Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33

VAR

T wo Chicago police squad cars screeched in behind me as I stopped directly in front of the ambulance bay at the nearest hospital.

As I opened my car door and raced around to the passenger side where Vivian lay unresponsive, they drew their weapons.

"Get down on the ground."

"Stop where you are!"

"Down on the ground!"

I turned and faced them. "Put those fucking guns away."

If Vivian were to suddenly open her eyes, the last thing I wanted her to see was a bunch of cops with guns trained on her.

Throwing open the passenger door, I gathered her in my arms and turned toward the emergency entrance.

The cops ran up to us. "We didn't know it was you, Mr. Rubashkin. What can we do?"

Just then, an orderly came running out. "You can't leave your car there!"

I gestured over my shoulder to the cops. "They'll move it."

Crashing through the swinging emergency doors, I called out, "I need a doctor here! She's not breathing."

Two nurses and a doctor ran over.

As one nurse turned to get a gurney, the doctor leaned over Vivian and lifted her eyelid. As she shone a light on Vivian's pupils, she asked, "What happened to her?"

My gaze fell on Vivian's still features and her faintly purple lips. My stomach twisted so painfully, I wanted to vomit. She was usually so full of passion and fire. To see her body lifeless in my arms, her cheeks ashen, was almost more than I could bear.

"I'm not sure. She's an artist. I found her in a closed room with a chemical smell."

The doctor turned and gestured for the gurney to roll up to her side even as she brought a stethoscope to Vivian's chest. "How long was she exposed? Do you know?"

"I don't."

Against common sense, I wanted to keep Vivian in my arms. There was a primal need to try to warm her body with the heat of my own. To try to somehow share my beating heart, my very breath. It wasn't remotely rational, but I wasn't thinking rationally.

My girl. My beautiful, stubborn, full-of-life girl was possibly dying.

And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

As they strapped Vivian down, the doctor shouted orders over the chaos. I tried to follow but was stopped by a nurse. "You need to wait here, sir."

My arm stretched out as I gestured toward Vivian. "The hell I will! That's my?—"

I was about to blurt out ‘wife.'

Once the idea had taken hold, it had quickly grown tangled roots.

The nurse shook her head as she made a note on her clipboard. "Sir, I have two deadbeat ex-husbands and three teenage boys. Flashing those baby blue eyes and shouting ain't getting you nowhere with me. You're just going to have to wait."

My hand closed into a fist. "I'm not a patient man. If they are not doing everything humanly possible to save her—" My throat closed before I could even finish my threat.

The nurse looked up from her clipboard. "You'll only be in the way and cause more harm than good. Is that what you want? Or do you want the doctor to focus on her patient?"

I glowered down at the woman. Her sensible question and solid reasoning was the last thing I wanted to hear. "Fine. But you tell them there will be hell to pay if she dies."

The nurse tilted her head to the side as she gave me a soft smile. "I will. Now go wait over there before you make me use my mom voice."

I should have known. If there was a single human being in all of the city who would not be intimidated by my appearance, threats, or reputation, it was a Chicago emergency room nurse.

There was no way I could sit.

I paced back and forth, running the length of the rows of chairs, all the while ignoring the nervous looks I was getting from the other people waiting for care or news of a loved one.

The whoosh of the emergency room doors opened, and Vaska and Mary ran in.

They went straight to the intake desk. "My friend brought a woman in here not too long ago."

I raised my arm. "Vaska. Over here."

Mary turned and ran straight into my arms, giving me a perfumed hug. "Oh, Varlaam. I'm so sorry." She pulled back and looked up at me. "How is she?"

There was so much about Mary that reminded me of Vivian. They were both outspoken, vivacious, and intelligent. That there was a possibility they would not meet and become close friends was a stab to my heart.

I caught Vaska's look over Mary's head. He nodded behind her. "We were out to dinner when we got word. Thought we'd head over in case you needed anything."

I nodded. I'd called Mac on my way to the hospital and told him what happened.

Vaska placed a hand on my shoulder. "Maxim and Ivan are already on their way to Vivian's apartment to search for any signs of foul play."

I ran a hand through my hair. "There were no visible signs of violence or injury on her body. I checked. Of course, this could be a hit made to look like an accident."

He nodded. "That's what we will find out."

I placed my hands on his shoulders and leaned in. "If someone did this to her, I will rip their spine out through their mouth and beat them to death with it."

There were several shocked gasps around us as one couple moved several rows away.

"We'll learn the truth, my friend. Don't worry."

Just then, there was a disturbance down a nearby hallway. As we turned to look, Serg appeared, with Barb and Millie on each arm.

Barb looked up at him. "It's so nice to have such a big, muscular man looking after us."

Millie laid her head on his shoulder. "May I hold onto your arm a bit longer? I fear I'm so worried… I may faint."

Serg's eyes widened as he mouthed, Help me .

Vaska cleared his throat. "We sent Serg to take care of ceiling gir—I mean Vivian's neighbors, like you asked."

Barb and Millie rushed toward me, pulling Serg in their wake. "Any news?" they asked in unison.

"She's with the doctors now."

"Oh, our poor girl."

"We should have called the police. This is all our fault."

I placed my hands on each of their shoulders. "This is not your fault. I'm certain Vivian will be fine."

They sagged with relief as they turned their attention back to Serg.

My lie had comforted them. If only I could believe it myself.

After another two hours and half a cup of the worst coffee I'd ever tried to choke down, the doctor reappeared.

I raced up to her. "How is she?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You're the husband?"

Knowing she wouldn't speak to me otherwise, I nodded.

