WATCHING (21 page)

They crested the hill and looked down at the commotion below them. The first responders swarmed around Carrie. Brockman hovered behind the emergency personnel, talking to the autistic tech to keep her distracted. Bellows stayed at her side, and Hell could see she was giving the responders clear orders. Dan kept moving between that little crowd and the smaller one surrounding Compton. Hell knew Dan was extremely close to the two youngest members of the CCU.

Georgia
’
s breath caught and Hell looked down at her.
“
Is Josh really ok
?
”

“
Kid has a hard head
.
”
She wobbled and Hell cursed. He lifted her into his arms, glaring at her when she protested.
“
It
’
s faster this way, stay still. He
’
s feeling more guilt than pain
.
”

“
Because they got separated
?
”
Georgia capitulated, resting her head against his shoulder.

“
And then Carrie got hurt
.
”
Hell hitched her closer, the rain making her jacket slick enough he was half-afraid he
’
d drop her.

“
Dammit, Hell. It wasn
’
t his fault. You need to tell him that. Make sure he knows. He
’
ll believe you, more than anybody. He values your opinion
.
”

“
Yes, ma
’
am
.
”
Hell
’
s lips quirked, as he carried her a little bit closer. Dan saw him, eyes dropping to the woman in his arms, and the older man rushed to them.

“
Georgia
?
”
Dan
’
s voice rang with surprise, drawing some attention from the first responders. He tried to take her, but Hell
’
s glare had him backing up, a speculative look on his face.
“
Are you alright, kiddo
?
”

“
Just a little bruised, Danny,
”
Georgia said.
“
And my shoulder
’
s on fire
.
”

“
What in God
’
s name happened
?
”
Dan moved to Hell
’
s side as he carried her to the back of the opened SUV cargo bay. Hell deposited her into the cargo bay, letting her legs dangle. He jerked a hand toward her, motioning for a first responder to see to her.

It took less than fifteen minutes for the responders to determine that Georgia had some cracked ribs and had damaged some of the tissue in her shoulder. The severity of it
—
and whether there was any internal damage
—
would have to be determined at the hospital.

***

It was the same physician who
’
d treated Katherine Montehue, Hell noticed as he led a limping Georgia into the emergency room at the Rapid City hospital. Carrie and Compton were a few moments behind them in the county
’
s two ambulances, Bellows staying with Carrie to keep her calm. The ER had three exam bays, and Hell hoped no one else in the county would have need of emergency care for the next little while.

He had given Dan and Brockman instructions to get the rest of the CCU and all of Brockman
’
s team on the Claire Reid angle, and get Stephenson
’
s team searching the mountain for signs of the bastard who
’
d hurt Carrie and Compton.

Hell wasn
’
t holding out much hope they
’
d find him. Stephenson had reported finding no signs of blood, although Dr. Bellows swore she
’
d hit the man. Hell speculated that her shot had only grazed the UNSUB, and the rain washed away all the evidence.

Stephenson had reported that the borrow pit Carrie had been thrown into was starting to fill with run-off, something that Stanton said was a frequent happening with such pits. Hell was thankful Georgia and Dr. Bellows had found Carrie before that happened. There was also no signs of what path the bastard had taken out of the woods.

Despite Hell
’
s claims to Georgia, he hadn
’
t found him. Yet. Hell wasn
’
t stopping until he did.

“
Hello, Dr. Dennis,
”
the doctor said a few minutes later as Hell helped Georgia onto the exam table and removed her windbreaker.
“
Well, just what in the world happened to you
?
”

“
The son of a bitch thought it would be great fun to throw rocks at her
.
”
Hell didn
’
t give her a chance to speak.
“
She then engaged in an apparent pitching match, and now her right shoulder is feeling the results
.
”

“
And did you get him? Agent Hellbrook, wasn
’
t it
?
”
The doctor took scissors to the ruined cotton shirt covering Georgia
’
s arm and shoulder, rather than having her remove the garment over her head. The swelling was ugly and evident
—
worse than that of Katherine Montehue
’
s, and Hell cursed again. He grabbed her free hand and held it, even when she shot him a look and tried to pull away.

“
He didn
’
t get him. I did,
”
Georgia said, as the doctor began prodding around her tender skin.
“
I beamed the
asshole
with my fastball. Several times
.
”

“
Fastball? You play
?
”

“
I did. I had a seventy mile fastball
—
twelve years ago
.
”

“
Have you damaged this shoulder before
?
”
He prodded the tender skin with expert fingers. Georgia
’
s breath hissed out. Her hand tightened on Hell
’
s.

