Splendor (Inevitable #2) (65 page)

“I’d say another half hour to the first question and maybe a couple of days to the second. We’ll have to keep a very close eye on her for any sign of infection. That’s a fairly common complication for this sort of thing, and I see from the reports that she already had a fever when they brought her in.”

Ian’s spine stiffened at this news. “What does that mean? And I assume if an infection does occur that it’s easily treatable?”

Jordan nodded. “Almost always, yes. And the fact that she was running a fever on arrival isn’t anything to get alarmed over. I noticed they’ve already started her on a pretty high dose of antibiotics, most likely as a precaution.”

Ian was interrupted from asking any further questions by the return of Julia, who was balancing two large coffee cups, a paper bag, and her oversized leather satchel. Jordan, always a sucker for a pretty woman, rushed to offer assistance.

“Let me take those for you,” he offered with a killer smile as he took the two cups. “We don’t want to have to treat you for a third degree burn, do we?”

Julia gave him a polite smile in return, and it was very clear that she recognized Jordan for the notorious player that he was. “Thank you, the one with the tea bag is Ian’s.”

Jordan introduced himself, sparing Ian the trouble, and couldn’t resist turning on the charm even though he knew Julia was already spoken for. “I understand from Ian that you’re recently married. My very, very bad luck. I don’t suppose,” added Jordan teasingly, “that you’ve got a twin sister tucked away somewhere?”

Julia’s eyes widened as she and Ian exchanged a look of mutual horror. Jordan glanced between the two of them with a puzzled expression.

“I was actually making a joke,” he explained. “Why the panic stricken looks?”

“Because I actually do have an identical twin,” replied Julia. “And I’ll do you a huge favor and
not
set you up with her. As I understand it, the last time someone was crazy enough to do that, her date wound up with a very bloody nose.”

***

Ian refused to leave Tessa’s side once she was moved to a private room. He might not have been the boss here at the hospital – as Julia had sternly reminded him – but that didn’t mean he wasn’t fully capable of getting things done. With Jordan’s help, he arranged to have a sleeping cot set up in the room; sent Simon to the house to pick up whatever clothing and toiletries he might need; and set up a mini-office space, with his laptop, cell phone and tablet within easy reach. He’d been relieved to hear that the situation in Las Vegas was nearly wrapped up, and that his absence hadn’t had much impact on the proceedings. Andrew had been fully apprised of the situation with Tessa and was under strict orders about what calls to forward along.

Unfortunately, the only thing that Ian – or anyone else, for that matter – had not been able to control was the fast-moving infection that was taking over Tessa’s fever-wracked body with each passing hour. And each time the doctors and nurses upped her dose of antibiotics, they seemed a little less sure of themselves when they insisted this was normal, that she’d be fine, that she was a young, healthy woman who could fight this off in no time.

But, as the hours ticked by and Tessa showed no signs of improvement, Ian began to unravel a little at a time. He paced anxiously, ran his hand through his hair until it was standing on end, refused to eat or sleep, and snapped irritably when anyone urged him to calm down. Tessa was in obvious discomfort from the fever, tossing and turning, sleeping fitfully. She whimpered in her sleep, plucked at the bedcovers, turned her head from side to side. The nurses checked her temperature every half hour and tried to keep their facial expressions passive when her fever wouldn’t break, and especially when it started to surge higher. Ian made frequent trips to and from the bathroom, filling a small plastic basin with water so he could sponge her hot skin. Her cheeks were bright crimson from the fever, but her hands were ice cold despite his continued attempts to warm them.

Towards dawn he finally laid down on the cot, and fell asleep almost instantly, completely exhausted from the last eighteen hours of stress. It was only Jordan’s arrival to check on his patient around nine a.m. that woke him, and he grumbled to realize he’d slept so long.

“How is she? Any changes?” he asked anxiously as he stumbled sleepily to Tessa’s side.

Jordan shook his head. “Her temperature is still hovering around 104°. We’ll keep pumping the antibiotics, sometimes these infections are stubborn bastards and it takes a bit longer than we’d like for them to start working.”

“But they
will
start working, correct?” asked Ian in a fierce tone.

Jordan paused. “Yes, they should. We’ll keep a very close watch on her as we’ve been doing all along. So far it doesn’t appear that the infection has spread and we need to make damned sure it stays that way.”

