Page 13 of Enigma: The Final Chapter
“I’m not joking.”
Our heated reunion is interrupted when three brisk taps sound at my hospital room door. I smile when I see the boyishly handsome face of Brandon. Ignoring the screaming protests of my thumping head, I scamper off the bed then wrap my arms around his neck to greet him. Brandon returns my embrace before pulling me back to arm’s length so that he can assess me for injuries. His plump lips curl before his eyes shift to Isaac sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, looking sexy as sin with his hair mussed from my fingers running through it.
My pulse quickens when I notice a touch of panic in Isaac’s glistening eyes. Usually, jealousy is the only thing relayed when Brandon is around, so his fretful gaze has my nerves sitting on the edge.
“What’s going on?”
The dark, stormy cloud hampering Isaac’s eyes before we kissed returns full force. He stands from the bed and moves to stand next to me. I can feel the frenzied rush of his pulse when he encloses his hand over mine. “Hugo was shot by one of your attackers.”
The air in my body is evicted as tears well in my eyes. “Is he okay? Where is he?”
“He’s been wheeled into recovery. They said he should be in his room in around an hour.” Brandon’s voice is scratchy with emotions. “They won’t give me information on his condition as I'm not a member of his family.”
Two hours later, Isaac ushers me into Hugo’s private wing. Everything slows when my eyes zoom in on his massive frame lying motionless in a double bed. My pulse, my breathing, my heart—it all stops. Nothing but guilt is felt when I see the machines and monitors attached to him.
I can barely breathe through the tears flooding my face as I pace to his bedside. I’ve spent so much time with Hugo the last two months, he's become like a brother to me. He's my family. The only reason I haven’t collapsed in a heap on the floor is because of Isaac’s firm hold around my waist.
I choke back a sob when Hugo’s eyes flutter open. “Hey, Isabelle.” His greeting doesn’t come with the familiar drawl I’ve become accustomed to.
I rush to him, wrapping my arms around his torso the best I can while being cautious not to cause him any pain. A grin tugs my mouth when he mutters, “Are you trying to get me fucking fired… again?”
His normal woodsy scent has been overtaken by the antiseptic smell all hospitals seem to have, but he’s alive so that’s all that matters. I pull away and stare into his clouded eyes, issuing my regret for the cruel words I said to him during our fight.
“It’s all good, Izzy. We’re all good, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, we’re good,” I reply as the doctor who assessed me earlier enters the room.
I move off Hugo’s bed to join Isaac at the side. He slings his arm around my waist, then tugs me in close, so the material of his shirt can catch my tears before they roll down my face. The doctor checks Hugo’s vital signs before peeling the hospital gown off his chest. More tears spill from my eyes when I see the stitched and cleaned, but still obvious, bullet wound in the top half of his chest.
“You must have a guardian angel looking out for you,” the doctor remarks, lowering the dressing. “Do you remember anything that happened?”
Hugo’s lips purse before he shakes his head. “I only remember chasing after the car and suddenly being sprawled onto my ass like I was hit in the chest by a bull… or Isaac’s right-swung fist.”
A smile curls my lips. Even being shot can’t dampen his cheeky demeanor. I’m not the only one laughing. Isaac tries to conceal his smile with a stern glare, but his lips curve high, giving away his deceit.
“What’s Hugo’s condition, and how long until he can be discharged?”
The doctor moves to the end of Hugo’s bed so she can address us all together. “The bullet entered Hugo in the front upper left chest cavity and exited through his left shoulder region at the back. The bullet was a through and through, so astonishingly, no significant bone damage was caused since it entered and exited in between Hugo’s ribs.”
Hugo weakly winks, seemingly pleased with himself.
“You're not out of the woods just yet, Hugo. We need to make sure the wound doesn’t become infected and that the damage to your lung remains stable.”
My gaze shifts from Hugo to the doctor. “What damage to his lung?”
“When the bullet entered Hugo’s chest, it slightly veered and nicked the top of his left lung, causing it to deflate. When he arrived, the surgeon noticed the wound was sucking, and the skin had a bubble- wrap appearance. They inserted a tube to drain the blood and air pooling in his chest around the wound site. The tube will also assist in re-inflating his lung. This type of injury isn’t uncommon for someone with a gunshot wound. It is called a hemopneumothorax. Since it was treated adequately and quickly, Hugo shouldn’t suffer any long-term side effects.”
“So how long will I be subjected to sponge baths by sexy nurses in tight white uniforms?” Hugo asks with a frail waggle of his brows. Even though his voice is laced with cheekiness, the spark in his eyes isn’t as prominent as normal, and his jaw is set in a tight line, showing he's in pain. “A bullet deserves a muchmoreworthy reward than a bunch of stinky flowers.”
When Isaac snickers over his comment, I elbow him in the ribs. All snickering stops when a nurse with perfect timing enters the room. She’s young and cute with long platinum blonde hair with a streak of pink down one side.
In silence, she checks Hugo’s blood pressure, temperature, and his wound site before handing him the remote control that was resting near his hand. She advises him that he can self-administer his pain relief by pushing a button on the remote and shows him how to operate the television hanging from the ceiling.
“If you need me for anything,anything at all, press the big green nurse button in the middle.”
When she leaves the room, my wary eyes shoot up to Isaac. He shrugs, pretending he didn’t organize for the sexy little kitten to be Hugo’s nurse. He kisses the crinkles on my nose when I squint my eyes even more, calling bullshit.
“We better let Hugo get some rest.” The doctor gestures her head to the door. “If youbehave, I may get you out of here before Christmas.”
