Winter's Warrior: Mark of the Monarch (Winter's Saga 4) (21 page)

“I hate how we left things,” Theo said softly. 

“Me too.” Margo sighed.

“I’ve loved you for too many years to let you just leave me without a fight.”  His blue eyes flashed with determination, then softened.  “Please don’t fight me.”

He was kneeling at her bedside, holding her
worn hands in his.  For a moment, he studied the creases and freckles they displayed and saw every one as beautiful badges of honor.  These hands have been strong enough to take down men twice her size, agile enough to wield a scalpel with precision and intelligence, gentle enough to hold the hands of her adopted children as they played ring-around-the-rosy. 

Tears slipped silently down her cheeks as she nodded.  “I don’t want to fight you, Theo.  I finally got my best friend back after all these years.  I love you and I love our children.  We can make this work, right?”

“We will,” Theo smiled widely as he carefully slipped a sparkling diamond ring on the fourth finger of her left hand.

“I love you, Margo.  Will you please marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?” he grinned hopefully at the woman always meant to be his.

“Theo, now?  You crazy, silly man!  You’re asking me to marry you moments before I’m told whether I’ll ever walk again?” Margo’s eyes were lit with surprise and joy at the romantic fool on his knees in her hospital room.

“I’ll take care of you no matter what.  Please, Margo.  No one could love you more than I do.  I’ll do anything you want, just please say ‘yes’.”

“Theo, what if I’m not even able to walk down the aisle?”

“I’ll carry you.”

“What if I can never make love to you,” her eyes dropped, embarrassed to bring up the subject.

“
I’ll
make love to
you.
” Theo answered without hesitation.

“What if our children hurt one another?”

“Our children are old enough and intelligent enough to handle their differences with respect for our family.”  Theo’s jaw was locked with decisiveness.

“What if…”

“Margo, there is nothing you can imagine that would make me change my mind.  I love you.  Marry me.”

“Yes,” Margo burst into the widest smile and giggle
d and coughed through tears of joy. 

“Yes?” Theo stood without letting go of his fiancée’s hands.

“Yes!” Margo nodded looking up into the bluest eyes of the man who loved her unconditionally.

“SHE SAID ‘YES’!”
Theo hollered to the room that instantly filled with family.  Evan, Meg and Creed came bursting in clapping and whooping up a storm.

Meg, having sensed exactly what Theo was up to the moment he stepped out of the elevators, fe
lt like flying she was so happy for her mother and Theo.

After a barrage of hugs and kisses were exchanged, Margo spoke loud enough to be heard over everybody.

“Where are the others?”

Meg immediately bit her lip.

“Well, I have good news.  First, Meg convinced Cole’s attending physician that he was well enough to go home,” Theo looked over and smiled widely at Meg, feeling very thankful for her gift.  “So his enhanced healing abilities won’t be questioned.  Sloan is at the house taking care of him.”

“Okay, what about Alik and Farrow?”

Meg spoke up, “Alik’s evolution has begun, Mom.  Farrow’s taking care of him and Danny at the house.”

“His evolution?  Now?”  Margo’s eyes looked worried instantly.

“He’ll be fine in a few days, Mom.  He’s a little weak and feverish right now.”

“You’re sure he’s going through his evolution?”

Meg looked over at her little brother, Evan, who had been tending to Alik all night.

Evan picked up on the hint and started talking.  “He’s going through a very similar stage of illness we saw with Meg.  He is experiencing the high fever and low blood pressure.  His blood cells look to be changing like Meg’s changed.  It’s been fascinating to watch as he seems to be shifting molecularly.  I’m very excited to see what will happen to his gift once his evolution is complete.” 

Meg grinned at her little brother’s excitement, though she knew him to be exhausted.

“So this is where all the hollerin’ is coming from!”  Dr. Gentry strode into the room with confidence, four residences as his entourage.

“Dr. Gentry, it’s good to see you,” Theo said, walking over and shaking the man’s hand enthusiastically. 

“It’s good to see you, too, Dr. Andrews,” Gentry answered slowly peering around the room as if he was looking for the punch line of some joke. 

“What’s all the excitement about?”

“Theo and I just got engaged,” Margo said, still beaming with happiness.

“That’s wonderful news!  Congratulations to you both!”

“Thank you, Doctor.  Now I’m hoping for some more good news,” Margo said pulling her blankets back so Dr. Gentry could have easier access to her legs.

“N
o matter what, Margo, today was the day you got engaged, right?” Gentry reminded carefully.

“Of course,” Theo responded for Margo.

Gentry looked down at the chart in his hand and read the test results.  For the sake of his residents, he “presented” the patient.