Ian didn’t like his friend’s tone of voice. “What the hell does that mean? And what happens if it does spread?”

The dark-haired doctor, clad in a charcoal gray suit this morning, hesitated. “Let’s not go there right now, hmm? She’s not even twenty four hours post op so it’s very premature to start worrying about things like sepsis. I promise you, Ian, that we’ll take every precaution to make sure it doesn’t get that far. Now, if you don’t mind my saying so, you look worse than Tessa. And you’ve had those clothes on since yesterday. Get yourself together, man, and be quick about it.”

Jordan practically shoved him into the en suite bathroom to shave, shower, and put on clean clothes. Ian was just emerging from the bathroom when Julia and Nathan entered the hospital room carrying coffee cups and white paper bakery bags.

“Scones,” announced Julia. “Tessa told me the name of your favorite bakery once so we stopped on the way. You,” she told Ian, “are eating at least two of them. Plus the fruit cup. Don’t argue. Nathan will tell you it’s futile.”

Nathan nodded in agreement. “I think Julia was a Jewish mother in a former life from the way she insists on feeding people. So give in gracefully, my friend.”

Ian ate without actually tasting the food, knowing he needed the calories to get through the day. While Julia sipped her coffee and munched on a chocolate croissant, she tenderly brushed aside damp strands of Tessa’s sweat soaked blonde hair.

“Her skin is so hot,” she murmured in concern. “The fever hasn’t broken yet?”

“No.” Ian spoke in between sips of tea. “Jordan was in a little while ago, said it’s too soon to start worrying about sepsis, but I’m half afraid he’s bullshitting me.”

“I don’t think he’d do that,” consoled Julia. “He doesn’t seem the sort who’d keep the truth from you.”

Nathan frowned. “And how would you know that, baby? Is that the guy who hit on you yesterday?”

Julia looked flustered. “Jesus, Nathan, he did not hit on me. Though he did ask if I had a twin – jokingly, of course.”

“Baby, I hate to break the news, but he was definitely hitting on you if he asked a question like that.” Nathan glared at Ian. “This guy’s a friend of yours?”

Ian smiled. “Best OB/GYN in the city.”

“I don’t care if he’s the best in the whole country. I’ll tell you now, Julia,” Nathan vowed to his wife. “Whenever you get pregnant, he is
so
not going to be your doctor.”

The Atwoods stayed for close to an hour, until they regretfully had to get back to the office. Ian assured them he’d call as soon as there was any change in Tessa’s condition and thanked them again for everything they had already done.

The day dragged on with no real change in Tessa’s condition. The infection continued to rage through her body but thankfully didn’t appear to be spreading further. Still, it was taking a definite toll on her and Ian was grateful she remained largely out of it. Once in a while her eyelids would flutter open, but he was never really certain if her feverish brain actually recognized him or knew where she was.

He tried to get some work done, desperate for any sort of distraction to ease his worry over Tessa. He took phone calls from his parents, his brother Hugh, from Matthew Bennett, all of whom had heard the news about Tessa from Andrew, and all expressing their concern. Simon stopped by midday, bringing along lunch for the two of them, but Ian barely touched his.

As Simon stood up to leave, there was an unmistakable sheen of tears in his eyes as he squeezed Tessa’s limp hand. “She’ll pull through this, Mr. Gregson, I just know she will. Such a sweet, kind girl – she certainly doesn’t deserve this after everything else she’s been through.”

Ian had to fight back his own tears. “I know, mate. Keep her in your prayers, will you?”

“Constantly, sir. Please call me if I can do anything else. Anything.”

It was early evening, and Ian was half-dozing in the bedside chair when Andrew and his girlfriend Isobel poked their heads inside the room.

“We brought dinner,” announced Andrew, holding up a large paper takeout bag. “Bento boxes, I hope that’s all right.”

Ian grimaced. “Why is everyone who stops by today trying to feed me?”

But he managed to eat almost half of the salmon teriyaki, rice, and miso soup before pushing the takeout container away. Isobel got a phone call that she excitedly exclaimed was from a gallery owner, and dashed out into the hall to answer it.

Ian raised a weary brow to Andrew. “Pleasant enough girl but frankly doesn’t seem your type.”

Andrew returned his gaze steadily. “Are you referring to the tattoos, the piercings, the purple hair or the funky clothes?”

