Breaking Free

  ****

  Standing in front of the hospital, worry gripped Zoe’s stomach like a clenched fist as she watched Hawk’s car disappear around the corner. Please keep him safe, she breathed heavenward, then limped toward the main entrance of the hospital. Once through the glass doors, she withdrew her visitor’s pass from her pocket and showed it to the guard, then moved on to the elevators.

  On the way up, she watched the numbers change on the panel and braced herself before seeing Brett. Now he had a feeding tube to insure he had enough nutrition. Just seeing that tube going into his nose made her flinch each time. The day they’d put it in, she’d realized they were losing ground, and no matter how hard she’d fought to hold onto it, a little of her hope had bled away.

  Pain welled inside her and she leaned against the elevator wall fighting back the tears as despair threatened to overwhelm her. How much longer would they continue to care for Brett here? How much more time would they give him to wake up?

  When the doors opened before her, she forced herself to step out. She didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want her brother to be here. If only she could take him home.

  Angela waved from the nurse’s station. Zoe forced a smile to her lips and returned the gesture. As she continued down the hall her steps slowed then came to a stop just outside the door. It was so hard to face this day after day. With every day that passed, it got harder and harder to believe he would get better. Fear ate at her hope like acid.

  Why wouldn’t he wake up? How could his EEG’s be normal when he wouldn’t open his eyes? It had been a month, what was he waiting for? Why couldn’t he find his way back to them? The ache the questions left in their wake was almost unbearable.

  He didn’t give up on you, she reminded herself. Yeah, but at least I tried. God damn it, why wouldn’t he try?

  Zoe shoved open the door with enough force it hit the wall. She froze. A man dressed in blue scrubs stabbed a needle into the I.V. running into Brett’s arm and pushed the plunger.

  Fear catapulted through her. Her calf burned in protest as she broke into a staggering run. “What are you doing? Who are you?” she demanded. “What did you just give my brother?”

  The man jerked the needle up narrowly averting stabbing her. He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he braced a hand against her shoulder holding her off. “I’m Ensign Earnest Cramer, R.N. I’ve been transferred from the second floor.”

  “It’s alright, Zoe,” Angela spoke from the door. “Ensign Cramer is who he says he is.”

  Relief as intense as the fear shot through Zoe’s system. Tears burned her eyes. Suddenly light headed, she bent at the waist to steady herself and grasped the railing on the bed.

  “Geez--Zo--Keep it down would you. What are you yelling about?”

  She jerked. The sound of Brett’s voice weak but distinct

  stole her breath.

  He raised a shaky hand to rub the stubble on his jaw, his fingers following the feeding tube running into his nose before his hand collapsed onto his chest. “I feel like shit.”

  “Brett--”She shoved past the male nurse. “Oh God, Brett--”She leaned over the rail and looked into her brother’s pale blue eyes. He focused on her face with a confused frown. Beard stubble dusted his jaw and his upper lip, and his eyes looked swollen as though he’d slept really hard, but she read recognition in his gaze as he looked at her. He’d never looked more wonderful to her. Tears of joy blurred her vision as she embraced him. “Thank, God. Thank, God.” A sob clogged her throat cutting her words to a whisper. “I’m so glad you’re back.”