Walker, page 18
It was Alissa and that showdown all over again.
It doesn’t have to be like that, Clary whispered in Ashley’s mind. We can do this.
Ashley closed her eyes and bent down to the task at hand, a need that happened in an instant with no warning. You never have time to prepare for this kind of thing. You just start healing and heal now. But the urgency was there, and the need to save somebody’s life was present.
She lost track of time; she lost track of her surroundings. She didn’t even know who was here and what happened to Lawson and whether he was even out there and still a danger to her and to these men. She didn’t care. She just wanted to focus on healing Walker and being with the other healers, working on Frank. Ashley sensed the other two women at her side, working just as hard and feverishly as Ashley was, trying to save everybody. It was an interesting experience because she’d never had such strong healers beside her, and these women were good. That didn’t mean that they would be good enough, but, hey, they were all giving their best efforts.
When it looked as if they were finally starting to turn the tide, Clary whispered to Ashley, Talk to him, Ashley, and see if you can get him to pull his own healing energy into this, so we can ease back slightly.
She contacted Walker mentally, telling him to wake up and to listen. He groaned, the pain still racking his body. I know you’re hurt, she whispered, but we’re working on you, trying to save you. I need you to trigger your own healing mechanism to give us a hand, so that we’re not having to pull on it quite so much.
She knew he probably didn’t understand the words or the methodology. That didn’t matter. She just needed his permission to get his body to work with them, instead of against them. When somebody went into shock like this, it was all too easy for a body to shut down because they were already at the point of thinking that it was too late.
Sure enough, that’s exactly what was happening.
“Save yourself,” he murmured, his tone faint and barely above a whisper. “Lawson’s still a danger.”
“I don’t know whether he is or not,” she replied. “I’m not paying any attention to what’s going on around us. All I want to know is where your mind is at. I need to know that you’re here and that you’ll fight this.”
After a moment of silence, he whispered, “Is there anything to fight for?”
“Yes, you’re alive. That’s already huge.”
“I’m dying,” he murmured. “I don’t even feel the pain right now.”
“That’s us. We’re holding that pain at bay, so you can work with us.” She sensed him struggling, trying to understand what was going on, then she smiled, leaned over, and, in spirit form, gave him a gentle kiss along his face.
“You need to live,” she whispered. “I didn’t fight this long to stay alive myself, only to lose the one good thing to come into my life in the last five years.”
A ripple of laughter filled the energy around her, as he whispered, “Fine time for you to decide that I’m worth fighting for.”
“You are worth fighting for,” she whispered. “However, now you have to decide if I am.” She surprised herself with that, and his response came back, soft but clear.
“Of course you are,” he whispered, love in his tone. “I didn’t even know I needed you, until we met,” he murmured, “and now I don’t know how I can live without you.”
“Ditto,” she said, equally softly. “That means you need to live. You need to fight and to give us every bit of help you can in order to make this bleeding stop.”
“Even then, there’s no hospital, nothing close by.”
“Yeah, well, maybe we won’t need a hospital. Three of us working on you,” she told him. “I’m not saying we can pull a miracle out of a hat, but this is what we do.”
He gave a soft, gentle sigh. “If you can save me, please do,” he whispered. “After I finally found you, I don’t want to lose you now.”
And with that, she chuckled. “I don’t intend on losing you, and, if I do, I’ll probably just follow you anyway. For all I know, we’ve both been shot, and we’re both sitting here in the same otherworldly plane.”
“In that case,” with that same gentle smile and care in his tone, he whispered, “let’s both just float away.”
“No way,” she argued. “I want everything possible in this life. I haven’t even lived yet. I haven’t had a chance to have a life, like everybody else. I need that, and I want it.”
“You’ve got it,” he said, slowly turning to open his eyes and to stare up at her. He blinked several times. “I don’t even know where we are or how this is even possible,” he murmured, looking around.
“You’re in a very different state, not quite out of body, but it’s similar,” she murmured. “I’m keeping you at bay from the pain that’s racking through your system, while we heal as much as we can. I’m sure that somebody has sent for an ambulance, and, wherever we are, there’ll be some medical professionals coming to help.”
He just smiled and closed his eyes again.
“You stay awake,” she snapped.
His eyelids flew open. “Am I awake?”
“You are in this in-between plane, and I need you to stay that way. Stay strong, and don’t you dare give up on me.”
“I wasn’t planning on it,” he said, staring lovingly at her. “I have too much to live for now.”
“Damn right,” she declared, with spirit. “But I do need to know that, if I disconnect from you, you’ll still be there.”
“Do you have to disconnect?”
“No, and I might not,” she said, “but, if I don’t, our lives will be forever bonded.”
“Sweetheart, they already are,” he said gently. “The moment I met you, I already knew that bond was there. I’m not sure where it formed or if that is something we came into this world looking for, but I do know that we are already all-in. Therefore, we are already one.” And, with that, he drifted into a peaceful sleep, while she continued to work on him.
