A few minutes later, she is carrying her first suitcase downstairs. The phone starts ringing again. Teagan shakes her head. Suddenly, the answering machine kicks in and she hears screaming, “TEAGAN! TEAGAN! PICK UP THE PHONE! TEAGAN! ANSWER THE PHONE! IT’S JANE!”
Teagan runs into the kitchen and picks up the phone. “Jane?”
“Come back to the hospital!” she yells.
“What? Why?” Teagan asks, completely confused.
“HE ISN’T DEAD!” Jane screams. “It was the other guy!”
“WHAT!?” Teagan cries out, wobbling on her knees. Relief weakens her joints, threatening to throw her to the ground.
“Get here as quickly as you can,” Jane instructs. “He’s in the ICU but should be coming out of anesthesia soon!”
“He….what….” Teagan barely breathes out. She can’t make sense of what is happening.
Laughing, Jane reiterates, “He isn’t dead! You need to come back here. I’m so sorry for what I said! I was just so distraught. Please, please, come back here! He is going to want to see you when he wakes up.”
“You’re his family,” Teagan stutters.
“You’re the only woman he has ever loved. I bet he is going to want to make sure you are okay before he even talks to me! Come on! Hurry up!”
Hanging up the phone, Teagan drops it on the counter and runs for the door. Speeding the whole way and rolling through a few stop signs, Teagan makes it back to the hospital. She runs into the hospital and to the front desk. “WHERE IS THE ICU!?”
“Go up those elevators to the third floor and take the first corridor to your right,” the receptionist says.
Running to the elevators, she hits the up button about fifty times. The guy next to her stares at her a little wide eyed. Teagan grins at him. “I thought my boyfriend died, and he is actually alive. I really need to get upstairs.”
“Well then, I will wait for the next elevator,” the guy chuckles.
The elevator dings and then opens. Teagan jumps inside and hits the third floor button about ten times. The doors finally close, and the elevator whisks her upstairs.
When she gets to the ICU, she turns in a circle. Suddenly, she hears, “Teagan!” She turns around to see Jane waving her down from six rooms away. Teagan runs down the hall. Jane grabs her into a giant hug. “Oh god,” she gasps. “Please tell me you forgive me. I am so, so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Teagan stammers. “Can I see him?”
“Yeah, he isn’t awake yet though,” Jane whispers, as they walk into the room
Teagan’s hands come up to her mouth. Kellen is lying in the bed. Machines are attached all over him, and he’s very pale. “What…how?”
“I was in the waiting room talking to Kyle. There were two other girls in there,” Jane starts. “I was in the middle of yelling at Kyle when a doctor walked in. He asked for the family of Kellen Grayson. I said that was me, and I asked how they could have let him die. The doctor gave me a puzzled look and said, ‘He isn’t dead. Who said he was dead?’ Kyle explained what happened. That’s when the doctor looked at us and then at the two other girls. He asked if they were the family of Harry Colt. They said yes. The doctor sighed and said there was some confusion. Harry was the one that died, and Kellen survived surgery.” Teagan grabs her chest and gasps. “Yeah honey,” Jane says. “Harry was the one that died. You have pretty good aim. You got him six times.”
“What!?” Teagan yells.
“Did Kellen teach you how to shoot?” Jane inquires with a grin.
In shock, Teagan shakes her head. “No, I wasn’t even looking when I pulled the trigger.”
“Wow, that’s pretty incredible,” Jane replies.
“How….what happened to Kellen?” Teagan asks quietly.
“They had to do some major surgery, but they got the bullet out and sewed him up properly. He is going to be laid up for quite some time, but I figured between everyone at work and us, we can take care of him.”
Teagan looks at Jane. “Kya, how is she? What’s going to happen?”
Jane blows a slow, heavy breath out of her mouth and pauses before speaking. “I’m calling a lawyer tomorrow. She’s going to come and stay with me for a while. Kyle told me about Celine. We will do our best to keep her out of the picture.”
“You know I will help out in any way that I can,” Teagan asserts.
