Haunted By Her Dragon (The Dragon Guard Series) (30 page)

The one big difference between this setup and the hospital
was no heart monitors or IV’s, none of the usual equipment doctors used to
track the patient’s vitals. Maybe it had something to do with the whole ‘being
a dragon’ thing. The sound of the same smooth, calm, feminine voice she’d heard
earlier sounded beside her. She turned to find a very tall, stately woman with
striking gray hair smiling at her. “You must be Dr. Malone. I’m Siobhan, the
clan’s Elder Healer. It’s a pleasure to meet the one the Universe has made for
our Lance.”

The older woman held out her hand and as Sam
shook it, she tucked away the words
clan
and
Elder Healer
for
another time, figuring that was going to be happening a lot while she was with
Lance’s family.

“Just call me Sam,” she answered, trying to
smile but really eager to get to look more closely at Lance’s injuries.

“Sam it is then. I am sure you want to look at
our patient,” she motioned towards Lance, and Sam could see that they had the
blade protruding from his chest covered with a sheet.
Did dragons have to
worry about infection?
She thought to herself. A real quick glance around
the room showed her that no one was wearing masks or gloves. Infection must not
be a worry.

Making her way to his bedside, she looked at
the little blonde that was propped on a stool, and chanting something that
sounded like Latin. Siobhan spoke quickly, pointing to the other woman that was
so enthralled in her verse she had yet to look up. “That is Kyra. She’s a white
witch. We’re hoping her magic can keep the silver from spreading.”

Sam felt her eyebrows rise for the tenth time
in the last hour, and wondered if they might just get stuck up there.
A witch?
Really?
Dragons weren’t
enough, there had to be witches too? What the hell else were these people going
to tell her was real? Next, they were going to say people could turn into cats
or dogs…
what the hell
?
Slowly shaking her head to
clear the craziness.
Reminded that there were all kinds of beliefs out
there, and if they wanted to believe in a witch they could. It was their right.
For her, she was going to believe in her education and training, and find a way
to save the man before her. Mate or not, she
would
save him. She
had
to.

It was worse than she imagined. He was pale and
lifeless. Still the most handsome man she had ever seen, but everything that
made him
Lance
was sleeping right along with the man. She longed to see
the twinkle in his crystal blue eyes, and his shit-eating grin that made her
smile even when she wanted to kick his ass, but most of all she wanted to feel
the low rumble of his voice tumble through her as he said her name. Pushing all
thoughts of anything but saving him aside, she removed the sheet and barely
held back a gasp. They had not been kidding when they said there was a blade
sticking out of his chest, and from the way he was propped up on a bunch of
pillows, it went all the way through.

Taking a deep breath, she began examining the
area around the wound, and wondered how they knew it had pierced his heart
without an x-ray. She was almost afraid to ask, but had to know before she
decided on her next step. “How do you know that the blade has touched his heart
without an x-ray or an ultrasound?” She looked around again, and saw none of
the huge equipment she relied on at the hospital.

The Healer spoke, “As a Healer I am able to
feel what the injured are feeling, and I can see what is going on inside their
wounds.”

Sam worked hard to school her features. She
really didn’t want to alienate the very people that were trying to save Lance’s
life and
oh yeah
…they were his family, too. No pressure there
at all
,
she imagined rolling her eyes. The closer she looked at his wounds, the more
she was sure they could get the blade out
and
keep him from bleeding to
death if they all worked together, however, she was going to need at least an
ultrasound picture to be sure they were working in the right place.

Siobhan, at least she thought that was her
name, may be able to see what was going on in there, but she couldn’t, and
there was no way she was letting anyone, even herself perform any kind of
surgery until she saw exactly where that blade was inside his body. Being
completely professional, she calmly asked, “Can someone run up, and get my cell
phone, please? I think I left it in the family room by the couch,” she heard
someone run up the stairs before she even had the whole question out of her
mouth. “And do we have rubber gloves. I know you guys probably don’t get
infections, but I would feel better if we used them.”

A box of gloves appeared at her side. She met
the Healer’s eyes as she grabbed a pair from the box. Maybe the woman really
could ‘see’ inside people because it damn sure felt like she was looking inside
of her. “Thank you. I want to call the hospital and see if we can borrow an
ultrasound machine. I appreciate that you’ve been taking care of your people
with your
special abilities,
but for me to cut into his chest,” she
motioned towards the man that was quickly becoming a habit she didn’t know how
to quit, “I have to be able to actually see what is going on in there.”

“I understand, dear, and I want you to know
that I will work
with
you, not take over or impose our way of thinking
on you. I am going to ask one thing though, and I hope that you can help me
with it,” Siobhan spoke in her smooth, calm way and when she touched Sam’s arm,
the doctor swore she felt warmth spread throughout her body. She instantly felt
more in control of her emotions. Maybe there was something to the whole ‘dragon
magic’ thing.

She nodded for the Healer to continue. “I want
you to open your mind to all that you have been told, and anything else that
may seem unusual to you as we try to bring your mate back to us.” She stood
listening, unsure what to expect. Siobhan simply smiled, giving her a look she
remembered from her childhood. It was a motherly look that said,
you might
be able to fool yourself, but I can see right through you
. The Healer
continued, “Whatever you think you know…I can see how much you care for Lance.
I know he cares for you and that will be the key to his survival. Because he is
dragon, and the Universe has made you
just
for him, you two share a
special bond. I can feel that he is resisting the pull. Trying to protect you
from his pain and suffering. But he is going to need your strength.” She
listened to every word Siobhan was saying, waiting for the other shoe to drop,
and then it did. “You are going to need to
make
him open up to you. It
will be difficult because you are not officially mated and do not wear his
mark, but I
know
that you can do this, Samantha. I know that you can
save his life.”

