Depraved by Trent Evans
Chapter 44
She tried to suppress as best she could her urge to ask the doctor yet again what he thought Jon’s prognosis was.
Doctor Hammond, his kind, dark blue eyes deeply seated in his craggy face, closed the hatch behind him, leaving Jon in the infirmary.
Gamma’s medical facilities were fairly basic, but they’d been enough to save his life. Barely.
But judging by how well reports from the field were… she knew it was likely they may be having a significant upgrade to both their command and medical facilities.
Hammond gave her what she thought was probably his attempt at a reassuring smile, but she knew better.
“He’s stable, but still non-responsive.”
“Why won’t you call it a coma?” She didn’t mean to be accusatory, but it irritated her that the medical team seemed to want to shield her from the worst of the news.
“Because he’s not in a coma. He’s… just in a deep sleep. We’ve kept him sedated to help keep him comfortable, but… a lot of what comes next, is going to be up to him.”
“Will he wake up again?”
Hammond looked down for a moment. Long enough. “I expect… he will. Eventually. But there are no guarantees.”
It had already been over a week. She knew the longer it went, the less likely he was to ever awaken again.
“I… I want to see him.”
Hammond put his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He can’t hear you anyway.”
“I don’t care. I need to see him.”
She’d stayed away—at Hammond’s request—when they’d brought Jon in.
That he’d survived at all… it was itself miraculous.
But the looks on Anson’s and Tom’s face, the way Lyssa didn’t even want to talk about it… they hadn’t been good signs.
She could wait no longer.
Pushing open the hatch, she stepped inside, leaning back against it to close it.
He didn’t have the same hoses sticking out of him everywhere, only an NG tube taped to his nose now.
But that didn’t mean he looked any better.
Her eyes were already brimming by the time she pulled a chair over, so she could be close.
Slipping her hand in his, she was encouraged that it was so warm, but it didn’t move at all, utterly limp.
Tears began to stream down her face then as she kissed his cheek.
“Hi, Jon. I don’t know if there… is a higher power, if there is life after death, but I know… I know you came back to me for a reason. That you weren’t taken from me.”
She wiped her eyes, leaning close, giving his still lips a tiny kiss. They were so soft and warm too, just as she’d remembered them.
“I don’t… I don’t know what the nurses have told you, what Doctor Hammond—he’s the nice man taking care of you—have said. But… you did it. The plan… our plan. It’s working. I think… we have a chance now… to win. Everything. For good.”
She choked down a sob, her tears pouring now.
“But you aren’t done yet. Your mission isn’t over. Because… because you haven’t come back to me yet.”
She buried her face in her hands, sobbing now, the pain so overwhelming. It was so unfair. He deserved better. She deserved better.
Forcing herself to keep it together, she kept going, squeezing his hand fervently, her lips against his palm.
“You come back to me… you hear me? I order you… I fucking order you… come back to me, Jon! Your mission isn’t over. You come back to me, and I’ll get down on my knees…”
She was crying pitifully now, but she needed to finish.
“I’ll get down on my knees… and tell the man I love… thank you. That I’ve fallen for… a man who didn’t even know how to be a man…and yet, he’s the most wonderful man… I’ve ever met. Come back to me, Jon. So… so I can tell you how much I love you!”