Part 26 (2/2)

When the head nurse took out a penlight and pointed it into Cain's eyes to check for pupil reaction, Cain rasped, ”Take this out.”

”Take what out, Ms. Casey?”

Uncoordinated, Cain was able finally to move her hand close to her mouth. ”This, take it out.” She put her fingers on the tube in her throat.

”I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm not authorized to do so.”

”Take it out, or I'll do it myself.” The voice was low, but it made Emma laugh because it carried Cain's usual amount of venom.

”Ma'am, please calm down, or we'll be forced to sedate you.”

”Go anywhere near her again with a needle, and you'll have to deal with me,” Emma threatened from where she was standing. She had just gotten Cain back, and she wasn't going to let go so easily. ”Is she all right for the moment?”

”Yes, but” said the middle-aged woman.

”Then get out and we'll wait for the doctor.”

”We just want to understand why this happened, Mrs. Casey. We're just trying to do our jobs. If you can't understand that, I'll have to remove you.” The stout middle-aged nurse obviously wasn't used to being talked down to.

”You can try and remove her, lady, but make sure you bring enough people to take Freddie and me with her,” said Lou, who stood just inside Cain's room.

A man at the counter surrounding the nurses' station chuckled. Cain's surgeon had arrived and was glancing over the paper readouts her monitors had produced as he listened to the fighting going on in the room.

Emma glanced toward the door as Dr. Elton opened it. With Cain's chart under his arm, he motioned all the healthcare workers out. ”It's no wonder you're awake, with all the noise,” he joked as he began his examination. He explained to Emma that Cain was a medical enigma to him. Her condition was something he expected to see in a couple of weeks, if she survived at all, but the alert blue eyes and reflex response were almost normal.

”Take this out. Now.” Cain's tone belonged to someone not used to being denied.

”Cain, I want you to understand something, so hear me out, okay?”

His patient swallowed rapidly and with difficulty because of the tube she was complaining about, but she nodded.

”Someone tried to kill you with a very large gun that shot even bigger bullets. I'm thrilled you're awake, but now I'm the boss, not you. The staff and I will try our best to make you comfortable, but you have a ways to go before we're done.”

Cain motioned him closer and said, ”I've got enough s.h.i.+t hooked up to me, and it's scaring my kid, so take it out. It's the first time she's seen me, and I don't want this to be what she remembers about the day.”

”Mrs. Casey, could you and your daughter give us about twenty minutes? I promise it's just to clean Cain up and get her comfortable. If it's possible, we'll move her to a private room so you'll be more comfortable as well.”

”No more drugs?” Emma asked with conviction.

”Unless she asks me, no more drugs.”

As Emma and Hannah waited, the clock seemed mired in quicksand. Emma was about to go back into the room after forty minutes had pa.s.sed, but then the doctor met her at the door.

”I don't understand how, but she'll be home in about a week.”

She laughed at the thought of Cain flat on her back for a week. ”If you can keep her that long. Cain isn't the best patient. Add to that her lack of patience, and a week might be tough.”

”You don't understand. I thought she'd have to stay a month or two.”

”No, Dr. Elton. You don't understand. Cain's an extraordinary person, used to doing extraordinary things. Right now she doesn't have time for this, so she'll will herself to mend.”

”May your children take after her, then, Mrs. Casey. You go on in. She's asking for you.” Dr. Elton patted her hand and left.

Go on in, she's asking for you. The doctor's comment echoed in Emma's head, making her dizzy. Memories of Cain dressing her down also echoed in her mind, but she had been lucky up to now. She had never been on the receiving end of the Casey temper at full throttle.

The time the staff had taken made a difference. Cain looked almost healthy with only the oxygen tube in her nose. The one she'd found offensive was gone, and Emma could only hope it was the staff that had removed it.

”I hurt too much to bite, so come here.” Cain's voice was still raspy from the medical equipment, but it sounded glorious. The teasing comment was the first thing Cain had uttered to her that didn't carry with it a dose of anger.

