Wild Rekindled Love (19 page)

“Sure.” He kissed Jamie on the lips and told both her and Samantha he would be right back before he disappeared through the opening and approached the desk. “What is it?”

“Take a look at this CAT scan for me.”

Wyatt took the chair and rolled the mouse through the images. He stopped on one picture for a moment, before he rolled back and forth between the first image and the third image so he could compare the three.

“There is some kind of growth showing up on the middle image,” Doctor Hamilton said over his shoulder. “I can’t tell exactly what it is.”

“A tumor?”

“I can’t tell, but this patient needs to be immediately referred to a neurologist. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Of course. They will probably need to do a biopsy and see what’s going on. Is this patient having symptoms?”

“Yes and no.”

“Huh?”

“Not always. Some syncope, dizziness, headaches…”

Wyatt’s heart slammed against his ribs as it raced out of control.
Jamie.
He hadn’t paid attention to the name on the scan until then. His gaze found the name at the top of screen and tears gathered in his eyes. He looked at his friend and colleague as the other doctor put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You haven’t said anything to her.”

“No. I thought maybe you might want to. If not, I can, but she needs a specialist. She probably had one of her spells while she was driving and that’s what caused the accident.”

“I knew it! She’s been so damned stubborn about going to the doctor to get checked out.” He slammed his fist against the desk and several pairs of eyes stopped on him. “She has an appointment in a couple of days.” He raked his hands over his face.

“You know you can’t jump to conclusions, Wyatt. No one knows what’s going on until they do some more tests.”

“Are her neck and back clear?”

“Yeah. She can come off the backboard.”

Wyatt looked over his shoulder when he heard voices coming up the hall. Charles, Bonnie, Chase and Abby moved toward the curtained off area where Jamie lay.

Great! Now I have to break this to her whole family!

“Do you want me to tell them?”

“No. It’s okay. I’ll do it. Hopefully it will go easier with me telling them.” He stood and took a step in the direction of the trauma bay.

“Hang tough, man. This won’t be easy.”

“Thanks, Dale.”

Wyatt moved with a heavy heart toward where Jamie lay.

How am I going to tell her this?

He stopped for a moment, trying to collect his nerve before he pushed the curtain aside and moved to her side.

“Can I get off this damned board now?”

He laughed softly. “Yeah. Let me help you.” Wyatt removed the straps holding her down.

“Oh my gosh, that feels heavenly,” she said, slipping her hand behind her neck. “Did they say what happened?”

“Doctor Hamilton thinks you might have had one of your passing out spells and lost control of the truck.”

She dropped her gaze for a moment before it returned to his face. “I…I don’t remember.”

“I’m sure you are fine, Jamie,” Bonnie said sternly, but when Wyatt’s gaze met Abby’s, he could see the worried frown on her face as she grasped her husband’s hand.

Abby knows something isn’t right.

“Bonnie, Charles—you two might want to sit down. I need to tell you all something and it’s not going to be easy.” He held out his hand to Samantha and pulled her to his side so she stood between him and Jamie.

“Wyatt. You’re scaring me,” Jamie whispered.

“Baby, listen. I know you’ve been having these episodes where you lose consciousness. You did it outside that night when Sam found out I am her father. These headaches you’ve been having on top of all that—well, baby, there isn’t any easy way to say this.” He squeezed her hand and held on tight. “Jamie, honey, there is something showing up on the CAT scan.”

“What do you mean there is something on the scan?”

“I can’t tell what it is and neither can Dale—I mean Doctor Hamilton. I know you have an appointment in a couple of days with Doctor Melton, the neurologist, but you need to see him tomorrow.”

“Wyatt?” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “What are you saying?”

“Jamie, listen to me. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“But you’re a doctor!” she exclaimed, before she pulled her hand from his. “Or is it you just don’t want to tell me!”

Pushing the hair back from her cheek, he stroked it with his fingers. “God, Jamie, don’t do this. I would tell you if I could, but I can’t because I don’t know. This isn’t my specialty. All I can say is there is something showing up on your scan—something that’s not normally there.”

“A tumor?” Chase asked, his voice cracking.

His heart clenched in his chest. “I can’t say, Chase.”

“I want to go home,” Jamie said as she pulled away from him. “Now!”

“You have to stay here tonight and let them keep an eye on you. The chest tube. You had a collapsed lung. You have to stay here.”

“Then get this damned thing out of me!”

“Jamie—don’t.”

A gut-wrenching sob shook her frame and he gathered her in his arms. “Ssshhh. Everything will be okay. We’ll get through this together.”

She fisted his shirt in her hands and he could feel her tears on his chest. His throat threatened to close while he fought his own tears.

It’s just not fair! I’ve just found her again and now this!

Wyatt’s eyes met the watery gaze of Stacy over Jamie’s head.

“We have a room for her upstairs. We should be moving her shortly.”

He nodded and tried to pull back, but Jamie wasn’t going to let him go.

Dale came in behind them and he mouthed over her head to give her something to calm her. The other man nodded and disappeared. Wyatt ran his hands down her back and whispered in her ear. He didn’t say anything in particular, but he wanted her to know he would be there, no matter what.

Stacy came in a moment later with the injection in her hand and slowly pushed the medication through the IV tube in Jamie’s arm.

A minute later, Jamie lifted her head and stared into his eyes. “You told them to give me something, didn’t you?”

He brushed the hair back off her shoulder. “Yeah.”

“That wasn’t very nice, you know.”

“You needed something.”

