, Luc, she’s still going to need therapy when she is stronger. Lia has been traumatized in ways we probably can’t even imagine.”