“Forty-two-year-old female suffering from gunshot wound to the lumbar region, specifically L3 and L4.  Upon admittance to this hospital, the patient’s spinal cord injury was deemed ‘complete,’ meaning no sensation or motor functions from the site of the injury and below. Steroids were given to try to reduce the swelling in the area in hopes that would alleviate some level of impairment, with no significant benefits.  Because spinal decompression and stabilization proved fruitless, it was decided that the patient
would undergo surgery to reconnect the damaged bundle of nerves.  The surgery took place yesterday.  I was honored to be chosen as the lead surgeon in the procedure. Today we are here to perform the neurological exam based upon the impairment scale, known as the ASIA scale, looking for improvement on the patient’s last scores.”

The resident
s all nodded and took notes as though they knew exactly what was going on.

“Okay, Dr. Winter.  Let’s start with what we know works. 
Would you please close your eyes?” Dr. Gentry lowered the head of her hospital bed until she was lying completely flat.  “With your eyes closed, please tell me when and where you feel a little prick.”

Then he took a metal toothpick-looking instrument out of its sterile wrapper and pricked her arm.

“There,” she said.  “On my left forearm.”

“Good.”  The doctor moved to Margo’s torso and poked hard enough for Margo to squirm. 

“Ow, yes, I felt that,” she grimaced.  “On my right side just over my ribs.”

“My apologies
,” Gentry mumbled as he continued his exam.

He moved the instrument to just where Margo’s belly button would be and hovered for a good ten seconds before pricking her belly.  Margo didn’t even flinch.  Dr. Gentry tried another location along the same line but more toward her hip.  He pricked her through her hospital gown but again, no response. 

“You’re still using your instrument on me, aren’t you doctor?” Margo’s voice sounded hollow.

“Yes, Dr. Wint
er.  I’m going to try something; you’re free to open your eyes.”

Margo did and asked to be raised back in a more upright position so she could see what the doctor was trying.

Once the bed was situated to her liking, the doctor handed the instrument to Margo herself.

“I can’t remember ever doing this,
Margo, but I believe you may want to examine yourself.  Just remember to watch where you’re pricking so you don’t unintentionally make yourself bleed.”

The residen
ts stayed absolutely silent as everyone watched Margo take the instrument from Dr. Gentry’s hand and feel the sharp tip with her finger.  Her eyes wide with fascination as much as fear she took the instrument and ran it from the center of her chest down her stomach slowly.  Once she reached her lower abdomen, she stopped.  Her eyes filled with tears.  She took the instrument and tried again, this time on her left side.  Again she stopped when she reached just below the curve of her waist.  Fat tears slipped down the sides of her face as she lay back and stared up at the ceiling.

Everyone was silent, giving the woman her moment’s peace
, as she had to swallow what was surely a bitter pill.  Being a doctor, she knew exactly what this meant.  

“May I please have everyone leave the room except family?” Margo’s voice was steady.

The residents and Dr. Gentry nodded, murmuring how sorry they were and shuffled out of the room.

Creed made a move to leave, too, but Meg held his hand firmly at her side and stopped him.  He
was
family and needed to stay.

Once everyone else had left, Theo sat in the seat right beside his fiancée and reached out to hold her hand.  “Margo, it will be okay.  I know this wasn’t the news you were hoping for.”

Meg could sense something different coming from her mother.  She wasn’t angry or bitter.  She was prayerful.

“Mom?” she started.

“I should have died in that courtyard, but I didn’t,” she began, her eyes looking earnestly around the room at people she loved.

“I was shot three times in the back and
the one bullet not stopped by my bullet proof vest hit me in the spine.  That alone should have killed me, but I lived because my children refused to leave me.” Her voice was soft but strong as she looked between Meg and Creed.

“Then on the ten-hour flight back to the States, the only reason I
stayed alive was because of the skilled hands of my Evan and sweet little Sloan.”

“Here I am, by the grace of God, able to talk and laugh, remember and reason.  I can hold your hand, Theo, and I can hug my children.
The devil meant it for evil, but God turned it to good.  I am blessed beyond measure.” Her eyes were still wet with tears, but she was smiling too.

“Like I said
Mom, you’re the strongest, most beautiful woman I’ll ever know.”  Evan reached down and hugged his mother gently, kissing her on the forehead before pulling away.

“We’ll get you the most beautiful wheelchair, Margo
, and I’ll have the house fitted to be wheelchair accessible today.” Theo nodded supportively.

