Karma III. Sabrina Eubanks

work. She nodded against her will and turned to face the doctor, a tall, toffee-colored man, with salt-and-pepper hair and kind brown eyes.

      “Mrs. Ramsey?”

      Nadine nodded and he extended his hand. She took it like she was sleepwalking.

      “I’m Dr. Garrett. I performed your husband’s surgery.” Nadine felt like there was no moisture left in her mouth at all. She couldn’t answer him if she tried. Nadine leaned into Lucas and nodded.

      “I have to be honest with you, Mrs. Ramsey. When your husband got here, he was an absolute mess. He was shot twice in the torso. One bullet fractured his left collarbone, travelled downward a bit and exited through his shoulder blade. It looked messy, but it was fairly clean. The second went through his sternum. It ricocheted through his left lung and collapsed it … then it moved upward and nicked his aorta.” Nadine gasped and put her hand over her mouth. The doctor put a calming hand on her arm as he finished what he was saying. “Mrs.

      Ramsey, I’m one of the best heart surgeons you can get, and I performed the surgery myself. Your husband is tough. He’s a fighter. The nick in his aorta had him bleeding out internally — and the collapsed lung wasn’t helping. He crashed twice on his way here, then he went into shock … but he held on long enough to get to me. I closed the hole immediately. Right now, we’re trying to wait and see how everything goes. The heart should no longer be a problem, unless something unforeseeable happens. We don’t want him developing any fluid on his lungs.”

      “Is he going to be okay?” Nadine asked shakily.

      Dr. Garrett put his hands on his hips and sighed. “Well … barring he doesn’t develop fluid on his lungs — or any other adverse situations,” he said, nodding slowly, “I think eventually he’ll be fine, but it will take a while.”

      “How have you graded his condition?” Lucas asked.

      Dr. Garrett gave Lucas a cursory look, his eyes lingering on the arm not in a sling. “No longer grave. Critical and guarded. You his partner?” Lucas nodded. “Yes, I am.”

      Dr. Garrett nodded and turned back to Nadine. “He’s in rough shape and he doesn’t look very much like you’re probably used to seeing him. He has some facial wounds, which we cleaned and dressed.

      They should heal well. He was shot in the left hand and it chipped the bone in his knuckle. That’s in a soft cast. His left arm is in a sling because of the collarbone break. Oh, and his left leg is in a cast and traction. He was shot in that leg, as well, and he’s got a fracture in his femur and a dislocated kneecap.”

      “Oh, my God,” Nadine whispered.

      He nodded. “I agree. Your husband looks like he was in a war, Mrs.

      Ramsey.” He cast a disgusted glance at Captain Myers.

      Myers looked at him. “He was, Doctor.”

      They stared at each other for a moment, then Dr. Garrett turned back to Nadine. “You can see him, if you’re ready.” He put his hand on Lucas’s unslung arm. “You need to get that looked at. You’re not supposed to be bleeding. How did that happen?” Lucas shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I wasn’t very cooperative.” Dr. Garrett smiled, then looked at Nadine. “You guys got kids?”

      “Yes. A boy and a girl.”

      “Don’t worry, Mrs. Ramsey. He’s in extremely good hands. I’m on call until he’s out of the woods.”

      Nadine managed a smile of her own. “Thank you, Dr. Garrett.”

      “You’re welcome. Go on in and see your husband.” He touched Lucas’ shoulder and gave Myers that same glowering look. “This man looks like he’s been in a war, too. Don’t forget about your arm, sir.” He turned on his heel and walked down the hall.

      Nadine looked at Lucas. “Have you been in yet?” Lucas passed his free hand over his beard. “No. They just brought him up, not too long ago. You want me to go with you?”

      “I think I need you to.”

      “All right.” Lucas put his arm around her and shouldered the door open slowly.

      The first thing they saw was a perfectly nice little table, with a perfectly lovely vase of tulips sitting on its surface. Lucas ducked his head around the door and Nadine watched his face change.

      His eyebrows went up, just a little. He blinked, then closed his eyes

      … like he wanted to erase what he’d just seen. Lucas opened his eyes and took a step further into the room. The look on his face was alarming because Nadine had never seen it before. He looked like he was trying hard not to cry. Nadine stepped around him and looked at Noah. She put her hands on the bed railing and started to weep.

      Noah was on his back with four different machines monitoring him. He had a tube in his mouth and an oxygen tube under his nose.

      Noah had stitches over his eyebrow and his cheek was lightly bandaged. There was a smattering of lesser abrasions scattered across his face. The left side suffered the worst damage: the skin was bruised and swollen, to a shade that was almost purple. That eye was shut. The other eye didn’t appear to be completely closed; Nadine could almost swear she saw a whisper of gray. His lashes were damp like he’d been crying.

      

      There was a huge and ugly bruise flowering up from the bandages that covered his chest and shoulder. It seemed to be five different colors. One arm was in a sling and covered in a soft cast. His leg was also in a cast and in traction.

      Nadine looked down at his other hand laying limply on the bed, with an IV drip inserted into it. She frowned as she began to notice the little things. There was blood between his fingers, under his nails, and in his hair. Noah’s lips were terribly chapped and there was an un-nerving bluish tinge under his eyes. Nadine let out a shaky breath and looked over at Lucas. He was staring at Noah, arms across his chest, his head lowered.

      “Lucas … he looks … .” Nadine couldn’t bring herself to say it, but Lucas did.

      “Dead,” he said, flatly.

      There it was. He wasn’t though. She thanked God for that. Yes, he was alive, and even though he looked like he wasn’t, he was in there somewhere. Nadine wiped at her tears and gently took Noah’s hand.

      She leaned over and spoke in his ear.

      “Noah? Sweetheart, it’s Nadine. I’m here, and I love you very much. Can you hear me, baby?”

      Lucas moved closer and stood just behind her. “Nadine, look at him. I don’t think he can hear you.” Nadine concentrated on Noah’s face, ignoring Lucas, even though he could have been right.

      “Noah …” She kissed his forehead. “It’s me, baby ...”

      “Nadine …”

      Nadine whipped her head around angrily. “No, Lucas! Stop it!

      Don’t act like that. Look … he’s right here.” She ran her fingers through Noah’s hair and gingerly gripped his hand. “Noah, how worried should I be, sweetie?”

      Lucas put a hand on her back. “C’mon, Nadine …” Nadine shrugged him off. She was terrified for Noah. “No! I’m scared … Noah … do you know how much I love you?” Lucas put a hand on her arm and started to move her away, gently.

      “Stop, Nadine. Don’t do that.”

      She turned on him, eyes flashing, tears falling. Nadine pulled away from Lucas, slapping at his hand. “Shut up, Lucas! You don’t know …”

      “Let him be, Nadine.” She thought that had come from Lucas, but it didn’t. She looked over her shoulder and Big John was standing there looking very much like a brown-eyed older version of his son. Noah’s mother, Anita, was at his side, looking like she was ready to catch Nadine if she fell.

      “Come,