Page 85 of Jackpot Joker

“They did.”

I nod, knowing I won’t get much more than that from the quiet man.

Reaching over, I take his hand and give it a squeeze. “I’m sorry, Luca.”

“Me too,” he says, looking over at his younger brother.

We sit there hand in hand in silent pain, hurting over the men we love. I savor the sight of Dario’s chest rising and falling with every breath he takes, knowing that this man has to come back to me.

“Miss Baker?” Doctor Laurie says, gently shaking my shoulder to wake me. I blink my eyes a few times as the early sunlight streams through the window, then straighten to focus on her.

My eyes flash to Dario, still sleeping in his bed. I look back at the doctor. “Is it time? Are you going to start waking him up?”

Her face falls, and my stomach sinks. “I know we told you we would begin waking him this morning, but it appears we are going to have to delay that process.”

My legs swing over the cot, and I stand. “Why? Why can’t you wake him up now?”

She glances at him, then back to me, sadness crossing her face. “We attempted to reduce the sedation overnight. Unfortunately, the swelling is still significant.”

“Are you sure? How do you know? Maybe we should try it anyway. He’s so strong, Doctor Laurie. I know he can do it if you give him the chance.”

She reaches out like she’s going to touch me but then pulls her hand back. “I know this is difficult, Miss Baker, but right now Mr. Caruso’s body needs time to rest and heal. His blood pressure spiked last night, and his neck muscles began to tense.”

I nod, recalling the event that occurred hours ago.

“I’m concerned if we push his body too soon, it’s only going to further aggravate the injury.”

Tears build. Fuck, I go years without crying, and now that’s all my body seems to want to do. “So he isn’t going to wake up?”

“Not today.”

My eyes scan all the monitors and equipment keeping Dario alive before I look back at the doctor. “Is there anything we can do?”

Doctor Laurie smiles at me. “Stay with him. His body seems to be more relaxed when you’re in the room. You can talk to him, too. Sometimes patients remember what people said when they’re under anesthesia. And keep hoping. I’ll check on him again today, and if I get a solid report from the nurses tonight, we can try again tomorrow morning.”

I nod, and she turns to exit the room. When everyone is gone, I’m careful to avoid the lines running from his neck and arms to the machines working hard to keep him here with me. Then I curl up beside him and place my hand over the Joker card tattooed to his chest. “I love you, my Joker.”

I stare out the window at the sunrise, watching the yellows, oranges, and reds wake up the city with a warning that it’s going to be another scorching day. I’ve been awake for hours, since the last nurse came in and informed me that Dario was responding well to reducing the sedatives. His swelling is going down, too. Doctor Laurie usually makes her rounds in about an hour, and hopefully today is the day I get to hear his voice again and look into his gorgeous eyes.

From the chair beside him, I pick up Dario’s hand and place a kiss on the back of it. “I need you to be on your best behavior. No jokes today, my heart can’t take it. I need you to show the doctor how strong you are and that you’re ready for this—you’re ready to come back to me.”

My hand remains in his as Doctor Laurie walks into the room. “Good morning, Miss Baker. How are you both doing today?”

I place another kiss on Dario’s hand before dropping it and standing to greet her. “We’re good. Hopeful. I think he’s ready.”

The doctor looks at me and smiles wider than I’ve seen from her. “I think he’s ready, too.”

“So what do you do?” I ask, eager for him to wake.

“We turn down the sedation slowly. We actually began this process last night to see how his body would react. I want you to know we’re being very cautious when it comes to Mr. Caruso. We don’t want to jolt his system. We don’t want to risk him waking up to the point he tries to raise his head and cause even more injury to his neck.”

I nod, and she continues, “It’s important you understand that his arousal won’t be immediate. It will take time to see movement or to see his eyes open. It will take even longer for him to speak. When he wakes, he may be confused at first. He may not recognize you right away or know where he’s at.”

She smiles as I nod again.. “Then let’s get started.”

The doctor explained to me that it could take several minutes or even an hour before we see Dario begin to stir. She left to continue checking in on other patients but assured me she would return as soon as possible.

I run my hand down the side of Dario’s handsome face, brushing my thumb over the scruff that’s built up over the past two nights. I place a gentle kiss on his cheek before resting my head against it. “Wake up for me, Dario. I need to hear your voice. I need you to tell me this was all a joke and it’s time for our happily ever after.”