“I would be honored if you’d allow me to help you with your physical therapy, Dr. Winter.  I’ve learned to have faith from watching you and your family.” Creed spoke up, a rarity for him with more than just Meg.  “I have faith that something will happen and you’ll get your legs back.” Creed said the words so assuredly that everyone turned to look at him in worried surprise.  For a moment, everybody held their breath, not sure how Margo would take Creed’s statement.

Margo’s eyes lit up.  “Yes, Creed!  I will take you up on your offer and we can begin therapy immediately.  I believe you are right.  Someday, somehow, if it is truly God’s will, I will not just walk, but run again!”

She clasped her hands with joy at the hope Creed’s words planted in her heart. 
No matter how faith-filled Margo was, she had the heart of a fighter.  Sitting back to let the others do battle without her was going to be a real lesson in humility.  She needed to know she would keep herself physically capable and not think of herself as physically handicapped.  Margo reached out to Creed and pulled him in for a hug.

She whispered something in his ear before she let him stand.  “Well, call those doctors back in here.  I want to know how soon I can go home
,” Margo announced.

“What did
Mom whisper to you?” Meg asked discreetly as the doctors discussed Margo’s possible discharge the next day.

“She told me she loved me,” he blushed then added, “and she told me she wanted me to enjoy life with you at my side.”

Meg frowned, “What did she mean by that?”

“I was kinda hoping you’d tell me.”

“It sounded like…no, it couldn’t be.  This must be the meds talking.”

“What?”

Meg sighed and tried to keep the blush from creeping any further up her neck.

“It sounded as if she just
suggested I marry you.”

Creed’s face went white while Meg’s turned bright red.

“Yeah, it must be the meds.”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“That’s just …”

“Yeah, wow.”

Chapter 35  Alik’s Evolution

“How’s he doing?” Sloan asked Farrow when they happened to run into each other in the kitchen. 

“His fever is still really high.”  Farrow was filling a popcorn
-sized bowl full of ice.  “Evan told me we can’t give him anything for it—something to do with the fever playing an important part of his evolution.  All I’m allowed to do is pat him down with a cold cloth.” She scowled at the ice as though it was responsible for Alik’s illness.

“I asked Cole about it.  He says he remembers having the high fever, too and it lasting for several days when he went through the change,” she offered.  “It has to have something to do with…”

“Sloan!”
Cole’s voice echoed through the house.

“Sorry, that boy needs a swift kick in the…”

“Food?”
he hollered.

“Cocoa Balls coming up!” she yelled back.  Sloan was mumbling to herself as she finished preparing Cole’s breakfast tr
ay by pouring milk over the chocolate cereal.  She added a glass of fruit juice and a slice of melon on the side and hurried out of the kitchen. 

Farrow was right on her heels, but
her
patient wasn’t calling for
her
, however much Farrow wished he would.  He was still unconscious.  Farrow balanced the bowl of ice water in one hand and reached into the linen closet with the other.  She wanted to use a fresh washcloth on Alik.  She knew that doing little things for him would have to be enough for her to feel peaceful right now.  However sure everyone else was that this was all part of Alik’s evolution, Farrow was worried for him.

She’d never seen someone go through a change before.  She was dosed as a little girl, so she had no memories of even her
own experience. 

When she walked into his room, she put the bowl on his bedside table and reached out her hand to place it on his chest.  She just needed to feel it rise and fall before she could do anything else.  Her hand waited on Alik’s wide chest, but it felt no movement.  She tried not to panic but shifted her hand to where she should feel his powerful heart beating.   She only felt a soft erratic thrumming.  Using her other hand, she searched his neck for a pulse.  His skin was slick with sweat and hot to the touch.

Oh, dear God no!
She pleaded.

“Sloan!  HELP ME!” she yelled as though calling to a soldier a mile away
, her fear giving her voice strength.

Seconds later, the young, blonde doctor came running down the hallway and into Alik’s room.  “What’s going on?”

“He’s not breathing and I can barely feel his heartbeat.”  Farrow’s face was waxen with fear—an emotion she really didn’t even know what to do with as a trained soldier.

To her credit, Sloan’s face
was calm and her movements efficient. She came and felt for a pulse herself.  “It’s fluttered to a stop.  Shoot!”

She climbed on the bed and knelt beside the young man to start chest compressions.  She placed the heel of her right hand in the middle of Alik’s chest then her left hand on top of her right and intertwined her fingers.  She used her whole little girl’s body weight to press down and began counting
, “One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand…”

“What can I do?” Farrow asked over Sloan’s counting.

“Breathe for him when I tell you,” She said without missing a compression.

Farrow’s sharp ears heard painful sounding pops and cracks as Sloan’s
forceful pushes invariably injured some ribs, but it was no matter.