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My eyebrows raise. “The agent?”
Tony makes a noncommittal noise, and I know not to bother trying to push for more information. He has all kinds of connections, but he's not one to give away secrets. Instead, he changes the subject. “So, what do you want to do?”
“Give us a little time to consider our options. We're going to be preoccupied until we know the guys are going to be okay, and we need to rest.”
“Understood. I'll check in tomorrow to see if you need anything and get a status update. How is the hospital treating you?”
“Like royalty. How did you manage to pull this off, and even get Dr. Franks here?”
“The Adley Foundation made a very generous donation just before the Medevac picked you up. And I knew from talking with Bennet that he has a lot of trust and respect for Dr. Franks. When I called him to ask if he knew which staff surgeon to recommend, he dropped everything and got his own helicopter ride. He arrived less than half an hour before you did.”
“It was a nice touch.”
“I'll talk to you tomorrow.”
I toss my phone down onto the coffee table and drop into an armchair. We spend the next hour staring at the news until there's a knock at the door.
Lukas, who has been all but catatonic since the chopper picked us up, is surprisingly the one to get up and answer the door.
“Thank God,” he mutters, opening the doors wide.
“Jackson!” Six gasps, jumping up from the couch.
Two people in scrubs push a large hospital bed, equipped with an IV pole and digital machinery that I assume keeps track of vitals and controlling the IV drip. Jackson is unconscious in the bed, tucked under multiple blankets, with a blue paper hairnet on his head. Another person, wearing light green scrubs with an embroidered pocket that identifies them as a surgeon, follows them in.
The transport people pause just inside the suite. I usher them into the main bedroom/recovery room, and Six follows them back to get Jackson settled. Whenever Bennet makes it out of his surgery, I have a feeling everyone is going to prefer to be in the same room for a while.
“How's his leg?” Micah asks the surgeon.
“We were able to locate and remove the bullet, but it caused a fracture in the femoral shaft which we repaired with a permanent metal rod through the bone. He came out of anesthesia just fine, but he's been given a hefty dose of painkillers and he's lost a lot of blood, so he might be asleep for a little while. He's received three units of blood in the last hour. We'll be checking his hemoglobin levels in the morning, but since the bleeding is stopped, I don't expect he'll need any further transfusion.”
“Thank you, Dr.…?” He tries to read her name on the front pocket of her scrubs.
“Padilla,” she answers. “And I have a message for you as well, from Dr. Franks, who I understand is a visiting surgeon treating your…other friend?” It's clear that she isn't sure what to think of our group dynamic, or the situation as a whole, but she does her best to stay diplomatic and professional.
“Any news about Bennet?” I ask, probably a little brusquely.
“Dr. Franks asked that I let you know that the patient is stable for now, but not out of the woods yet. They are currently closely monitoring him for signs of continued internal bleeding. That's all I know.”
Letting out a breath, I nod my understanding. “Thank you for the update. We really appreciate everything.”
I'm making an attempt to come across less like an asshole and more like someone who would deserve having power of attorney. What was Tony thinking? I need to remember to tell him off for that, since I can't physically smack him over his head and knock some sense into him. I'm pretty sure not one of these personnel is buying it.
Dr. Padilla and one of the transport people leave. The other person, who introduces herself as Tilly, is our dedicated nurse for the evening.
I immediately hate her.
First, she completely ignores Six's presence, even though Six is the one standing next to Jackson's bedside. Whenever Six asks her a question, she directs her answer to one of us.
“What should I do when he wakes up? Is he allowed to drink water or have ice chips or anything?”
“Water is fine, but start with small sips,” the nurse says, facing the monitor and fussing over wires rather than looking at Six. When she looks up, she smiles at Micah. “You can press the call button right there on the side of the bed if he wakes up disoriented or in too much pain, and I'll be ready to come help take care of him.”
Six seems confused at first, her forehead wrinkling and mouth turning down, like she isn't sure that actually just happened. Not having grown up around many people, I imagine some social situations would be tough to pick up on, so I'm not entirely sure Six knows that she's being snubbed.
Clearing her throat, Six acknowledges the nurse's answer and tries a followup question, her head tilting to the side as she tries to create eye contact with the other woman.
“Thanks, we'll do that. Should we expect him to be in much pain?”
