Skin Deep (Wounded Hero Series) (21 page)

Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

Dillon paced back and forth in the waiting
room; Camille had been in surgery for two hours already. To Dillon’s surprise Archer was assisting, he knew he should be concerned about the fact that Archer didn’t have a license to practice medicine. But there was no concern, he was able to stabilize Camille and get her to the hospital. The crazy bastard had a chopper on standby. He was putting all his trust in Archer. Dillon stopped pacing when he saw Daniel, Butch and Zane walking down the corridor towards him. How is she Daniel asked? “She’s still in surgery; they’ve been in there for two hours.  What about you? What happened at the farm?”  Daniel looked around even though they were the only one’s there, he didn’t want anyone over hearing what he had to say. Everything is clean, we were lucky we just missed the local law enforcement. They won’t find any evidence that we were there he said. As for me, I’m lucky Xavier’s aim shifted when I shot him. It’s just a flesh wound, the bullet went straight through.” Dillon was relieved his friend was okay. “Archer’s in surgery with Camille. I have no idea how he pulled it off.”

Zane stepped forward. “I think I know how. I put in a call to our friend Teddy at the
Pentagon; he was a fountain of knowledge. We believed the rumors about Archer, without checking him out. He didn’t lose his license. He had a serious disagreement with the chief of staff at the hospital he worked at. It seems Archer turned him in for insurance fraud and sexual misconduct with his patients. He walked away from a promising career. His father could have gotten him his job back, but he refused to let him help. But that’s not the biggest surprise of the night. We found the sheriff’s duty Mason dead in the basement of the farm house. His throat was slit.” Dillon just shook his head. “I never liked that little bastard.” Dillon didn’t want to ask about Trace in front of Butch, he would find out later what they did with his body. That would be much later; all he could think of was Camille. Every time he closed his eyes he could still her blood, there had been so much of it. He watched as the life flowed out of her.  He’d been helpless to stop it. All because he wasn’t able to protect her the way he should have. Now she was fighting for her life.

The four of them settled in to wait for word on how Camille was doing. Each man taking up a space in the small waiting room.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Butch walked up to Dillon who was sitting in a corner by himself, with his head in his hands. “You didn’t ask about Trace.” Dillon lifted his head and looked at his friend. Butch looked like he felt. Raw, tired and truly pissed off at the world. “I...I will take care of the funeral arrangements,
I couldn’t just dump him in a hole somewhere.” Dillon didn’t speak; he didn’t know what to say to comfort his friend. “You know it’s not your fault, this thing with Camille. I know you; you’re sitting here blaming yourself for all of it.” He waved his hand around. “You said you didn’t blame me for Trace, then you can’t blame yourself for this.”  Dillon took a deep breath and shook his head. “She deserves so much better than me, for the first time in my life I’m scared shitless. That I won’t be able to protect her and love her the way she deserves. If I walk away now it will hurt, but she will move on and find a man who can make her happy. What scares me the most is being with her and not being able to take care of her.”  He couldn’t look at his friend so he focused on the floor beneath is feet. “Then go now, don’t wait for the doctor’s. Just get up and walk away. If you think that’s easier.  Because from where I’m sitting it’s sure as hell the coward’s way out.”  Butch didn’t wait for a response he got up and walked to the window on the other side of the waiting room. Dillon wasn’t surprised at Butch’s response, but before he could think anymore about what to do, he saw two white coats coming down the corridor. He was on his feet and striding toward them. When they stopped in front of him, his heart seemed to skip a beat. Their faces looked grave. She had to be alive. Daniel was next to him, both of them waiting, hoping, and needing to hear that she was alive. Archer put his hand on the other doctor’s arm. Archer stepped forward with his hands on his hips.  “She’s alive, she’s lost a lot of blood. I’m not going to sugar coat things. Camille is a lucky young woman and she’s not out of the woods yet. The next forty eight hour are critical. We had to remove her spleen and we had a hell of a time trying to find the bleeder.” Dillon couldn’t seem to find his voice, so Daniel stepped forward and asked the million dollar question. “What’s her odds?” Archer seemed to be choosing his words carefully, he looked both Dillon and Daniel in the eye. If she makes it through the next forty eight hours, then her chances are 50/50.” he said his voice strong.

