Page 26 of Tracing Her Stolen Identity
“She’s in good hands, Reece,” Selina said, her voice dropping slightly. “I know you want to be her hero, andyou are, from what she tells me, so just take a deep breath and do what you do best while I do what I do best. Okay?”
“Can do, Selina. Thank you.” Reece handed the walkie back to Cal and stood from the table. It was time to do what he did best and resolve this situation so he could put Skylar out of his mind again. Any idea that they could be together ended when he remembered he wasn’t her hero. He was her nightmare.
* * *
WHENSKYLAR WOKE, she buried her face in the pillow so she didn’t have to face Selina immediately. All she could see was the look on Land’s face when he’d carried her to the med bay and then the lancing guilt when he’d spotted the catheter. She moaned and regretted it instantly, as Selina was by her side before it ended.
“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Awful,” she moaned, throwing her arm over her forehead to block the light from her eyes. “How did I let this happen?”
“You didn’t let anything happen,” Selina gently reminded her. “Life just happens sometimes. You’ve been under severe stress and unusual conditions that your body isn’t used to. You have to expect a few hiccups along the way.”
“I’m not talking about that,” she whispered.
“You mean Reece.” Her nod was enough of an answer. “I’ve kept him updated, and he’s been down to check on you a few times. He’s been working with Mina on your case.”
Rather than try to explain further, Skylar just nodded as though that was the end of it. “How is the catheter draining now?”
“Excellent,” Selina answered. “I’m going to change it again before you leave, though. If there was any sediment in your bladder from it being so full, I want to make sure we clear it out and then put in a new catheter. That’s why I’ve been free draining it for the last few hours.”
“Do you think I can go back to intermittent drainage? A bag is going to be extremely inconvenient right now.”Not to mention embarrassing, she thought.
“During the day? No problem. I would still free drain it at night.”
“I always do,” Skylar said. “Well, I always do at home. Lately, sleep has been few and far between.”
“That’s easy to understand. Hopefully now that you’re here, you can rest better at night, which will help your body deal better during the day.”
Selina gathered the supplies needed to change the catheter while Skylar looked around the med bay. “This place is intense for a private medical suite. Are you a doctor or something?”
“Or something,” she said with a smile. “I’m an ex-cop turned search and rescue paramedic turned advanced practice paramedic when I had to start over in life. Cal hired me as an operative and paramedic, but I found my place here in the med bay. I do certain ops with the guys when they need a medical person and an extra agent, but after much self-reflection, I realized that my favorite thing to do is help people. That’s when I decided to play to my strengths.”
“It sounds like you’ve lived an interesting life,” Skylar said with a smile. “I’m lucky you decided to play to your strengths, or I’d be dead.”
Selina smiled as she snapped on gloves and startedchanging the catheter. “I’m lucky to do what I love with the person I love.”
“Oh, your significant other works here, too?”
“Yep. My husband, Efren. He was a sharpshooter for the army and then worked as a bodyguard, which is how he came to work here for Secure One. Now, he’s an operative on the security team. He’s an above-knee amputee.”
“Oh,” Skylar said, not making eye contact. After all the years of dealing with medical professionals, she was used to letting others take control of her body. She didn’t like it, but she’d learned that it wasn’t always worth fighting for independence regarding her health. Sure, she could change the catheter herself, but it was more difficult for her to do it. Allowing Selina to do the task meant the catheter wouldn’t give her any more problems, which was crucial in her current situation.
“All done,” Selina said, attaching the new catheter to the drain bag. “I’ll let it drain until you’re ready to go and then I’ll cap it off and you can take control of it again. Reece brought your chair down and said he’d help you transfer when you were ready.”
The sigh escaped before she could stop it, so she looked away from the woman who had been nothing but kind to her. “Maybe I’ll just stay here forever.”
Selina’s laughter was soft as she walked back to the stretcher. “That never seems to be a good way to deal with our problems.”
But Reece was a problem Skylar didn’t know how to deal with.
“Maybe not.” She wanted to say more, but she couldn’t promise that if she did, she would be able to hold back the tears.
Selina took her hand and held it, offering a smile of understanding. “You’re overwhelmed, tired, scared and angry. That’s all understandable. When you toss in medical situations like you deal with, it’s easier to pretend none of it is happening than face it head-on. There isn’t a person in this building who doesn’t understand that. You’re among friends here. We want to help.”
“I’ve never been more grateful,” Skylar said, a shaky smile tipping her lips.
“But that’s also part of the problem, right?” Selina asked, and Skylar tipped her head in confusion. “Reece.”
