A discreet cough interrupted the intimate moment, and Julia sprang apart from him. “Sorry for interrupting.”
Luca’s amusement caused Julia to blush and Miguel to laugh, followed by an exclamation of pain.
“Ow! Luca, don’t make me laugh. No offense, man, but what are you doing here? Has something happened?”
Luca’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Yeah. You were shot. Justice sent me so you wouldn’t be alone.”
“I’m not alone. Julia is with me.” His eyes traversed boldly over her. Julia’s blush deepened.
“True. But Julia needed someone to support her.” Luca set a white paper bag on a mobile TV tray and handed a to-go cup to Julia. “Coffee and donuts. Sorry, Miguel. They’re not for you.”
“Damn. I’m hungry. So, what have I missed?”
“I’ll let Julia fill you in while I inform the lead nurse that you’re awake.”
Julia placed a small folding chair next to Miguel’s hospital bed. She brushed a lock of his dark hair to one side and brought his hand up to her lips.
“That bad, huh?” he joked.
“It…it was touch and go… You were in surgery for hours to repair the internal damage. You lost a lot of blood…” To her chagrin, Julia’s voice cracked, and tears pooled in her eyes.
“Hey.” Miguel extricated his hand from hers and wiped away the moisture on her cheeks. “Don’t cry. I’m still here, and I’m gonna be okay.”
Their eyes locked and held. Miguel’s hand moved from her cheek to the back of her neck… His gaze shifted toward the entrance to his hospital room, and his hand fell away, along with its warmth. Julia glanced up and saw Luca with Dr. Solomon.
“Good morning, Agent Rivera. I’m Dr. Solomon. Glad you’re awake.” He shook Miguel’s hand. “Let’s see how you’re doing.”
A nurse had accompanied the doctor, and she accessed Miguel’s chart on the mobile computer stand.
“Your vitals look great. Strong and steady. Labs came back with positive results. So, let’s take a peek at your wound.”
Julia moved out of Dr. Solomon’s way. He adjusted the bed linens to preserve Miguel’s modesty and lifted his hospital gown. He peeled away the bandages and examined the stitches.
“It looks good. No sign of infection.” As the nurse placed fresh bandages on the wound, Dr. Solomon continued, “How’s your pain on a scale from one to ten?”
“Right now, it’s a five.” He winced from the pressure the nurse applied to his tender side.
Addressing the nurse, the doctor said, “Let’s wean Agent Rivera off morphine and replace it with a low dosage of oxycodone as needed. Keep him on fluids and intravenous antibiotics for the next twenty-four hours. Let’s try a clear liquid diet and monitor his urine output and bowel movements. We’ll also transfer him to a private room and set up physical therapy.”
“Yes, Doctor.” The nurse busily typed the instructions into the computer.
Dr. Solomon turned to Miguel. “I want you up and walking by this afternoon.”
“When will I be released? We were on the verge of arresting two dangerous fugitives before one shot me and escaped. The longer I’m laid up the colder their trail grows.”
“I understand, Agent Rivera, but you need to be ambulatory and eating solid foods before I release you.”
“Can you at least give me a time frame?”
“Three days minimum.”
Miguel opened his mouth to argue, but Luca interjected, “Thanks, Dr. Solomon.”
“I’ll check on you after you’ve met with a physical therapist.”
When they were alone, Miguel asked, “What happened after I was shot?”
“Faith Stoker Morgan showed up unexpectedly, and I asked her to help us.” Julia checked her messages. “So far, she hasn’t called or texted with any news.”