Laughing, Jane says, “That’s good because neither Kyle nor I will bathe Kellen. That man is all yours in that department.”
That sends Teagan giggling, Jane laughs some more, and then they both burst into hysterics. Tears stream down their faces, but this time, they’re tears of joy.
Suddenly, they both see Kellen stir. Teagan rushes over to the side of the bed. “Kellen? Kellen, can you hear me!?”
“Yeah, you don’t have to shout,” he chuckles and then groans. “Holy shit.”
“You were shot,” Teagan says. “You had some major surgery done.”
“Baby, one does not forget getting shot,” Kellen retorts, smiling up at her.
“Shut up,” Teagan giggles.
“Are you okay?” He looks her up and down.
She nods. “Yeah, I wasn’t hurt.”
“What happened?” Kellen replies.
“The whole story?”
“Sure.”
Teagan sighs and tells him everything. Finally, she whispers, “And I guess I shot him six times. He died. Oh my god…I killed someone.”
“He tried to kill me and was going to kill you,” Kellen notes.
“But still…I saw his family,” Teagan whispers, running her fingers through her hair. “He was someone’s son, brother, maybe even husband.”
“Teagan,” Kellen starts. “You were defending yourself and me. There wasn’t anything you could do. Thankfully, you are a really good shot.”
She pauses and then mumbles, “I had my eyes closed.”
“Really?!” Kellen sarcastically teases. “You are my girlfriend, and you shoot a gun with your eyes closed.” Teagan shrugs and smiles. He grins back and then winces. “Holy crap. I’m in a lot of pain.”
“I will get a nurse,” Jane says. She turns and walks away.
Teagan grips Kellen’s hand. “How did you know something was wrong?”
“Jane called me to tell me about her car. Her boyfriend’s a mechanic. When he looked at it, he saw that the brake lines were cut.”
“Yeah,” Teagan says. “Harry told me about that. I wanted to kill him for trying to hurt Kya.”
“I was about to call you when your apartment’s alarm was activated. I tried frantically to get ahold of you. I had no idea where you were,” Kellen sighs. “When you didn’t answer, but the alarm was deactivated, I knew something was up. At that point, I was almost to your apartment.”
Getting down on her knees, Teagan kisses his hand. “I’m so sorry. This is entirely my fault. If I had listened, nothing would have happened.”
“I would still have shown up there. I still ran the chance of getting shot. It’s what I do, Baby. It’s my job. I’m in security.”
She puts her face in his hand. “You need to find a different profession.”
“Usually I’m not so easily distracted, but I saw you running with such fear in your eyes. I lost all my training at that moment. All I could concentrate on was you.”
“I don’t care,” Teagan whimpers, as she starts to cry. “I can’t lose you again. I just can’t, Kellen. My heart hurt, literally. I felt my chest tearing open. I couldn’t breathe or think.”
“Baby, normally in a situation like that, we go in with backup. We also always wear protective vests. You were just different. My heart was on the line. The woman I loved was in trouble. I would have walked in front of a firing squad to save you.”
Teagan closes her eyes and savors his touch. “I never thought I would get to do this again.”
“It hurts to move, but I would rub your head if I could,” Kellen whispers. “Can you do one thing for me?”
She looks up, “Anything, what do you need?”
“Kiss me,” Kellen murmurs, his eyes softening. “I thought I was going to die and never get to say, ‘I love you’ again.”
With a big smile, Teagan stands up and gives him a gentle kiss. There is movement from the side as a nurse walks in. “How are you feeling Mr. Grayson?”
“Kellen,” he replies. “And I feel like hell.”
“I’m going to give you some pain meds,” the nurse says as she walks over to check his IV bag and machine.
“Wait!” Kellen exclaims. “Before you do that, do you know where my clothes are?”
Teagan giggles a bit and says, “Probably in the garbage. There was blood all over them.”
“Shit,” Kellen groans, closing his eyes.
“Why?” Teagan inquires. “Are you worried about your wallet?”
“Among other things,” Kellen sighs. He looks at the nurse. “Can you please ask if they have anything? It’s important.”
