I needed to get back to that voice.
It was my lifeline.
Darkness receded, and I felt the pain return. It rushed into me, lighting my nerves and pushing me closer to consciousness than before.
“Cooperate, Richard. Open your damn eyes.” I heard, the timbre of a male voice sinking into my bewildered mind.
There was a soothing touch on my palm, and the feminine voice that called to me often, spoke.
“You heard him, my darling. Open your eyes.”
I tried, except my eyes were heavy, still too tired to cooperate. I struggled to capture that touch, desperate to grip the warm fingers with mine. I sensed movement. Desperation.
“Richard,” the familiar, deep voice commanded. “Open up, buddy. Just fucking come back.”
I tried again, managing to open my eyes, but the sudden light was piercing, and my eyelids fell back down.
“No, my darling,” the loving voice begged, sobbing. “Please, Richard. I’m here. Please.”
I couldn’t deny the pull. The need to find the loving voice. With every last ounce of energy I had, I opened my eyes.
I grimaced with the effort. Attempted to speak, but my mouth was dry and my voice nonexistent. A low groan slipped from my throat.
“Turn down the light.” That sweet voice caught my attention, and I struggled to focus on it.
The light stopped hurting, and slowly, the blurry image began to clear.
Dark hair, ivory skin, and the bluest eyes I had ever seen met my frantic gaze. A small, warm hand cupped my cheek. Love, so intense and real, burned into my befuddled mind, bringing with it one word with clarifying intensity.
Katy.KATYRichard said my name. Rough, hesitant, but it was my name. He looked at me, his eyes trying to focus as he blinked and stared. His gaze bounced from me to Maddox, who was smiling so hard, his eyes were small slits in his face.
“Welcome back, Richard.”
Richard’s gaze swung back to mine.
“We need the doctor,” I said, unable to take my eyes off him.
Maddox spun on his heel. “On it.”
I leaned closer, not bothering to wipe the tears running down my face. “Hello, my darling. I know you’re confused, but everything is okay. I’m right here.”
“Wh-where?”
“You’re in the hospital.”
He furrowed his brow, his eyes drifting closed once again.
“You were in an accident.”
He opened his eyes. I watched him struggle to lift his hand, and I helped guide it to my face. His fingers jerked on my skin.
“No tears,” he uttered, the words low and jagged. “I don’t like it…when you cry.”
That simple statement it took him such effort to say made me cry harder.
He frowned. “K-Katy?”
“Yes,” I sobbed. “I’m Katy.”
He closed his eyes with a sigh. “I…found you.”
I pressed my hand harder, brushing my lips over his cheeks. “I’ve been waiting, Richard. I missed you so much.”
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Alan walked in, Maddox following him, two nurses on his heels.
“Look who’s woken up,” Alan exclaimed.
Richard looked confused, and I felt his anxiety.
“This is your doctor,” I explained.
Alan approached the bed. “I’m Dr. Fletcher, Richard. We’ve been waiting for you. I need to examine you, if you’re okay with that?”
Richard’s head bobbed, a flicker of pain crossing his face.
Alan met my worried gaze. “It’s normal,” he stated. “His body is waking up. I need you to step from the room for a moment, Katy.”
Richard’s eyes flared with panic, his hand gripping mine as hard as he could.
I wanted to stay, but I knew the hospital had strict policies regarding patient care. “I’ll be right outside,” I soothed. “As soon as the doctor is finished, I’ll be back.”
“I’ll make sure she is,” Maddox added. “I’ll be right with her.”
“Mad Dog,” Richard mumbled. “Okay.”
Maddox’s smile was wide.
“You got it, Richard.”I felt Richard’s gaze follow me out of the room. I hated releasing his hand. Hated walking away, even though I knew he was in good hands. One thought kept echoing in my head.
What if he slips away again?
Maddox grabbed me in a hard hug. “I know what you’re thinking, Katy. Not gonna happen. He’s awake, and he’s gonna stay awake.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks. Relief filled me as I clung to his words. Richard was awake. Although we still had a long road ahead of us, he was alive, and we would face it together.
Maddox held me tight. “It’s okay, Katy. Let it out.”
I cried for a few moments, letting the anxiety drain out with my tears. Maddox released me and handed me some tissues he grabbed from a box on the table in the lounge.
“You want to call Graham?” he asked. “Or should I do it before I call Bent?”
“You call him. I need a moment, I think.”
He gripped my shoulders and dropped a kiss on my head. “One step, one day at a time, Katy. Concentrate on this moment. I’ll make some calls, and by the time I come back, I’m sure you’ll be in with him. I’ll give you some time.”