The other doctor cleared his throat, they hadn’t been paying him any attention. “If there is someone you need to call. Then now would be the time to do it.” Dillon moved so quickly no one had time to react. He grabbed the other man by his throat as he lifted him off his feet. Pushing him up against the dull grey hospital wall. “She’s not going to die, do you hear me that’s not going to happen.”

Daniel was there, ready to pull Dillon away, when Archer held up his hand stopping them. He moved slowly, being careful not to touch Dillon. He got in close, watching as the other man’s eyes began to bug out and his face turned beet red, as he struggled. Clawing at the steel grip Dillon had on his neck.

“Listen, I know that Roger here should have kept his mouth closed. But we really do need him, he’s the best in his field. So why don’t you let him go. I think he realizes his mistake.” Archer stepped back and waited.  Dillon slowly released the man letting him drop to the floor.

The only sound in the corridor, was the loud sound of coughing. Archer checked the other man, making sure no damage had been done.

Dillon turned, not sparing the other man even a backward glance.  He didn’t know where he was going, he just knew he had to get away from everyone.  Daniel thanked Archer and was about to go after Dillon when Zane stopped him. “Let him go, we can’t help him. He’s got to figure this out on his own.”  Daniel nodded his agreement. “I need to call Tina.” His voice cracked a little. He was no longer able to hide his emotions.  Zane clapped a large hand on his shoulder. No words passed between them, just the unspoken assurance that he wasn’t alone. They’d all suffered a loss of one kind or another over the years and they were always there for one another. Daniel went down the hall to have some privacy when he made the call.

Daniel sat thinking of Camille and how she seemed to have grown up over  night. He was so very proud of her. And now her life could be over before it ever really began, how was that fair? He thought of Tina and their unborn child. Here he had a woman who loved him; and yet he was still grieving for another. He thought back to the last few conversations they’d had. They talked about how she was doing and how the pregnancy was progressing. He felt the distance between them, the hollowness never went away. The gap was getting bigger each day they were apart.
Even when he’d called to tell her about Camille, each word was guarded. He couldn’t even remember if she said she was coming home or not.

Tina didn’t tell Daniel that she was in town and had been for two days. She’d come home to an empty house. And no idea where her husband was. She’d decided that staying away wasn’t the best idea. Each time Daniel called he seemed more and more distant. Her  mind was made up, it was time to fight for her family. Being there for  Camille and Daniel was the most important thing she could do.

Butch was working on his laptop when he spotted Tina. He sat his computer down and greeted her with a big bear hug, lifting her off her feet. Zane gave her a stern look. “Does Danny know your here?”  Before she could answer his question. She heard her name and the deep voice of her husband. When she turned around, Daniel was standing there. He was holding a to go tray with three coffee’s. He slowly sat the tray down and walked over to her. He pulled her into an embrace that took her breath away. He wrapped his big arms around her. I’ve missed you, he said barley above a whisper into her hair. It was said with such emotion. She melted into the embrace. In that single moment, the distance seemed to dissolve away and they were just Danny and Tina again. When he loosened his embrace and stepped back. Tina could see and feel his pain clearly. “How is Camille?” she asked.  Daniel took her hand and led her over to a row of seats. No one ever wanted you to sit unless the news you were about to get was bad, she thought to herself as she waited for Daniel to tell her.

When Daniel finished filling her in. It was so much worse than she could have imagined. But the question that stood out in her mind, after hearing everything. Where was Dillon?  “Dillon stormed off, after all the time he spent fighting his feeling and when he finally told Camille that he loves her. He storms off. He blames himself for all of this. And I’m afraid he is going to walk away.” Daniel said as he shook his head.

Tina stood up and Daniel stood with her, he had a questioning look on his face. Tina shook her head. “He won’t leave not without at least making sure she’s alright. and I think I know where he is.” She turned on her heels and began to walk toward the elevators. She left Daniel standing there with his hands on his hips as he stared after her. Zane was standing next to him and then Butch all three of them had seen that look before. Where ever Dillon was neither of them wanted to be in his shoes.

Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tina took the elevator down to the first floor, her stride was sure. She knew where Dillon was. As she walked pasted the gift shop and the coffee shop, taking a left and then a right. Tucked away in the back of the hospital was the small chapel. She pushed the double doors open and peered inside. The lights where dim giving anyone who came in a small amount of privacy. There were two people sitting up front. A man and a woman, the woman was crying and the man had his arm around her. Tina stepped inside, moving slowly so as not to miss Dillon. As she walked along she didn’t see anyone else in the small chapel. How could she have been so wrong? As she turned to leave, there in the back in a dark corner. She saw the outline of a man, his head was in his hands. As she got closer she recognized the thick head of hair, board shoulders and all around menacing aura. It was Dillon and he looked as if his whole world had been turned inside out. She thought back to another time in this very chapel. She was six years old and her aunt her mother’s sister was having a baby. A life was coming into the world as a life was leaving. She remembered Dillon’s mother had been sick for months. And there in almost the very same spot. Sat a seven year old Dillon. Then he was trying to cope with his mother’s impending death. She remembered sitting with him back then. They sat in silence. Neither of them ever spoke of that time. Yet here they were again, so many years later.

Tina sat down next to him. It was a long while before she spoke. “You know at six years of age, I didn’t know how to comfort you. So I just sat with you. And now here we are again, and I’m still not sure what to say.”  she said in a quiet voice.  Dillon slowly lifted his head, he didn’t look at her instead he just looked straight ahead focusing on the statue hanging on the wall of  Jesus on the cross.  A symbol from his childhood. “You didn’t have to say anything back then.  It was enough that you sat with me. You know I never forgot what you did, and I never said thank you.  I love her Tina, so much it hurts sometimes. To think that I could lose her... I don’t know how to deal with that.  And if by some great miracle she lives, what do I do then?” Tina turned to face him. “Dillon look at me.” He turned to face her. She could see the unshed tears in his eyes. She never remembered him crying when his mother died. But here he was, a man faced with losing another woman he loved.  It was then that she realized why Dillon had never settled down.  He didn’t want to watch another person he loved die. “You know we have to put ourselves out there every now and then. It’s what lets us know we’re alive. You’ve shut yourself off from loving her at first because she was too young, but now it’s not about that. It’s the fear of losing her. You have to live in the present the past is gone and the future well it will be there if we’re lucky. If I lived my life on what if, I would go mad. You have a chance to be happy, take it.”  Dillon blinked back the tears and he could see her pretty face again. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks Tina, from the seven year old boy back then and from the man now.”

Tina give him a warm smile as she got up to leave. She stopped without turning around. “It’s not your fault and we all know that you can protect her. Now it’s up to you to forgive yourself.” Dillon watched her walk out of the chapel. He loved Tina, she always knew how to get to the point. He knew she was right.  It wasn’t his fault and he could protect her.

Daniel watched Tina step off the elevator. He met her half way. “Did you find him? She walked up to him and put her arms around his waist, he wrapped her in his embrace. He always marveled at how well she fit. This was where she was suppose to be, that thought didn’t frighten him. It was a comfort. She was his wife and soon to be the mother of his child. Before he could finish that thought, he spotted Archer coming up the corridor towards them. Tina turned when she heard the
footsteps. “I just came to let you know we’re moving Camille to ICU.  I had them set her up on the top floor, it’s the VIP section. The only way up there is  one of the service elevators, the stairs don’t go that far up. It’s also a key entry for access. I can take you up there in about fifteen minutes.”  Tina could feel Daniel relax a bit.  “Archer this is my wife Tina, Tina this is Thomas Archer.”  Archer reached out and shook Tina’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Elliott.”  Tina smiled. “Please everyone calls me Tina, I’m grateful you were there for Camille.” Archer smiled. “Don’t thank me yet, let’s get through the next forty eight hours.” Tina realized he wasn’t at all sure that Camille was going to make it,  his guarded optimism brought that realization front and center.