Trinity: Military War Dog (59 page)

            Forty-Five              

I
pray you’d be uplifted by His grace, and feel yourself enfolded in the peace of His embrace …”
Angelic and soft, like a murmur against his soul, the voice drifted out.

Darci’s ivory-pale face, almond-shaped eyes, and pink lips dusted his mind. Smiling, laughing … leaning forward for a kiss, then pulling away with another laugh.

Stop taunting me
.

Then wake up, Ghost
.

Wake up? Was he sleeping?

A bark jolted through his hearing. Wet and warm, a tongue slid along his cheek. Heath tried to touch the fur ball but couldn’t move his arm. He dragged it out from under Trinity. He wrapped his arm around her as she greeted him with more kisses.

When he tried to lift his other arm, he realized it was pinned, too. But beneath what? Tugging his arm free, he angled to the side, aware of two things in that instant—tubes feeding him oxygen and snaking down his throat, and the blue halo of light against a crown of silky black hair.

Darci? Curled up next to him, in the bed?

No, that had to be a dream.

More like a fantasy!

He wanted to wrap an arm around her, make sure she didn’t fall off the bed, but he was afraid to touch her. Afraid to burst this dream bubble. He liked it, a lot. Liked her next to him. Heath coiled an arm around her and closed his eyes. It was so right, so perfect.

“See you finally decided to join us.” The voice, though gruff, was quiet.

Heath looked in its direction and grimaced.

Arms folded over his broad chest, General Burnett simmered. “I asked the doc not to remove that tube so you couldn’t talk.”

Darci still hadn’t moved. What was she doing here?

“That woman next to you is very important to me.”

“Sh—”
Curse this stupid tube!

Burnett grinned. “I’ll have your neck, back, legs, every piece of you if you hurt her.”

Understood
, Heath conveyed with a lone nod. In more ways than one. The general was accepting that things were happening between Heath and Darci. He wasn’t giving permission, but he wasn’t going to interfere either.

“She’s been like that next to you for nearly twenty-four hours. The docs ain’t happy, but I ordered them to let her and that stinking dog of yours be.”

Heath let the glower seep into his eyes.
That “stinking dog” saved your asset!

“All right, Doc.” The general motioned to Heath. A man moved in and reached toward him. He removed the breathing tube, turned off a machine, then returned. “This will make you gag.”

Heath braced himself as the tube—and his lunch—retracted. He coughed. Gagged.

Darci stirred, but Heath firmed his hold on her. She straightened, then jerked upright. Her mouth formed a perfect O when she looked up at him, sleep prying at the edges of her eyes.

“Hey,” he managed, and what an effort it took!

“You’re awake.” She laughed and came out of his hold, but he caught her hand. She stilled for a moment, then kissed the back of his hand.

“Cheater,” Heath rasped. She was out of her mind if she thought that kiss would settle her debt.

With a shy laugh, she held his hand next to her face. Tears glimmered in her eyes. His fingers itched to touch her cheek.

“Give me a minute to check his vitals, then I’ll be out of your way.” The doctor took Heath’s pulse, checked his heart rate, listened to his chest, recorded the information in his chart … all while Heath watched Darci. She’d stayed with him? Why was he laid up in bed and she was up and moving around? Genuine concern carved a hard line in her face.

“Wha … happ’n?” Talking felt like passing razor blades over his windpipe instead of air.

“You went into cardiac arrest twice,” the doctor said. “We’ve had a tough time getting you to stabilize, then a harder time getting you to come out of it.”

“Thickheaded,” Darci said, her light brown eyes glittering.

He grinned and felt punch drunk with the way she gazed down at him. Wow, he’d risk his life every day of the year if she was the prize.

“They were prepping you for Landstuhl.”

That was the last place he wanted to end up again. “Good thing I woke up.”
With you in my arms
. That was amazing. Incredible.

“This young lady and your dog have kept your body temperatures stable. You should be thankful.” The doctor perched a straw between Heath’s lips. “Sip.”

Nasty-sweet and syrupy, the drink squirted down his throat. Though too sweet for him, Heath was glad for the way it soothed the dry, cracked plains of his throat and esophagus.

“Sip this and keep sipping. I’m leaving the saline solution till you down a meal.”

Nurses descended on him and over the next fifteen minutes examined, tested, checked—all as Heath kept his fingers entwined with Darci’s.

“This doesn’t make sense,” a nurse mumbled as she recorded information.

Darci looked at her. “What?”

“His electrolytes, blood gases … repeat EKG are all perfect.” She shared a glance with the doctor. “Like the severe hypothermia never happened. I guess because you were in top shape before, save for the TBI.”

Jabbing a finger over his shoulder, the doctor grinned. “That man in the hall has been praying since we brought him in. Maybe it’s a miracle.”

“Yeah.” Heath glanced to the hall where he spotted Jibril. “Definitely—a miracle. That’s what it feels like.” He downed more liquid. “Amazing. I’m tired but otherwise fine.” Weird enough. He even pried himself off the bed. Okay, so his body was a bit sluggish, but they could work with that.

The doctor nodded to the general, then turned to leave. “He’s all yours.”

Trinity pushed up onto her haunches, panting down at him, those amber eyes sparkling. Heath dug his fingers into her fur and massaged the side of her face. “Thanks, girl.”

She swiped another kiss.

Speaking of a kiss … Heath turned his attention to Darci, who suddenly seemed gun-shy and wanted to wrest her hand free. He frowned, but before he could say anything, she leaned down. Her lips aimed for his forehead, and his hopes crashed against her modesty.

“Still cheating.”

She smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

“To tell your team you’re awake.”

Heath couldn’t help the smile. Already watching out for him. “You’re the bomb—” Heath’s eyes widened. “Did you tell him?”

Darci nodded. “Everything’s taken care of.”

Heath glanced at the general, who seemed peeved, probably over the PDA. “You got the bombs?” Wait. He hadn’t had a chance to tell the doc. “How’d you find out about them? Was Haur connected?”

“What do you mean?” Darci asked. “Didn’t you tell him?”

“Daniels was DOA. He couldn’t tell me nothing.” The general went all military on them. “What didn’t he tell me?”

Darci hauled in an audible breath. “About the bombs!”

“
What
bombs?”

            Forty-Six              

P
anic and fury erupted in his chest. Lance surged forward, aware of the bleeping that monitored Daniels’s blood pressure and other vitals. Aware the increments were shortening. “What bombs, Darci?”

“Wu Jianyu,” she breathed, confusion marring her young features. “When I was at the village, his captain said the bombs were ready and waiting for his activation codes.” She blanched. “I thought you said you got him. I
asked
you!”