“
A bit of torn tissue once; but other than that, I was lucky
.
”
Georgia drew in a sharp breath as he prodded deeper.
“
But I
’
ve not played in eight or nine years, at least. Today was a bit much. Plus those rocks were heavier than a softball. And the trajectory was more up than out
.
”

“
I don
’
t think you
’
ve torn anything,
”
the doctor said,
“
but I think you
’
ve definitely sprained it, and done some soft tissue damage. I
’
ll want an MRI to be sure
.
”

“
How long until its back to normal
?
”
Georgia asked, eyes meeting Hell
’
s.
“
I need to be able to work
.
”

“
It needs to be kept immobilized, regardless of whether you are working or not,
”
the doctor said.
“
We
’
ll set you up with a sling for that. Take an anti-inflammatory for at least a week. And try not to exacerbate the injury
.
”

“
What about the ribs, doctor
?
”
Hell demanded, blocking the doctor
’
s exit from the exam bay.
“
And she was favoring the left leg
.
”

“
Let
’
s take a look
.
”
He turned and withdrew a dressing gown out of a drawer and handed it to Georgia.
“
I
’
ll give you a minute to get out of that shirt and pants and into this
.
”

Hell stepped outside the curtain. A few moments later she said his name.
“
I
’
ll need help tying this damned thing
.
”

Hell returned to her side. Her back was revealed to him, dissected only by the frost blue silk of her bra. Her skin was smooth and unblemished by even a single freckle, the muscles clean and toned. Hell wanted to touch, and before he could stop himself, he did. His hands brushed the nape of her neck and she shivered, the move tightening his gut. He wanted to drop his hands to her narrow shoulders, pull her back into his chest, and whisper in her ear exactly what he wanted to do to her, with her. To tell her that she was not leaving the CCU, not yet. Not until they figured out whatever this was between them.

He smoothed her dark hair away with one hand, not wanting the long strands to tangle in the knot, before moving down to tie the strings around her lower back. He couldn
’
t resist, and ghosted one hand down her spine. She shivered.

“
Hell
?
”
She used his nickname for the first time he could recall.

“
Georgia, princess,
”
h
e said, moving around the exam table to face her.

“
Hell
.
”
She shivered, a move he felt against his finger tips.
“
What are you doing
?
”

“
Helping you with your gown. Isn
’
t it obvious
?
”
His hands grasped the edges of the faded hospital gown. He gave it a gentle tug to straighten it.

“
If you can
’
t behave
maybe you should go wait in the lobby
.
”
She looked at the curtain separating them from the rest of the hospital with a pointed expression.

He chose to ignore it. He dropped his hands.
“
I
’
ll stay here. I want to make sure you
’
re ok
.
”

“
Of course I
’
m ok. Why are you doing this
?
”
Georgia asked.

“
Doing what
?
”
Hell moved back around to face her.

“
This
. Being nice. Helping me. Touching me. After being angry about me wanting to transfer out
.
”
Georgia waved a hand between the two of them; he reached up to catch it, pull it down, captive in his.
“
It
’
s disconcerting. You
’
re never nice, or helpful with me. I
’
m not entirely certain you
’
ve not been hit in the head, or invaded by body-snatchers, or possessed by some alien life-form in the last week. You are not being the Hellbrook I
’
m used to
.
”

Hell thought for a long moment before answering.
“
You don
’
t like me being nice to you
?
”

“
I don
’
t know,
”
Georgia said, as the doctor returned.
“
At least I
’
m used to the other
.
”

“
Well, Georgia
—
you
’
ll have to get used to it this way. I
’
ve decided to stop denying what I want
.
”
He wondered if the nerves that tightened his gut were visible on his face as he looked at her. She was muddy and bruised and a general mess, but to him she
’
d never looked more beautiful.

“
And what exactly is it that the great super Agent Hellbrook wants now
?
”
The look in her eyes told him she knew what he wanted, and it scared her. But she was making him say it
a
loud. Get it out there between them.

Hell smirked, catching the doctor
’
s eye as he did so. The other man smiled behind Georgia
’
s back. The doctor was perceptive, Hell would give him that. He stepped back out of the curtain with a small nod to Hell.

Hell stepped closer to her and looked down at her, straight into her brown eyes. He kissed her, hot and quick
,
before stepping back.
“
You
, Dr. Dennis
.
”

He stepped out of the curtained exam room.