The Unseen Enemy Series

Chapter 45

“I’ve got to tell you, your friends are scary as hell when they want to be, angel," Dean said. "I think they could take me and the boys down, if they really put their minds to it. Anyway, they stood there shoulder-to-shoulder, and refused to let me past the visitor’s room until I convinced them that I was serious about being in this for the long-haul. Me and the guys have been here the whole time, and after lots of suspicion and a general lack of trust, the ladies are talking to us a bit more now.” He grinned. “They just had a conference in the hallway and gave me the green light to come in here and see you.”

“Are you serious?”

“Totally.”

“So you know that the cancer hasn’t spread to my spine or brain. Yet. But it’s progressing, and chemo isn’t working for me. I mean, it’ll hold things at bay for a while, but it isn’t going to push me into remission. A transplant is my only chance.”

“I do know all of that. And I also know that your best shot is to get a donor from the national program, but you have no matches on the current national list. That’s why I’m going to help with that.”

“How? How can you?”

“Well, me and the boys have already been tested as donors for you, and we’ve sent out word to everyone we know in our old units, asking them to get tested too.” He smiled. “We sent out the e-mail two days ago, and it’s been forwarded about four hundred times. Jim is taking care of all the formal requests from your doctor, and so far, about thirty people have gotten tested, with more to come over the next few days.” He stroked her hand. “No match yet, but let’s just hang on, OK?”

She stared at him. “You – you did all this?”

“Yeah. I’d give anything to be a match for you, but I’m not. The guys feel the same way. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, numb. “It’s OK. I’m just so amazed that you all did this for me.”

“So,” he said. “You believe me now? That I want to be here for you?”

Emma looked up at him as he sat there next to her. She’d never seen Dean look uncertain before, and it touched her. His face was open and soft and she felt such tenderness for him, it caught her by surprise.

“Yeah,” she said. “I do.”

“OK, then.” He sat on the edge of her bed and opened his arms. “Come here, honey.”

She struggled to sit up and he helped her, pulling her towards him gently. He wrapped his arms around her and she sank onto his strong chest, just let herself fall into the warmth and comfort he was offering. She curled up and closed her eyes, feeling truly safe for the first time since her body had started to betray her.

Dean held her carefully, shocked at how small she was. In just the past few days, she’d lost more weight, become more fragile. He felt like he was cradling a delicate piece of china, something that he could crack or shatter with one wrong move. He stroked her long hair and listened to her breathe.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, Dean.”

“It’s OK, angel. I understand.” He kissed her forehead, stroked her hair. “I’ve got you now, and I’m not leaving.”

His lifted his hand off her head, and several strands of her hair came away with it. He froze.

Emma looked up at him. “What?”

“Oh, God. Did I hurt you when I pulled it out?”

“No. What are you talking about? Pulled what out?”

Wordless, he held his hand out to show her.

“Oh,” she said. Tears were in her eyes again. “Oh, no.”

She started to cry now, and he rocked her back and forth, murmuring to her. She clung to his t-shirt, listening to his heartbeat through the material. She’d give anything to be lying in his bed, relaxing on his chest after making love instead of lying in a hospital bed, her hair falling out around her. But Dean was with her, Dean was holding her, so it wasn’t all bad. It was OK.