9. Mercy

I feltten times better when I woke up in the morning. It was still early, but the nurse had just been in, waking me from the most peaceful sleep I'd had in weeks. Other than when I slept next to Chase, but I didn't count that since we weren't actually sleeping in a bed.

"Mercy? Oh, thank God!" Elijah said, grabbing my hand. He was sitting in the chair by the bed, looking a little too clean and put together.

Disappointment lanced through me the moment I saw him. For some reason, I hoped that Chase would be here when I woke up. But that was silly. He was just there to rescue me. So what if we had mind-blowing sex? That didn't mean he owed me anything. Still…I couldn't help but wish I could see him again.

"I was so worried about you. When you weren't on the helicopter out of there and they said we had to leave, I worried I'd never see you again."

"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile onto my face.

"You're not fine. You could have died out there."

"But I didn't."

"No thanks to that brute you were with. What was he thinking, putting a dirty, wet towel around your head?"

I frowned, not understanding what he was talking about.

He rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. "The idiot thought it would be a good idea to put a wet towel around your head to cool you down. Never mind the fact that it was filled with bacteria—" He stopped talking, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter now. You're okay."

"I'm okay because of him," I said, forcing it out through dry lips.

He hurried over to the table and grabbed some water for me. "He could have killed you."

"But he didn't," I retorted. "He saved my life. It was a good idea."

Elijah scoffed at that. "Sure, if you didn't have a heart transplant and weren't off your immunosuppressants."

"Elijah," I chastised. "Let it go. He did what he could, and he got me out of there."

"You shouldn't have been lost to begin with. What's the point in sending in a rescue team when they can't rescue you?"

God, he was so full of shit. "Have you saved every life of every patient you've ever had?"

"That's different."

"In what way?"

"You like him," Elijah said accusingly. "That barbarian?"

"Oh, come on," I huffed out a laugh, taking another sip of my water. "Don't be jealous."

"I never said I was."

"You're acting like it."

"Because he nearly got you killed."

"No," I corrected. "I nearly got myself killed by coming to the jungle when I should have heeded the doctor's warnings and stayed home. That would have been the smart thing to do."

"Well, as soon as you're discharged, we'll head back home and get you healthy. Then we can pick up where we left off—furthering our careers like we always planned."

"But don't you want more?"

"You mean, after this experience?" he laughed. "No, I'm perfectly fine going back to my simple life of saving lives. That's what's best for both of us. It was always our plan."

"But…it's so…"

"Safe? Yes, and after your heart nearly gave out, that's precisely what you need. No more adventures for you, Mercy. I think you've had enough for a lifetime."

What he was saying was rational, but not at all what I wanted. I didn't want to play things safe. I wanted to go back to the way I felt after my heart transplant, where the world was full of possibilities and I couldn't walk down the street without thinking of ten new things I wanted to try. I'd fallen into a rut of being focused only on my career, and then one day I woke up and realized that being a doctor was the only thing I'd ever do if I didn't get out and try something new. It's why I came to the jungle in the first place.

"I already called your parents. They were relieved to hear that the protection agency found you. Although, I had a few choice words about how that buffoon got lost out there and nearly got you killed. By this time tomorrow, he won't have a job."

"Elijah!"

"I'm sorry, Mercy, but he screwed up. He didn't keep you safe."

"That's not what happened at all."

"He should have pushed harder to get you home," Elijah argued.

"And maybe he would have had I told him that I was sick. You can't go around ruining other people's lives!"

He rolled his eyes at me like I was being dramatic. "You're still caught in the savior phase. Once we get home, you'll realize how much he messed up."

"Elijah—"

"And your parents said they're going to stay with you until they're sure you're better."

"You didn't," I snapped.

He looked shocked that I was so upset. "Mercy, they're your parents and they love you. They spent a ton of money to get us back. It won't kill you to spend a little time with them. Show them you're grateful for all they did, even if your bodyguard did screw it up," he muttered under his breath.

"You need to back off," I snapped, pissed that he was not only continually judging Chase, but also got my parents involved, no doubt telling them how much I needed them around. Elijah was great at interfering, which he'd done on multiple occasions, but never so much as this time.

"Mercy—"

"The man carried me through the jungle on his back. I didn't see you doing that."

He looked stricken at how I was defending Chase, and it wasn't just because I slept with him. The man kept me alive even before he knew I was sick. He killed a freaking jaguar when it was about to eat me.

Elijah sighed, taking my hand in his. "Mercy, I didn't mean to upset you. I just…it scared me. You were out there and I couldn't save you. Not to mention the two weeks before when we were held captive. There was nothing I could do for you," he repeated. "I'm supposed to be the man you can rely on."

I knew he was sincere in his words, but that didn't make his comments any better. "I just need you to back off, okay?"

He brushed his hand down my cheek in what was supposed to be a loving gesture, but all I could feel was how different his touch was from Chase's. "Anything for you, Mercy. Get some rest. I'll be back to see you later, okay?" I nodded, but he continued. "I'm going to talk with the doctor and check your chart with him. Don't worry, I won't let anyone make a mistake."

He bent down and pressed a kiss to my lips, lingering a little too long. It felt wrong. After being with Chase, I didn't want Elijah kissing me or touching me in any way. There was only one man I wanted by my side, and unfortunately, he wasn't here when I woke up.

"I'll be back."

I smiled, trying to pretend that I couldn't wait for him to return. When he left the room, I sighed in relief and prayed he wouldn't be back anytime soon.