Page 85 of Allegiance
Tank
Over the next several days,Tank drifted in and out of a burning sea of fog. Shadowy figures hovered over him, soft hands stroked him, and muffled voices whispered through his ears. Pain rippled through his body, and as hard as he tried, he couldn’t climb out of bed to ease his muscles. It was like he was stuck in quicksand and couldn’t get out.
The burning fever that had been his companion for days had finally broken. Opening his eyes, he took in the room that seemed foreign and familiar at the same time.Where the hell am I?A carousel of images spun through his head. Demon swinging a chain. Him choking Fire. Lena bringing down a rolling pin on Rubble’s skull. A slow grin spread across his face, but he grimaced at the ache on the right side of his mouth. An explosion of pain tore through his body as he struggled to move. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up, then fell back against the headboard panting, and sweating profusely.
“Fuck.”
After a while of working himself up, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, but his knees buckled beneath him. To keep from landing on the floor, he grabbed hold of the nightstand and used it to thrust his ass back on the bed.
“Double fuck!”
Not intending to give up, he waited to get his breathing under control and pushed up to a sitting position. With all the strength he could muster, he planted his feet on the floor and groaned as he got himself up, using the nightstand for balance.
“This is pussy bullshit,” he wheezed.
“What are you doing?”
Tank looked over and saw Lena crossing the room, wearing a pair of denim shorts and a fuchsia crop top.
“Hey.”
A smile lit up her face. “You’re finally awake. Finally. You’ve been out of it for days.” Rushing over, she put her arm around his waist. “Here, let me help you.”
“I smell like ass. I need a shower.”
“Okay. Can you hold on for a second? Scalpel brought a pair of crutches and a cane for you to use when you were up and about.”
“I don’t need that shit.”
“Yes, you do. This isn’t about proving you’re a badass. This is about healing and getting better. Don’t tell me you’re going to be one of those pain in the butt patients?”
A smile twitched on his lips. “Still a smartass, even when I’m on death’s door.”
“Just don’t move,” she commanded before scurrying out of the room.
Has she been here the whole time?The memory of gentle hands caressing his skin, and whispers in his ear flowed through his mind.She’s been the one taking care of me.Elation rushed through him. Tank had told himself he wasn’t going to fall for her. He tried damn hard not to, but she’d slipped into his heart. When he’d told Quinn that he loved Lena, it wasn’t just Quinn who had been shocked. The realization that he loved Lena hit him like a ton of bricks, but he wasn’t sure how she felt. Yeah, she was taking care of him, but it could have been out of pity.
“Here you are,” she said as she entered the room with crutches under her arm and a cane in her hand. “Which do you prefer? The crutches will be steadier, but may hurt because of the stitches between your shoulder blades.”
“I’ll take the cane.” He winked slyly at her. “Do you want to wash me down?”
“Nice try. Leave the door cracked and I’ll keep my ears open. If you’re getting nauseous or dizzy, call out for me, okay?”
He saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m not sure if I like you better quiet or ornery.” She pointed to the en suite bathroom. “Now go.”
“You just love being bossy,” he grumbled as he limped into the bathroom.
After a steamy shower and a shave, he felt a hundred percent better. When he went back into the bedroom, a pair of sweats and a T-shirt lay folded on the bed. After a few minutes of cussing up a storm, he was finally dressed, and made his way out of the room.
The smell of bacon wafted down the hallway. Following it into a small kitchen, he found Lena with a frying pan in one hand, and a long fork in the other as she bent over the stove.
“Smells good.”
She looked over her shoulder, her chestnut eyes sparkling. “And you look good. How was the shower?”
“Great. How long have I been out of it?” Hobbling over to the chair, he plopped down onto it.
