Page 139 of After 5
“We can’t seem to stabilize his blood pressure. He drops so low I expect him to go into cardiac arrest, but then he recovers. His CT scans are normal, and his organs haven’t shut down, so we’re still hopeful he’ll improve. He joins us occasionally, checks the room like he’s searching for someone, then goes right back under.”
“Maybe this will help.” I held his key in my hand. “It’s his good luck charm.”
The nurse smiled. “It’s pretty.” She turned to replace the empty bag of saline solution hanging from the IV pole.
I agreed. Clasping it around his neck, the moonstone glowed softly. A brilliant sun sketched into the stone like one a child would color on a drawing from school. Tiny blue diamonds extended in the sun’s rays and shimmered against the pallor of Caiyan’s skin.
A tuft of chest hair peeked out from the neck of his hospital gown and I remembered how much I loved to run my fingers through the fine curls on his chest, and the way his muscles clenched when I ran my hands over the cut of his sculpted abs, then down to things I may never hold again.
I cursed myself for taking that stroll down memory lane. I had to think of him like Paulina referred to my brother, “in an unavailable way.”
The morphine drip attached to his IV pole lay unhooked and powered off.
“Why isn’t the morphine running?” I asked the nurse. “Doesn’t he need that for pain?”
“He came around long enough to tell the doctor if he didn’t remove it, he’d kill him.” She laughed softly. “He’s still got a lot of fight in there.” She tapped her own temple.
The medical staff wasn’t in the know about our time travel abilities. They knew we were agents, didn’t know for who or what, but they knew keeping us alive was a top secret priority. To the nurse I was Caiyan’s concerned partner.
I assumed one day someone would identify the strand of DNA that held our genetic mutation for time travel and create an army of little mercenaries, or Amazon would sell it like eye cream and put the airlines out of business.
The nurse left us alone. I sat with him for a while. The silence made me sad, so I told him what happened at Mama’s Double Wide and how Gian-Carlo got away. Smoke and mirrors. The guy was a pro.
I wished he would open his eyes and scold me for getting too close to Gian-Carlo. But he didn’t.
“You need to wake up, big guy. There’s going to be a little guy or gal soon that’s going to need you around.”
I didn’t know how I fit anymore. I was the odd-shaped puzzle piece that had somehow found its way into the wrong box.
After twenty minutes, the nurse came and ushered me away.
I met Campy coming down the hall toward Caiyan’s room.
“How’s Uncle Cai?”
“He didn’t wake up this time.”
Campy’s face went from dimpled to alarmed.
“I’m sure it’s just the recovery. The doctor said it would take time for his body to repair.”
“Thought I’d stop by and see how he’s doing. Me mum’s worried. I know General Potts wants us to pretend Uncle Cai is dead, but it’s going to kill me to lie to me Mum. I mean, are we going to have a funeral and everything?”
Welcome to the WTF, I thought but didn’t say out loud. Campy was in enough distress over Caiyan’s fake death.
“We still have some time before the WTF decides if an official announcement will be made.” Waiting to see if it would be the real deal.
“I dinnae see why he can’t work for the WTF, be a defender again.”
“I’m sure when he recovers, things will return to normal. The WTF needs him.” I gave his arm a comforting squeeze. I doubted things would return to normal but agreed that the WTF needed him. I needed him. Strike that. I wanted him. Victory would need him.
“Is Jake back?” I cringed. When Jake found out I had returned Caiyan’s key, he wasn’t going to be happy.
Gertie slipped me the key while Jake was handling the fallout from the confrontation with the Mafusos, Angel’s questions about her gift, Victory, and Marco. Jake secretly dating Evangeline wouldn’t rank high on Marco’s list of tolerable things.
I assumed the WTF would hold the key over Caiyan’s head if—no when—he recovered. Possibly grounding him until he swore allegiance to the cause. By placing the key around his neck, I allowed him to make the choice.
Campy shifted. “Last I heard, Agent McCoy was at yer house. Something about finding a safe place for Victory to stay until he could figure oot where to place her.”
