Blood and Sand
Page 101

Natalie realized she couldn’t move her legs. They felt heavy and hot. Her toes itched, but she couldn’t move them. “What’s wrong with my legs?” She started to panic and tried to sit up, but Baojia pushed her back.
“You broke both your legs in the rockslide,” he said. “They’re in casts right now. But they’re going to be fine.”
“Am I paralyzed?” Her heart was racing, and the monitors went crazy again. He took her hand and she immediately calmed down.
“No,” he said in a steady voice. “There was no damage to your spine. You are not paralyzed.”
He continued soothing her when the doctor came, holding her hand as the man outlined what her body had gone through. Three broken bones. Brain swelling. Trauma to her right side, accompanied by massive blood loss. She’d been in a medically induced coma for three days, and she’d be in the hospital recovering longer.
Finally, she said, “I guess I’m pretty lucky to be alive.”
The doctor smiled. “Very lucky. Quite frankly, you’re a miracle. If your friend hadn’t driven you to the hospital so fast…” He smiled. “It’s a good thing she broke some traffic laws.”
Natalie frowned and looked at Baojia. He cleared his throat and glanced at the doctor before meeting her eyes.
“Tenzin was with you and Carwyn on the hike, remember? She’s the one who brought you.”
“Ah. Got it.” Natalie was a little disappointed. She didn’t even remember her first vampire-flight. “So my noggin is fine, and my side is repaired.” She stretched a little and groaned. “But that’s still gonna hurt for a while. I broke both my legs, but they’re clean breaks—”
“And with proper physical therapy, you should be able to walk with no walk wi lasting problems. There will be pain while you’re healing and possibly afterward for some time. Luckily, we didn’t have to do surgery, but physical therapy will be very important.”
She looked at Baojia. “I think I know a good physical therapist,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”
Baojia finally gave her a real smile. “Yes, you will.”
“There, there, theeeeeere…” Natalie threw her head back and groaned. “Oh, that feels amazing.”
“Who knew chopsticks had so many uses?” Baojia smirked and leaned back, throwing his arm around her as she lay in the hospital bed. The blessed chopstick was placed on the side table for the next time the itching in her left cast became unbearable. They both turned their heads when they heard the faint tapping on the door.
“Hey.” Kristy smiled when she walked in. “For a minute there, I thought I was interrupting something.”
“The itching,” she said. “The rocks didn’t kill me, but the itching from these damn casts might.”
She’d been in the hospital for almost two weeks. The doctors had been worried about her head for a while. Baojia had just smiled and said it was good someone was finally examining it. Natalie tried to be mad at him, but he was so happy she was alive it was hard to be irritated. Then they were worried because she had a fever and they thought the wound in her side had become infected. Baojia fussed because he couldn’t heal it completely while she was still being observed by the doctors and nurses. He might have used a bit of his blood to heal the worst of the surface injuries so she wouldn’t scar. Then he made a face when he tasted her and said he’d be grateful when she tasted right again.
Vampires.
Natalie couldn’t decide if vampires would make wonderful or horrible doctors. She was leaning toward horrible.
But he was there every night. No one seemed to question why her husband—because that’s what they had told the hospital—only came when the sun went down. Dez or Kristy were there during most of each day. Natalie was grateful for all the caring company, but mostly she wanted to go somewhere that nurses didn’t wake her up every three hours.
“Be grateful you itch,” Baojia said. “That means you’re alive and your nerves are in excellent health.”
Kristy sat on the other side of the bed. “Is he always so logical?”
Natalie nodded. “Yes. It’s a good thing he’s cute, too.”
Baojia frowned and stood up. “I’ll leave you two to talk. I’m going to find something to drink.”
“Hey, can you bring me back a soda?”
He turned at the door. “Are you allowed to have soda?”
Kristy looked over her shoulder. “She’s a big girl. Bring her a soda. But no caffeine.”
Natalie shook her head. “You’re as bad as he is.”
Baojia sighed. “No caffeine still leaves me with too many choices.”
“Oooh,” Natalie said with a grin. “See if they have that blood orange.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I love that one.”
He tried to stifle a smile as he left her room, but she heard him chuckle as he walked down the hall.
Kristy turned back around and slumped in her seat. “So you’re really leaving?”
She nodded. “Yep.”
“And you’re really marrying a guy you met in a bar a few weeks ag few weeo?”
“It’s been… almost two months.” It probably did sound crazy to someone who didn’t know the whole story.
Kristy shook her head. “Part of that time you were unconscious.”
“And he was there the whole time,” she said quietly. “I know… I know it probably seems crazy, but it’s not. We’re not. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”