“I know.” She fought not to break down. “To my horror you were caught in the cave-in, too, or so we thought. There were search parties to bring out the bodies, but none were found. I wanted to interview the Slovenian family, who might be able to shed some light on their missing son because I refused to give up on you.”
“I take it I didn’t beat you often. Otherwise you wouldn’t have bothered to try and find me.”
He said it without a smile, but there was nothing wrong with the sense of humor she’d always loved. Maybe there was hope for a happy marriage in time.
“In another week we were going to have a family memorial service for you, Rini, but I was dreading it. I had to be certain you weren’t alive somewhere. One night I had a dream that you came to me. It gave me hope.”
Rini groaned. “To be frank, I’d hoped never to wake up after they gave me a shot at the other hospital.”
That hurt. Her eyes clouded over. “Are you still sorry?”
“I’m trying to process everything.”
She looked down, cut to the quick. “There are a lot of people who love you and are thankful you’re alive. Your grandparents adore you and can’t wait to have a conversation with you, but they realize it will have to be on your timetable.”
He didn’t respond. “I met a policeman named Zigo, who took you to the hospital. His kindness brought me to you.” Her voice caught when she said, “I came close to fainting when I saw you asleep
in that hospital room. You’ve suffered terribly with a gash like that, and the blow to the crown of your head. Are you in horrible pain?”
“No. I was given painkillers.”
“Luna?” another voice sounded. She lifted her head. Dr. Romano had come into the room. “Since your husband seems wide awake, I’d like to talk to him for a minute before his dinner is brought in. Would you ask him if it’s all right?”
She nodded and turned to Rini. “Are you up for a visit with Doctor Romano? Afterward, they’ll bring you a meal.”
“If it will get me out of the hospital sooner, why not?” The edgy brittleness of his tone was to be expected, but this part of Rini was unlike the man she’d married.
“He says yes, Doctor.”
The older man pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed. “I’m going to record our conversation for my records.” Dr. Romano pulled out a tiny recorder. “I’d like you to think back to your first memory.”
* * *
Rini could hardly concentrate as he looked at the gorgeous woman seated by his side. She’d appeared in his hospital room in Rezana like a vision. Now she’d planted herself next to him in this hospital in Asteria. Her stunning blond beauty and perfection of female form had taken his breath. When she’d told him she loved him, he’d almost gone into cardiac arrest. Until her presence in the Rezana operating room, he’d come close to giving up on life.
In order to concentrate right now, he closed his eyes.
“I remember being in total darkness, completely disoriented. My head hurt like hell. The silence was terrifying because I realized I was alone and the ground beneath me was shaking. I didn’t know what I was doing or what was going on. I thought maybe I was dead and in hell.”
* * *
Luna put a hand to her mouth to silence her sobs, but she had to translate for both of them.
“What did you do at that point, Rini?”
“I don’t know exactly, Doctor. My legs were buried under something. It took what seemed like hours for me to remove what felt like rocky debris. Finally, I could move and made some progress. Then I slept for a long time.
“When I awakened, I realized nothing had changed. It frightened the daylights out of me until I discovered I was breathing fresh air. That had to mean there was some kind of exit out of that hellhole I’d been in.”
Dr. Romano cleared his throat. “You now know you’d been in an earthquake inside a mine. After all you’ve been through, your existence is a miracle.”
“It is!” Luna exclaimed. Inside she was dying for him and what he’d lived through.
“Go on if you can. Tell us what happened next.”
“I kept crawling until I discovered myself lying on vegetation. I felt thistle-like scratches on my hands. There were more earth tremors. When I looked up, I saw a sky full of stars before I fell asleep again. Obviously, I must have slept all night because sunlight woke me up. I realized I was on a mountain, but I didn’t know why or where I was. Nothing looked familiar.”
“I can’t imagine it.” Luna moaned the words.