”Cain, I'm so sorry for everything. I didn't come here to see you get hurt, but I'm grateful to you for saving my life.”

She quit apologizing when, with a great deal of effort, Cain put up her hand and said, ”She's a beautiful child, Emma.”

”She's a Casey, Cain. What choice did she have but to be beautiful? I know it won't make things right between us, but I taught her to love you and Hayden.” Emma sat on the chair next to the bed and rested her hands close to Cain's body. ”She's talked about you for so long. I'm glad you found out.”

Cain's side hurt like h.e.l.l, and she wasn't up for a fight. ”Your plan was to send me to jail so you could get Hayden back, so I'm sorry if I find your words more than a little hollow.” The saddest thing that had occurred to Cain about everything that had happened was that she'd missed out on Emma's second pregnancy. She vividly recalled her first one.

Twelve Years Earlier in the Casey Bedroom in New Orleans ”Don't strain yourself today. I mean it.” Cain was sitting on the bed putting on her socks as she lectured the woman lying behind her. Her seventh month of pregnancy was starting to wear Emma down and swell her up in unimaginable places.

”When are you coming home?”

The irritated tone directed at her didn't faze Cain. It was hormonal, and she figured the real Emma would return sometime after the birth. ”Tonight early. I already talked to Vinny and told him I wasn't staying long, but the Gulf Coast property's being cleared today, and we're meeting with some of the county commissioners. If I could skip it I would, baby, but this is one meeting I can't miss.”

Emma watched as Cain slipped on her belt, then her watch. The pa.s.sion was gone. Now she knew what every pregnant woman meantshe really did feel like a beached whale and couldn't blame Cain for not finding her attractive.

”Maybe later you could go for a walk with Carmen? It's nice outside today.”

”I'm not a pet, Cain, so stop being so condescending. Just go. I'm sure you're late by now.”

If Emma expected the blue eyes to harden and give her the fight she was picking for, the exact opposite happened. Cain sat beside her and put her hands on Emma's cheeks. ”I know you're tired, sweetling, and this big bruiser isn't helping any, but I love you. You rest, and I promise I'll be home early.”

Emma nodded, then lowered her head so Cain wouldn't see the tears. It wasn't fair to keep taking out her bad moods on the person who loved her more than life. Cain pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Then she felt the bed s.h.i.+ft again and Cain was gone. Never had she wanted to beg her to stay more than in that one moment, but it was just a mood swing. Something so tragic would seem silly in an hour, so Emma kept quiet.

Trying to relax, Emma undressed and stepped into the shower. Reviewing her actions, she leaned her head against the shower wall and sobbed. She wanted to start the morning over so she could retract the harsh words, but now Cain was gone. ”Emma, you idiot, it's not like she doesn't have her pick. Keep this up, and she'll go looking for someone who doesn't talk back so often.” She laughed when no one disagreed with her. Talking out loud to herself had become another side effect of pregnancy.

And then, suddenly, she wasn't alone. She cried harder when she heard the soft voice so close to her ear. ”Ah, but she likes them feisty, la.s.s. I want a partner, not a lapdog.”

Cain's tall, nude body pressed against her back felt solid and wonderful, and Emma turned and pressed her cheek to Cain's shoulder.

”No tears now, sweetling. They'll ruin our morning.” Cain ran her fingers through the wet blond hair. After seeing the sadness on Emma's face, she hadn't been able to get very far once she'd walked out of the bedroom.

”What are you doing here?” Emma turned her head up and kissed Cain's collarbone as she gazed up at her greatest wish.

”I live here, love. I'm the one you use as a foot warmer at night.” Cain ran her fingers down Emma's neck, her lips following closely behind. She stopped just behind her ear and bit down gently, loving how it made Emma s.h.i.+ver.

”I know that, you sweet idiot. What I meant was, I thought you had a meeting?”

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