The nurse nods, “I’m going to give you the medicine now. It might make you a little tired.”
“I’m a pretty big guy,” Kellen chuckles. With a smile, the nurse ejects some liquid into his IV. Teagan squeezes his hand, and Kellen turns to her. He stares at her for a minute, smiling, before suddenly saying, “Holy craaa…..” And a second later, his eyes glaze over, and he passes out.
“That’s some strong stuff,” Teagan giggles.
“Morphine,” the nurse responds with a nod. “It will get them every time.”
Teagan grabs the chair and pulls it to the bed. Exhaling, she sits down and stares at Kellen. “You made it,” Teagan breathes out. “You’re alive. Oh my god - you’re alive.” The tears come, and Teagan bends over, placing her head on the bed. “Don’t ever leave me again.” She grips his hand and closes her eyes.
When a hand starts to rub her back, it startles Teagan and she sits up. “Hey,” Jane whispers. “He’s going to be okay. You can go home and get changed.”
Rubbing her eyes, Teagan says, “Did I fall asleep?”
“Yeah,” Jane replies. “You have been through a lot today. The police want to talk to you, too. They need to know what happened. The detective is waiting down in the ICU waiting area.”
“I don’t want to leave him,” Teagan states, gripping Kellen’s hand.
“You need to get cleaned up and change,” Jane replies. “It will make you feel better. I promise.”
Shaking her head, Teagan says, “What if something happens to him?”
“He is going to make it. He is fine,” Jane reassures her. “You’ll feel better if you get into some regular clothes.”
“I packed everything up,” Teagan whispers, looking at Kellen. “I didn’t want to hurt the family anymore.”
Jane winces at the memory of her words and turns her wide eyes to Teagan. “Teagan, I was so upset,” she reaches for Teagan’s hand, holding it between hers. I lashed out, and I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Teagan replies. She looks at Kellen. “It really is my fault.”
“No, it’s not!” Jane assures her, squeezing Teagan’s hand. “Stop! It was that guy’s fault, and I am sorry, but he paid for his crime.”
She blinks away another round of tears. “I killed someone.”
“I know, Sweetie.” Picking her hand up, Jane says, “I think you should see a therapist in a few days. It will help you to talk to someone about this that isn’t involved.” Teagan nods. “I’ll call you every fifteen minutes while you are gone, so that you know he is okay.”
“All right,” Teagan sighs. “I still have blood on me. I need to shower.”
“It will make you feel better.”
Teagan nods and stands up. “Promise to call me.”
“I promise,” Jane states. Reaching over, Teagan gives her a hug. “See you in a bit.”
“Okay,” Teagan whispers. She turns to Kellen. Bending over, Teagan gives him a small kiss on the forehead. “See you soon.” With that, she turns to leave.
After a very lengthy conversation with two detectives, they set up an appointment for the next day to get an official statement. With a sigh, Teagan stands up and starts to walk out of the hospital. Halfway down the hallway, she runs into Victoria and Kyle. Victoria rushes over and grabs her into a death grip hug. “He’s alive!” she yells.
“I know,” Teagan starts to sob. “I thought he was dead. Everything hurt. I couldn’t even think straight.”
“He’s okay,” Victoria breathes out. “He’s going to be just fine.”
Letting go of her, Teagan looks at Kyle. He has a very awkward look on his face. Laughing, Teagan asks, “Why do you look so nervous?”
Kyle chuckles and says, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
She looks at him curiously. Kyle is holding his arms behind his back. “Why are you standing so strangely?”
Victoria and Kyle glance at each other. Victoria looks at her and says, “The ER gave us Kellen’s stuff. His clothes were trashed, but we have everything else.”
“Oh good!” Teagan exclaims. “He was looking for it.” She sticks out her hand. “Give it to me, and I will keep it safe.”
Still holding his arms behind is back, Kyle whispers, “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
A little apprehensively, Teagan says, “Kyle….give it to me.”
“He’s going to kick my ass,” Kyle exhales. He brings his hands around and places three objects in Teagan’s outstretched hand.