Ian smiled. “Ah, I suppose all of those. You’re much more conservative than she is.”

“You think so?” inquired Andrew. “Guess you’ve never noticed these, hmm?”

He pointed to the holes in his right earlobe and above his left eyebrow where some sort of hoop or stud would normally be inserted.

“Obviously I don’t wear any jewelry to the office. And there’s one more piercing in – um, let’s call it a more private spot.”

Ian couldn’t suppress the shudder that went through him at the thought of a piercing –
there
. “Any tattoos?”

“Six of them at last count,” confirmed Andrew. “All of them well hidden under my suits at the office. No purple hair, but during college I did have a ponytail. Down to here.” He pointed to the middle of his back. “And the funky clothes come out on the weekends, though it’s mostly just jeans and T-shirts, nothing too out of the ordinary.”

Ian’s grin grew a bit wider with each revelation. “Will wonders never cease. I do believe you’ve bested me at my own game, Andrew. I would never in a million years have guessed at any of these hidden secrets of yours. So your image as a stick in the mud was all just one big hoax, hmm?”

Andrew dared to glare at him. “With all due respect, sir, it’s vital to the continued operation of the office that this stays strictly between us. If anyone else knew, I’d lose all respect and then it would be complete and total anarchy in that place.”

Ian laughed, the first time in over twenty four hours he’d come close to doing so. “I agree. So for the sake of maintaining control over the troops, your secrets are safe with me.”

Isobel returned then, beaming with the news that a local gallery owner was very interested in displaying some of her sculptures. She seemed anxious to get back to her latest project, so Ian shook both their hands and thanked them for dinner.

“My treat next time,” he surprised himself by saying. “When Tessa’s fully recovered, we’ll make it a double date – you two pick the place.”

Andrew glanced uncertainly at Isobel. “Sir, I’m not really certain that’s a good idea. We probably shouldn’t be socializing outside of the office.”

“Oh, quit being such a stuffed shirt, Andrew,” scolded Ian. “You’re getting to be ten times worse than I ever was. Besides, I’m a little curious to see some of these tattoos of yours. But not,” he added hastily, “the other piercing you mentioned.”

It was quiet after they left, and still no significant change in Tessa’s condition. The doctor making evening rounds assured Ian that she was holding her own, and that they should expect to see some change one way or the other within the next twelve hours or so.

Ian frowned. “What exactly does that mean?”

The youngish doctor seemed to hesitate a bit before replying. “She’s more than twenty four hours post op now, so either her fever will break and the infection will start to clear up. Or, well, the fever will continue to spike and the infection could spread. But we’ll continue to keep a very close eye on her as we’ve been doing and look for any changes. You should really try and get some sleep yourself, sir.”

But Ian knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, not so long as his beloved Tessa was still so sick and unresponsive. He tried reading, doing a bit of work, but all he could think about was her. After a while, he simply sat down in the chair next to her bedside, holding her hand, and pressing occasional kisses to her forehead or cheek, still alarmed by how hot her skin felt.

“You know, darling, if you don’t wake up soon, we’ll have to delay our trip to Italy next month,” he told her. He knew she couldn’t hear him but he was desperate for any sort of distraction. “And that would be a great pity, because you’d completely ruin some very carefully laid plans I’ve made.”

Ian brought her hand to his lips. “I’ve never brought a woman to the villa before, so this will be another first for me. And it will be an excellent opportunity for you to practice your Italian, so you really need to wake up now so you can start recovering in time.”

He brushed a damp strand of hair off her forehead. He’d tried to comb the tangled locks earlier in the day but had given up when she’d kept turning her head to and fro in distress.

“I know you’re a sleepyhead, Tessa, but this is getting ridiculous,” he joked. “Besides, this mattress is a poor substitute for ours. You know how much you love the Hypnos, so please open your eyes now so I can bring you home.”

He touched his forehead to hers. “God, Tessa, you have to wake up, have to get better. I’m lost without you, darling. Didn’t you know I was lost for my entire life until I met you? I used to joke that I was married to my job, that work was the only thing I really needed in my life. My poor mother had given up hope that I would ever meet someone, or give her a grandchild. Speaking of which, I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. I think I’d like a daughter first, one with your blonde hair and blue eyes, and if you like we could name her Gillian, after your mother.”