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“About time he admitted the truth. Matt’s a good man. You’re going to give him a chance, right?”
“I’m not stupid.”
The two women laughed as Grace helped Delilah to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she returned to the main room dressed in jeans, long-sleeved t-shirt, and tennis shoes. The headache was down to a dull throb, too. Definite progress. Hopefully, she’d improved enough the doctor would agree to let her leave.
Grace glanced back from the doorway where she talked to the two operatives in the hallway. “Dr. Anderson will be here in a few minutes and I think your handsome protector wants to see that you’re still okay.”
“Aww, thanks for calling me handsome,” Simon said, his lips curving.
The nurse laughed. “Don’t pull the tiger’s tail. He bites.”
Simon chuckled. “Yeah, you’re probably right. He’s grumpy.”
“I’m off to enjoy a breakfast date with my husband. Delilah, I’ll check on you this afternoon.” With a wave, Grace hurried away.
Matt clapped his teammate on the shoulder. “Go sleep. I’ve got this.”
“Liam is waiting at your place. You need sleep, too. He’ll watch over Delilah for a few hours.”
Guilt assailed Delilah as she stared at Matt. “You didn’t sleep last night?”
The medic scowled at his teammate before turning to her. “I’m fine. Won’t be the first time I’ve gone without sleep.”
“Take my word for it,” Simon said, mischief in his eyes. “A full eight hours of sleep wouldn’t make any difference in his looks. If you want a face the camera loves, you should take mine for a spin.”
“Go home, buddy. You’re punchy.”
After a military salute, Matt’s teammate loped off down the hallway to the elevator.
Soon, Dr. Anderson strolled into Delilah’s room. “You look ready to leave our fine establishment.” The doctor’s blue eyes twinkled. “Can’t imagine why you want to escape.”
“No offense, Dr. Anderson, but I hate hospitals.”
He laughed. “You’re not alone. Hospitals are for the sick. Looks like you’re mending quite nicely. Why don’t I have a look at you? Matt, step into the hall for a few minutes.”
“Yes, sir.” He closed the door behind himself.
Dr. Anderson checked her over and declared her free to leave. “Keep the stitches dry. Drop by my office in a week and I’ll remove them.” He paused. “Matt is capable of handling the stitches as well. If your ribs are too uncomfortable while they heal, I can tape them to allow more freedom of movement. The nurse will be along shortly with your discharge papers. Come back if your headache worsens or you develop complications. The discharge papers will tell you what symptoms to look for if Matt’s not with you.” After patting Delilah’s shoulder, he left to continue his rounds.
The handsome operative escorted Delilah across the parking lot to his SUV. She breathed a sigh of relief when he closed her inside his vehicle. Thank goodness she was out of the hospital. She hated the smells in that place. The sickness and air of desperation that pervaded the atmosphere always brought back bad memories of when her father was battling cancer, a battle he ultimately lost.
“Glad to be out of there?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Hospitals provide life-saving service and treatment. Without them, I would have lost more battle buddies and teammates over the years.”
“Battle buddies. That’s a military term, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. I was in the Army.”
“How long were you enlisted?”
“Twelve years.”
“Do you miss it?”
“I miss my unit, but not the bureaucratic snafus when political bigwigs pulled strings to point spec ops units at favored targets as opposed to the best military strikes. Fortress is better equipped and my boss isn’t a dictator. He gives us autonomy in our missions. If the operation is too dangerous, he expects us to retreat or request backup. Bravo team is the best I’ve ever worked with. I don’t regret signing on with Fortress.”