There is a very long silence as all three of them stare down. Sitting in her hand is Kellen’s wallet, keys, and a ring box. “Holy shit,” Teagan whispers, her eyes wide.
“Yeah,” Kyle replies, running his fingers through his hair.
“Do you think….?” Victoria starts.
“I don’t know!” Teagan hisses. “What in the hell am I supposed to do with it!?”
Raising her eyebrows, Victoria answers, “Open it.”
“No!” Teagan snaps. “What if…what if…I don’t know! I’m not opening it!”
“You can’t hide that you saw it,” Kyle assures her with a shoulder nudge. “What are you going to do?”
“Are you going to freak if it…if it’s…?” Victoria inquires.
Teagan picks up the ring box and wraps her fingers around it. “I’m not going to presume anything. It very well may not be anything.”
“Yeah, okay,” Kyle sarcastically retorts.
“Shut up Kyle!” Teagan yells. “How do I even give this back to him?”
“I would do it while you are alone,” Victoria replies.
“Here,” Teagan says, shoving it back to Kyle. “You give it to him, and I will act like I have no clue.”
Kyle shakes his head. “You can’t hide this, Teagan. You need to give it back to him.”
She stares down at the little box. “You’re right. I have to be honest. We promised not to hide things from each other anymore.”
“Make sure you do it alone,” Victoria suggests. “Just in case it is something special.” Teagan nods. “Do you know what a good idea is?” Victoria starts. “Let me look at it, and I can tell you what to do.”
“No!” Teagan laughs. “I should be the one who opens it, but I want Kellen’s permission first.”
“That’s a good idea,” Kyle agrees.
“Not today though, not today,” Teagan whispers. She shakes her head. “I need to go and get cleaned up. I want to be back here when he wakes up.”
“Why don’t I drive you to get his truck?” Kyle says. “Your apartment is a crime scene right now. I doubt you could get anything out of it.”
Teagan nods her head. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
* * * * *
“It’s been a week,” Kellen says. “You need to go back to school.”
“But I don’t want to leave you,” Teagan exhales. “Your sister has Kya right now. The guys are working double time. You’ll be alone.
”
“There’s an entire nursing staff here,” Kellen chuckles. “I will be fine. I’m out of the ICU.”
Teagan bends over and kisses his hand. “I know.”
“You can still make class if you go now,” Kellen says. “Go on. Get out of here.”
Grinning, Teagan replies, “But you’re such a good reason to play hookie.”
“Baby, I will get angry with you if your grades slip because of this,” Kellen sternly states. Go, get to class.”
“Fffffiiiinnnnnnneeeee,” Teagan draws out playfully. She bends over and grabs her purse. When she reaches in for her keys, she feels the ring box. Teagan pauses and then says, “Ummm, there is something I need to talk to you about.”
“Get to class!” Kellen yells playfully.
“No, this will only take a second,” Teagan replies. She wraps her hand around the box. “Ummmm…..I have the stuff from the ER.”
“What stuff?” Kellen asks hesitantly. The look on his face tells Teagan he is hiding something, yet hopeful that she has what he was missing.
Teagan looks up at him. “The things from your pockets.” She pulls out the ring box and hands it to him. “I have your wallet, too.”
“I didn’t care about the wallet,” Kellen says softly. He fiddles with the box for a few moments. “Did you look at it?”
She shakes her head and quietly says, “No, it wasn’t my place.”
“Really?” Kellen laughs. “This whole time…you didn’t look?” Teagan smirks and shakes her head again. “Do you want to see it?”
There is a pause, and then Teagan smiles. “Kind of. “ She looks at him and bursts out laughing, “YES! Oh my god, it’s been torture holding onto that!”
“Why didn’t you just look!?” Kellen laughs back. “Seriously, I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself if I were you.”
“I didn’t know what it was,” Teagan replies. “I still don’t.”
“Well, I didn’t think I would be giving it to you while wearing a hospital gown with a hole in my chest,” Kellen chuckles. The smile fades, and he hands the box to her. “It’s up to you if you want to open it.” Teagan takes it from him. “You need to know one thing, though.”