Page 80 of Hollow Code
"Thank God," Neve said.
"The blade missed the kidney," Darwin said. "It did damage to the external oblique and caught the edge of the serratus. There's significant tissue trauma, and he lost more blood than I'd like, but nothing that won't heal." He put his glasses back on. "He's going to be sore, limited, and miserable for the next couple of weeks. But he's going to be fine."
"Can I see him?" Zadie asked.
"I'd recommend it before he tries to get up and find you himself, which he's already threatened to do twice." Darwin waved his hand. "He’s in the recovery room."
She raced past Darwin and through the door. Her legs couldn't move her fast enough down the hallway and into the room.
Gideon lay in the bed. An IV line ran from his left arm to a bag of fluid hanging on the stand. The blanket covered him up to his waist, and the thick white dressing taped down on his left side, showed Wynn’s precision under pressure.
He looked terrible.
"Hey." He smiled.
"Hey, yourself." She crossed the room in three steps, sat on the edge of the bed, and took his hand. His fingers were cold. She wrapped both of her hands around them and squeezed.
The relief hit her like a wall and tears filled her eyes before she could stop it.
"Don't cry," he said.
"I'm not crying. My eyes are leaking. There's a difference."
"There's really not."
"Shut up. You got stabbed. I'm allowed to leak."
He traced a circle on her palm. "How bad do I look?"
"Like you got in a knife fight in the woods with an enhanced psychopath."
"So, about as good as I feel." He winced when he shifted. "Darwin says I'm going to live."
"Darwin says you're going to be miserable."
"That's only if people keep me in bed."
"You’re staying in that bed if I have to strap you to it."
"That's an interesting offer."
"You're disgusting." But she laughed. A wet, broken, ugly laugh that shook her shoulders and made her ribs scream. She didn't even care about the pain because he was alive and making jokes.
He reached up and curled his fingers behind her neck. "I could use a kiss."
"Me too." She leaned in, careful not to hit his side, and pressed her lips to his, but it was short-lived.
The door opened.
"These two," Neve said. "Always making out."
"You’re one to talk." Zadie wiped her lips.
Neve positioned herself against the wall near the foot of the bed and crossed her arms.
Coulter held up his arm as he stood next to Neve. "Matching set."
"Mine's bigger," Gideon said.