When another voice slipped into Ashley’s mind, it was Clary, as tired and as exhausted as Ashley was. Clary said, He’s turned a corner, and it looks like he’ll make it. We have to move him now.
At that, Ashley slowly pulled back and looked around. Frank was breathing on his own, his body calm, and somewhat at peace, but she felt the twin energies vibrating around him. He had some kind of a weird cancer, and the twin healers were still working on him.
As for Ashley, she was whole but lying in the same position, with the other men standing there, glaring at her. She opened her eyes and glared right back. Then she caught sight of McClintock holding his side. “How bad is it?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Pretty minor compared to everything else,” he muttered. “Lawson’s dead.”
She winced. “God, how did that go so wrong? I’m sorry.”
“I am too,” McClintock said. “I guess that’s what happens when we put up the walls and keep them up, isn’t it?”
“We kept them up too high, too strong, and kept everybody out, but then we couldn’t see the enemy when he came at us,” she murmured.
Calum crouched in front of her. “How is he?”
“I think he’ll live,” she muttered, fatigue in her tone, “but he’s not out of the woods yet.”
“The ambulance is here, and we need to move him now.”
She reached out a hand, and he helped her to her feet. “I need to stay with him,” she said urgently.
“That’s fine. You’re going in the ambulance with both Frank and Walker. McClintock is going in the second ambulance.”
And, with that, she was assisted into the first ambulance, where she sat at the far end. The two men were loaded quickly beside her, and she placed a hand on both, bowed her head, and continued to work. She still sensed the other women, healing on the ethers, as they were slowly and carefully moved to the hospital in the nearest city. The trip was long, but, with Ashley there and holding on, Walker and Frank would hopefully make it.
By the time they made it into the hospital, Ashley’s fatigue was evident. When they opened up the ambulance doors and quickly removed both men, she was left sitting here, staring out at the world around her, wondering what had happened.
That’s how Calum found her a few minutes later. He hopped in and helped her out. “You need to rest,” he said.
“How is he?” she asked, looking at him. “Is he alive?”
“He is. They took him straight to surgery to remove the bullet. Initial reports are positive, given that there was minimal damage. They’re not sure how he got so lucky.”
She beamed at that. “That is great news. What about Frank?”
“They’re running a bunch of tests and working on him, but they’re not sure what was wrong in the first place because he’s not showing signs of any particular illness. We’ve contacted Kim for details to confirm whatever we can do is being done, but, according to the doctors, there isn’t really much they can do but offer supportive care. Apparently he is worn down, malnourished, and dehydrated from being held prisoner, but otherwise he appears to be fine.”
She catalogued those words, and then nodded. “None of those are a threat to his life.”
“Not at this time, no,” Calum agreed, with a smile. “So, whatever the three of you did, you did well.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” she murmured, then she stretched. “Can I go in and see Walker?”
“No, he’s probably still in surgery. What you really need is to get some sleep yourself.”
“That’s not happening,” she declared, looking at him. “He’ll still need some healing.”
“I get that. We’re trying to find out what room he’ll be assigned to, so we can get a cot in there for you. When he comes back from surgery, he’ll be taken to that room.”
She cataloged that information, then nodded slightly. “That would work. I really could use a chance to collapse for a bit.” She took one step, and a second, then suddenly looked up at him and whispered, “Sorry.”
She went down hard, unconscious in his outstretched arms.
*
Walker opened his eyes and looked around. An odd buzzing was in his head and his body, but it was tolerable. It just felt like an irritating machine running somewhere nearby. He rolled his head from side to side but found no machinery—nothing. Then he looked down to see a hand holding his, with Ashley at the end of it. He squeezed her fingers gently and whispered, “Are you awake?”
She lifted her head groggily, then stared at him.
He smiled at the confused and drowsy look in her eyes. “Hey, you want to fill me in on what happened?”
She blinked and shrugged. “No, I don’t even know what happened. Obviously something did because we ended up here.” He stared at her, as she smiled. “Let me call Calum.” With that, she placed a call, and with the phone on Speaker, she said, “Calum, he’s awake.”
“Hey, Walker. How are you doing?”
“I’ve been better, but honestly I’m feeling remarkable—considering.”
“You mean, considering you got shot in the chest? Yeah, I would say you’re doing all right. Listen. No worries though. Everything is over with, and we’re all safe and sound. McClintock has been treated too.”
“Good, and I presume he wasn’t involved?”
“Nope, it was all Alissa’s son, Lawson,” Calum replied. “Unfortunately he was killed in the melee.”
“I hate to say it, but maybe that’s for the best at this point. He had some serious mental problems.”
“It makes it nice and clean. That’s for sure.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m back home with my family,” he said cheerfully. “You’re expected here in a couple weeks as well.”
“Really? Is that a thing?” Walker asked.
“Oh, it’s a thing all right because Terkel wants you to come work with us.”
“Oh, well, it’ll be a while before I even think about working.”
“Maybe so,” Calum agreed, “but there’s a space for both you and Ashley, whenever you’re ready.”
