Page 39 of Married to a SEAL

“You’re on an IV drip with painkillers, but we’ll be switching to oral medication now that you’re awake. We’ll manage your pain over the next several days and get you strong enough to be put on a flight back to the States. Initially you’ll be sent to Walter Reed for recovery and rehabilitation.”

“All right, I can handle that. Can I make a phone call?”

“Yes, absolutely. Your CO was in contact with us earlier, so your family should have received an update on your status. I know you’ll want to talk to them yourself of course. Let me give you the information to make an international call.”

“Do you know the status of the rest of my team?” he asked, coughing. “Am I the only one here?”

Another nurse brought in a small pitcher and cup, setting it on the bedside table, and he greedily took a sip of the cool water.

“The doctor will advise you when you can eat next. Take small sips of the water for now. And as for any others? You came here alone,” the nurse replied. “I don’t know if your teammates sustained any injuries. It’s probably too highly classified for me to find out either. I do know that you were the only one injured severely enough to be medevac’d here.”

Patrick grunted in acknowledgement, his fists clenching. Hopefully his team had completed their mission and retrieved the hostage, but at the moment? He had no fucking clue.

He felt like he’d been out of it for months, when really he doubted even twenty-four hours had passed since they’d infiltrated the insurgents’ camp. It was amazing how so much could change in so little time. His whole world had tilted off its axis. Instead of flying home with his men, he was laid up in a hospital bed.

He clenched his jaw, his thoughts drifting to Rebecca. In all the chaos and confusion, her face had been what kept him steady. What gave him the strength to keep fighting. The will to live.

Hell.

She must have been out of her mind with worry.

Terrified.

He’d give anything to pull her into his arms right now and inhale her sweet scent. To comfort her and ease his own pain. That wasn’t exactly possible though with her on the other damn side of the ocean.

And what if she’d been watching the news again, worried sick over everything happening? She’d guessed correctly on what their mission had been. In a way, that made waiting at home a thousand times harder.

She could imagine every worst-case scenario there was.

“Hey,” he said suddenly, his voice gruff. “Can I turn on the TV?”

“Absolutely. The remote is attached to your bed. Here, let me get it for you,” the nurse said, handing it to him. “Instructions are right there. You can leave it on the bedside table so you don’t have to lean over to get it.”

“Thank you.”

He turned on the television, flipping through the channels to find CNN or BBC. Anything that would have international news. They wouldn’t have all the dirty details, but they’d been covering the story before his SEAL team even deployed. They sure as hell would have an update now.

Finally, he turned to BBC and watched for a minute as they gave the headline stories for the day. Earthquake. Monsoon. A bombing in Pakistan.

His eyes widened as they moved to the next headline.

And this just in—it is confirmed that the American woman being held hostage in Afghanistan arrived safely home in the U.S. today. Although her name has not been released by the U.S. government, we have received information that she was reunited with her family.

Patrick let out a breath, a feeling of satisfaction washing over him.

They’d done it. It may have damn near killed him, but an innocent woman was no longer being held hostage by terrorists in a foreign land. Maybe he was stuck in a hospital bed for the time being, but the fact that his men had accomplished the mission?

No damn better feeling.

He grabbed the phone at his bedside and punched in Rebecca’s number, hoping that he’d be able to reach her. He didn’t even know what time it was here right now to calculate the time difference. His heart pounded in his chest as he began to wonder if she wouldn’t be able to answer. Finally, after four rings, her sweet voice answered her cell phone. It was like balm to his soul to hear her soothing voice from thousands of miles away.

His heart caught for a beat in his chest, the reality of the situation hitting him like a punch to the gut.

“Hi sweetheart,” he finally managed to say. “It’s me.”

“Patrick!” she gasped, and he could hear her already getting choked up over the line. “Patrick, oh my God. How are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m out of surgery and recovering,” he said as she broke out into a loud sob. “Hey, sweetheart. Sweetheart, please don’t cry. I’m okay, and I’m coming home to you. I’m okay.”

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