Her hands pushed into the pockets of her lab coat. "A Venus Blood gas has confirmed she suffered from hydrocarbon exposure, which caused her to lose oxygen and pass out. I've ordered a chest x-ray as a precaution. And we've taken blood to check for liver and kidney damage. If this was her first overexposure, there shouldn't be any issues. Fortunately, her symptoms were not so severe they required intubation. We're giving her oxygen therapy through a mask and an IV fluid drip to further stabilize her."

I threw back my head and closed my eyes as relief washed over me. Focusing back on the doctor, I said, "So she'll be okay?"

The doctor rested a hand on my upper arm. "She'll be fine. Because of the hour, I'll need to admit her. In the morning, we should have all the tests back. The nurse will come find you once the patient has finished with the oxygen saturation and is moved into a communal room."

I yanked the doctor to my chest and gave her a hug. "Thank you! God, you have no idea. Thank you, Doctor. Whatever you want. Grant money. Payoff of student loans. A new building. You name it. It's yours."

I then turned and hugged Vaska and Mary.

Serg had his arms full with accepting hugs from Barb and Millie, which included grabbing his ass.

I moved to the nurse's desk and gave them Vivian's name. "I want her moved into a private room. I don't want her lying in a public emergency room bed."

She clicked her fingers against her keyboard. "We haven't verified health insurance yet. And private rooms are by request only and need approval from the billing department."

Reaching into my wallet, I slapped an American Express Black Card on the counter. "Get your billing department on the phone. My girl gets a private room. Now."

She nodded as she picked up the phone receiver. "Yes, sir."

After another hour's wait, I finally could see Vivian.

But when I crossed the threshold into her private room, it wasn't relief I felt, but rage.

There was a man leaning over her half naked body, touching the inside of her bare thigh.

Storming over, I snatched the bastard by the shoulders and tossed him across the room.

His body slid along the linoleum to slam against the wall. "What the fuck?"

I stood over his prone form, yanked my gun from its holster, and pointed it at his face. "Keep your hands off her."

"How did you get in here with a gun?"

I bared my teeth as I deliberately deepened my Russian accent to increase his terror. "No one takes my gun, not even your security." I pulled the slide back, chambering a bullet. "I also have many friends in your morgue. They'll never find your body."

The man's eyes widened as he stretched out his arm and gestured toward Vivian's still sleeping form. He spoke rapidly as if he knew his life was on the line. Because it was.

"I removed the IV fluid tube. That's all. I swear."

My gaze narrowed as I raised the gun to target the center of his forehead. "Why were your hands on her thigh?"

I'd witnessed, as well as experienced, enough bullet and knife wounds to know the IV was almost always put in the back of the hand or jugular.

There was no reason for this bastard to be putting his hands on my girl's legs while she was still groggy from all the procedures they'd performed on her.

"They put it in the femoral vein in case they needed to intubate. They wanted the jugular clear and the veins on the back of her hand lacked elasticity because of dehydration."

Vaska entered the room. "I see you're making friends."

I took a deep breath to calm down and stepped back as I holstered my gun. "There was a misunderstanding."

Vaska helped the nurse to his feet. "Excuse my friend. He's mostly Mongolian, which means he is practically a Neanderthal. You should see his table manners."

Vaska winked at me over the man's head as he placed an arm over his shoulder. "How can we apologize? Do you like fast cars?"

He closed the door behind him, giving Vivian and me privacy.

Crossing to her hospital bed, I sat on the edge, careful to do so softly so as not to jostle her.

I cupped her cheek, grateful beyond belief to feel its comforting warmth. My thumb stroked her once more cherry pink lips.

Taking her hand, I kissed the back before resting it against my cheek. My fingers wrapped around her wrist as I checked her pulse, still not quite believing that she was going to be okay.

I whispered against her skin, "Christ, woman, you gave me a scare."

Her eyelids remained closed.

I had been warned she might still be sleeping and to not be alarmed. Her body had gone through a shock, and she'd likely be exhausted.

Placing my hand on the center of her chest to feel her heartbeat, my vision blurred slightly.

Sniffing, I rubbed my jaw before clearing my throat. "I know we drive each other crazy. Hell, I don't think we've gotten through a single conversation without fighting, but damn if you haven't gotten under my skin, beautiful. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you."

I caressed her hand and forearm, needing to touch her, to reassure my still heated brain that she was alive and safe.

Although her color had returned, she was so unnaturally still.

Even in her sleep, she tossed and turned and murmured nonsense. Last night had been like sleeping with a restless puppy.

"Open your eyes, baby girl." Only when I saw her beautiful emerald eyes would I truly believe she was going to be okay.

Her head moved from side to side as she moaned.

Shifting closer, I placed my palm against her jaw. "Baby, I'm here."

Her brow furrowed as she licked her lips before saying, "Humphrey, is that you?"

My jaw clenched as I moved my hand to clasp around the back of her neck. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? Who the hell is fucking Humph?—"

Before I could even work myself up into a rage, I noticed her lips tweak at the corners.

When she opened her eyes, they were filled with mirth.

Her voice was hoarse and scratchy as she teased, "You almost make it too easy, Var."

My girl was going to be just fine.

I rose, placing my hands on my hips. I towered over her as I scowled. "You think that's funny?"

She laughed, but then grimaced as she placed her hand over her middle. "Admit it. It was a little funny."

"Do you have any idea what the fuck you just put me through?"

She gripped the blanket over her chest. "What are you talking about?"

Both of my eyebrows rose as I spread my arms wide. " This , Vivian. I'm talking about finding you close to death passed out on the floor of your apartment. I'm talking about being in a fucking hospital in the middle of the fucking night."

Her lower lip pushed out in a pout. "Well, I'm fine. I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you. You can leave now."

With my palms on either side of her pillow, I leaned down. "I'm not going anywhere."