“Wow! No pressure there, Lady
,” she thought to herself. Unable to speak, she
turned back to Lance, watching the incredibly slow rise and fall of his chest.
The sword had pierced the wing of the majestic dragon that adorned his chest.
She touched the magnificent beast that appeared to be racing into battle and
felt the shot of the electricity that always accompanied touching Lance, much
weaker, but still present. As she skimmed over his special marking, it rippled
and writhed under her touch. The colors became slightly more vivid, and she
could feel the ridges pushing against her fingertips. The tattoo was responding
to her touch. Looking into the vivid blue orb that held barely a shadow of the
twinkle she remembered from her dream, it all became clear. No matter what she
believed about men that could shift into dragons, and healers that could look
inside the human body, or even witches that chanted to keep people alive, one
fact remained; she was falling in love with the blue-eyed smart ass that could
set her body on fire with a wink and a smile.

Continuing to touch the dragon on his chest,
she noted his breathing had slowed. Taking his pulse, hers began to race. His
was slow and
thready
. Out of habit, she reached for
the stethoscope that usually hung around her neck. Frustrated, she lashed out
before she could stop herself, “I NEED MY PHONE!”

Everyone around her stood still, and the room
was engulfed in silence except for the damn chanting. Immediately embarrassed
for her outburst, she hung her head, “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

A large, warm hand touched her shoulder, and
she looked up to find the biggest guy, wait, dragon she’d ever met. “Don’t
worry about it, Samantha, we’re all freaking out. I keep thinking any minute he
is going to jump off that table and call me grandpa,” Royce looked at his
brethren lying lifelessly on the table and smiled a sad smile that didn’t reach
his eyes. “Here’s your phone. Let me know where to go and I will get everything
you need.”

She nodded, took the phone, and moved towards
the corner of the room. By the time Charlie answered her call, she was somewhat
under control and able to ask for the supplies and equipment that she needed.
The fact that her long-time friend didn’t ask any questions, other than if she
was okay, spoke to the depth of their friendship. Returning to Lance’s bedside,
she spoke to the gentle giant that stood watch over his brother, “Charlie will
be waiting for you outside the hospital by the fire exit nearest the Emergency
Room.”

She met his eyes, “Thank you,” was all she
could get out before he just disappeared.
“Dragon men can really move,”
she thought to herself.

Doing everything possible to think of the man
before her as just another patient, she remembered what Siobhan had said about
opening herself up to everything she had learned, and to Lance. Deciding to try
a mental exercise the psychiatrist had taught her after her kidnapping, she
closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, and thought about the amazing man
that had invaded her very soul from the first moment he looked down at her soot
covered face. His shit-eating grin and dimple winked at her. His eyes twinkled
with the mischief of at least five teenage boys. She remembered what it felt
like to have his arms wrapped around her, and the feel of his skin against
hers. The longer she thought of him, the quicker the images came, ranging from
the gentle way he dealt with Sydney to the passionate way he played her body
like it
had
been designed for his hands alone. He was like no other man
she’d ever known, a force unto
himself
that wreaked
havoc and made her look forward to the craziness. Opening her eyes, she stared
at his handsome face that even the blood loss and silver blade sticking out of
his chest couldn’t diminish, and felt the spark deep in her heart reach out to
him.

Totally out of her element, and not sure what
to make of what she was feeling, she took a leap of faith, and followed her
heart. Sam focused all her thoughts on that spark, feeding all her affection,
and new feelings of love for a man that was so much more than she ever could
have imagined, into it. The more the spark grew, the more she could actually
feel
Lance. He was around her, and within her, giving her his strength and making
her feel like there was nothing she couldn’t do. He was also pissing her off,
because as she tried to lend her strength to him, she could feel he was trying
to block her somehow.

Not truly understanding what was happening,
totally out of her element, she followed her instincts. She grabbed his face
and leaned forward. When their noses almost touched she spoke to him in her
best ‘I am the doctor, you are the patient voice’, “Listen here dragon man, you
are
going to let me help you any way I can. You
are
going to stop
trying to keep me out. You
are
going to stop protecting me. You
are
going to get better because then I
am
going to kick your ass for keeping
secrets from me.” She heard some snickering from behind her, and was positive
she felt more than that coming from the man lying on the table. “Now that we
have that all worked out just lay there, and behave.” She truly had no idea if
he really heard her, or if it was her wishful thinking that made her believe
she felt him react to her words. But as she and Siobhan went to work making
sure they were ready when Royce returned, she felt the light within her grow
brighter, and was sure that some of her energy was flowing to him.

First order of business, she moved the chanting
witch (Kyra, or whatever her name was) across the room, far away from Lance,
and far away from her. The Healer had assured her the tiny woman could do
whatever it was she was doing from across the room. Buying into the fact that
men could change into dragons was as far as she was willing to stretch for the
day, but Lance’s family believed ‘the witch’ was doing something to help their
cause, so Sam wouldn’t completely banish her but remove her from her sight.

Royce returned in record time, and once the
equipment was all set up, she and Siobhan worked tirelessly for hours. It was a
true collaboration. As the Healer worked to remove the sword, Sam followed its
path,
stitched
his heart muscle, and
ensured
the blade did not pass through anything
that
would cause more damage
. She was amazed that he
only bled a small amount and remembered that Siobhan had told her Lance would
be able to regulate most of his body’s functions as long as they worked quickly
and she continued to keep the bond between them open.