“Now I’ll just sleep, though, and I don’t want to sleep.” Her features relaxed as the medication took hold. “Don’t leave me,” she whispered, grasping his hand like it was her lifeline.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Never.”

Once she started to snore softly, he motioned for the rest of her family to follow him out into the hall. He raked his finger through his hair before he pulled Samantha to his side and wrapped his arm around her.

“What do we do now, Wyatt?” Charles asked, grasping Bonnie’s hand in his.

“We wait.”

Chase’s voice rose in agitation and he almost shouted, “Wait? You have to be kidding me?”

“Chase, keep your voice down, please. Honey, Wyatt is doing what’s best for Jamie. We have to believe that.” Abby tried to reassure her husband with her words, but Wyatt could tell by the tightness around her mouth she was just as worried as the rest of them.

“There isn’t anything more that can be done tonight, Chase. The neurologist will see her in the morning, look over her scan and go from there.”

“This isn’t fucking right! You’re a doctor and she’s a nurse that works here!”

“I can’t pull strings with another doctor. He will have to see the scan. Her condition is stable. I plan to stay with her tonight here at the hospital and I will call if there are any changes. I don’t expect any problems during the night. This isn’t something that just showed up overnight. It’s been going on for a while, from what I’ve heard.”

“I can’t believe this,” Chase whispered, and Abby stepped in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Wyatt put his hand on Chase’s shoulder. “I love her, too. I’ll do everything in my power to protect her. You have to know that.”

“I know, Wyatt. This just isn’t fair.”

“No, it’s not, but we’ll deal with it. Together.”

Stacy moved up behind them and touched Wyatt on the arm. “We’re going to move her upstairs now. Are you coming?”

“Yes. I’ll be right behind you.”

* * * *

Wyatt sat in the chair near the window while he watched Jamie sleep. His mind raced with the possibilities and terror gripped his heart when he thought about the worst-case scenario. A brain tumor. A cancerous brain tumor.

Silent tears slid down his cheeks.
Please God, don’t take her away from me. I’ll do anything. If you must take someone, take me. Sammy needs her mother.

She moaned before her eyes opened and she whispered, “Wyatt?”

He quickly moved to the bed and sat beside her. “I’m right here, baby.”

“What time is it?”

“Somewhere around two, I think,” he whispered.

She scooted over to one side of the bed. “Lay here with me.”

“The nurses will have a fit, you know.”

“Like I give a shit. I want you to hold me.”

He chuckled softly before he lay down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side. When her head rested on his chest, he sighed in contentment.

After several minutes, her fingers pulled at the bottom of the t-shirt he wore. “What are you doing?”

“I want to feel your skin. Get this shirt off.”

He growled. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“We’re in the hospital and if you start touching me, I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.”

She lifted her head and shot a glance at the door. “Is there a lock on there?”

Air whooshed from his lungs as blood shunted to his groin. “No.”

“Damn,” she grumbled, but continued to pull his shirt up until she had it bunched up under his armpits. A contented sigh left her lips as she laid her head on his bare chest. “Much better.”

“You’re killing me here.”

“Mmm…well you are the one who put a stop to anything else, mister.”

“I really don’t want to be the center of the gossip between the nurses come morning.”

She lifted her head and looked him in the eye. “Gossip? We don’t gossip.”

A snort of disbelief left his lips.

Jamie punched him in the rib.

“Hey!”

“You deserved that,” she said before she lay back down. “Where’s Sam?”

“With your mom and dad.”

“Is she upset?”

“Of course she’s upset. She doesn’t understand what’s going on. All she knows is her mom is in the hospital and they don’t know what the problem is.”

“And that her dad can’t fix it?”

“Yeah.”

Silence enveloped them in a warm cocoon of intimacy as she stroked the hair on his chest with her fingers.

“I’m scared,” she whispered against his skin.

“I know, baby.” His palm traced her shoulder and down her arm. “I need to say something, Jamie, but I don’t want you to think it’s because of what’s going on.”

She sat up and frowned. “Okay.”

“I love you. I never stopped loving you in the last nine years. It tore my heart apart to leave before, but I’m warning you right now, Jamie Marie Wilder, I’m in this until death do us part. If you can’t say you love me…” She pressed her finger to his lips to stop his words as a silent tear rolled down her cheek.

“I love you, Wyatt. I know I told you back then I didn’t, but I did. You’ve had my heart in the palm of your hand since I was seventeen. I can’t take back what happened before. I wish I had never sent you away, but that’s water under the bridge. All I want now is to spend the rest of my life with you and raise our daughter together.” A watery chuckle spilled from her lips. “And maybe make a few more babies with you—God willing.”

He kissed her fingertips and then pulled her hand away from his mouth. “He has to, Jamie. I can’t lose you—not when we just found our way back to each other. I don’t think He’s that cruel.”

“I hope not, Wyatt,” she whispered as she put her head back on his chest.

* * * *

Pink and purple streaked across the sky outside the window of Jamie’s hospital room as the sun struggled to make its way over the hills in the distance. The steady thump of Wyatt’s heart in her ear calmed her like nothing else could. His soft snores echoed in the room. He needed to rest. He hadn’t slept all night until about an hour ago when he finally had given into exhaustion.

Letting her fingers drift through the silky hair on his chest, she wondered if today she would have the answers she sought.

Please God. I know I haven’t been the perfect daughter or the perfect mother to Samantha and I know what I did to Wyatt wasn’t fair, but…
she fought against the tears that threatened to fall.
I don’t want to lose him now and I’m terrified he won’t be able to handle this. I love him so much.