Walker looked at Ashley to see her nodding. “That’s an interesting turn of events. I’ll need a couple weeks to get on my feet though.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you will,” Calum confirmed, with laughter in his tone. “Take care of yourself now, … both of you.” And, with that, Calum ended the call.
Walker looked down at Ashley. “It’s really over?”
She nodded. “Yep, it’s really over. I thought …” She hesitated, and he stared at her quizzically. “I thought maybe you would be interested in spending a few weeks at my place first.”
“I certainly don’t have a problem recuperating there,” he said, with a growing smile. “I definitely don’t feel as if I’m ready to head back to work anytime soon.”
“No, you’ll need some time,” she said. “I figured that would give us a chance to get to know each other.”
“I’m all for that. Hell, yes!”
*
It took a few days, but when Walker was finally released, and Ashley arranged a ride back to her cabin, where groceries had already been delivered, she helped him into the living room and onto the couch. It was quiet outside. “Sorry that the trip took a bit longer than I expected,” Ashley told him.
“It’s all right,” Walker replied. “I’m feeling remarkably good, you know, … considering.”
“Yes, but that whole considering thing is significant,” she noted. “You were shot, and your body had a lot to deal with.”
“Yeah, but I have a guardian angel beside me,” he said, as he stretched out on the couch. “That makes all the difference in the world.”
She nodded. “I still feel bad though. You stepped right into that and literally took a bullet for me.”
“I know, and I’m glad,” he declared cheerfully. “I would do it again too. That vision as it was shown to me was way too hard to watch. I couldn’t let it come true.”
“No, but I’m not terribly impressed with your methods to alter that vision.”
He chuckled. “Too bad, it’s already a done deal. Plus, there is no way I could have healed you, had you been the one to be shot.”
She shrugged at that comment. “How about some food? Are you hungry at all?”
He nodded. “Something light would be good, and then maybe a nap.” That’s what they did, and, by the time he got into her large bed and rolled over onto his side, he was out cold. She quickly had a shower, curled into bed beside him, and promptly fell asleep herself.
Chapter 15
Opening her eyes, Ashley found Walker staring at her. She flushed. “How long have you been awake?” she asked, yawning.
“Long enough to appreciate the woman beside me,” he said, his tone deep and rumbling.
She reached up an arm, snaked it around him, and hugged him gently. “It still feels weird though.”
“What? Waking up to somebody studying your face?”
“Absolutely,” she stated, giving him an odd look. “I haven’t slept with anybody in a very long time.”
“I, for one, appreciate your abstinence,” he declared, with a smile. “And that part of your life is over with because I plan to be with you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I’m still a little uncertain about going to work with Terkel.”
“I don’t think work needs to be part of it, if you don’t want it to.”
“I’m not sure that work can’t be part of it though, since they do know I am doing healing,” she stated.
“And that intrigues you, doesn’t it?”
She winced and then nodded. “How could it not?” she asked. “It’s who I am.”
“Exactly, and that’s Terkel’s point. He really understands that we are who we are and that we belong over there, even if it’s not necessarily where we thought we would ever go.”
“You were talking with Levi about working with him, weren’t you?”
“I was, but I think the problem is that people like us end up with Terkel, because, well …”
“That’s where we belong.”
“Exactly, but it doesn’t mean we can’t do jobs for Levi, if he’s shorthanded, but my base would be with Terkel. I think he would be a better fit.”
“Good,” she said, “that makes it easier.”
“It does.” He hesitated and then asked, “Are you okay to move?”
“I really am. I came here to heal,” she shared, “only to realize that healing was one thing, but I hadn’t ever stopped hiding. I really think it’s time to come out of the shadows.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said gently. “As long as you’re happy to live in the sun with me, I’m always there.”
She chuckled. “I can’t think of anything better.”
“I can,” he declared, his gaze warming. “I can think of something much better right now.”
Her eyes widened, as she understood his meaning, and she whispered, “You’re still healing.”
He flashed her a grin. “That just means you have to go easy on me.”
She raised up on an elbow and frowned at him. “You surely can’t want to have sex right now?”
He looked at her, his gaze that of wide-eyed innocence, and replied, “Hey, I’m a guy, and that means anytime is a good idea.”
She leaned over, kissed him gently, and murmured, “It’s definitely not a good idea.”
“Yes, it is,” he argued, as he gently rolled her onto her back and kissed her passionately, until she lay quivering beneath him.
She peered up at him owlishly. “How can you turn my brain to mush like that?” she asked. “It’s really not fair.”
He laughed against her neck, as he kissed her soft skin. When he came up against her T-shirt, he had it gone within seconds.
She stared down at her completely nude form and laughed gently. “Wow, I didn’t know it was that easy.”
“It’s that easy,” he confirmed, as he pulled her closer, tucking her under. He spent the next few minutes gently stroking her soft skin. “You do know that we were made for this, right?”
“We were made for each other,” she whispered, feeling the tension curl deeper, as her hands stretched around to explore his beautiful male body. When she came up against the bandage and frowned, she was brought back to Earth.
