Page 15 of No One But You
“More soup?”I asked, gesturing at the bowl.“I can reheat it if you’d like.”
Her gaze slid toward the bowl.“Maybe a little.Don’t worry about reheating it.It’s probably still mostly warm.”
So we sat there, me at her bedside, as we worked our way through the bowl of soup.By the time she’d had half, she was almost asleep, and I quietly lowered her bed and fussed with her pillows before tiptoeing out and cleaning out the bowl.
I wasn’t used to seeing Bailey so subdued, and I didn’t like it.The sooner we could get her back on her feet, the better.
I had paperwork to catch up on, so I went to my office and got started.The system we used was a bit clunky, but I’d never bothered updating it because, honestly, all medical programs seemed designed to confuse.
I was checking results from a laboratory in Queenstown for one of my patients when a muffled shout rang out.
Shoving my chair back, I lurched from my seat and bolted for the in-patient room.My pulse hammered and my legs felt weak as I ran to Bailey and found her still fast asleep.
Drawing in a deep breath, I checked her vitals.Her heart rate was faster than I’d expect but within normal parameters.She was breathing quickly but not hyperventilating.
So what was wrong?
As I watched, her face scrunched and she whimpered, her mouth trying to form words that her sleeping brain couldn’t quite wrap her tongue around.
My heart squeezed, and I brushed her hair back from her forehead, uncertain whether to wake her from the nightmare.Gently, I shifted my hand to her shoulder.
Her eyes flew open.
NINE
Reason #5 why Max Braddock is husband material:
He never lets his family down.
BAILEY
A familiar face swam into view above my head.Blue-green eyes, fair eyebrows pinched together with a deep groove between, and a pair of soft, pink lips.
I might have enjoyed the sight, if I could breathe.
Instead, I grasped at my throat, wincing at the pain in my poor hands, but the urge to breathe was stronger.I tried to suck in air, but it wasn’t enough.My lungs were twin vacuums, and at any moment, I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen.
My chest tightened, and spots appeared in front of my eyes.I clawed my neck with my bandaged fingers, as if I could slice open my airway to save myself.
“Bailey.”
The voice was firm and calm.I refocused on the ocean eyes above me.
“It was just a dream.You’re at the medical center.You’re safe.Now, I need you to slow your breathing.”
What did he mean, slow my breathing?I couldn’t get enough air as it was.If I slowed down, I’d only pass out more quickly.
“You’re hyperventilating.”His hands encircled my wrists and tugged my fingers away from my throat.“I know it’s hard, but I want you to inhale to the count of four.Can you do that for me?”
I wanted to say no and that he was asking for too much, but this was Max.I trusted him not to lead me astray, so I tipped my head in a tired nod.
“Good.Breathe in.One, two, three, four.”
The air burst from me because even holding onto it for that long was a struggle.
“Breathe in.One, two, three, four.Hold it for a second.”
Gritting my teeth, I followed his instructions even though my mind screamed that I was going to die.
