Page 73 of Kyle

"Save my wife."

"Hopefully it will not come down to that. I will let you know what's what."

He sank down as soon as the doctor left the room. Leaning back, he closed his eyes, deterring anyone who wanted to talk. And he prayed silently, prayed with everything in him that he would be given another chance.

*****

"Six pounds two ounces and none the worse for his ordeal." Dr. Pierce said with a tired smile.

"My wife?"

"Some internal bleeding which we managed to stop. She's still out of it and will be until the morning."

"I need to see her."

"Of course."

"You go ahead son." Jason urged. "We'll go and eyeball the little tyke and give her love from us."

With a nod, he left the room. She had been put in a private room with the curtains drawn and the bed slightly elevated. For a moment, he stood just inside the doorway, his eyes fixed on her. She was lying so still, a bandage wrapped around her left shoulder, where the bullet had pierced skin.

Her lovely skin, he thought, the rage emerging. Stepping into the room, he pulled up a chair and carefully passed his hand over hers. His fingers touched hers as if assuring himself that she was still warm. If she was warm, she was still alive.

Emotions clogged his throat and he wanted to hurl something, to beat something until it was dust. Reining it in, he stared at the long, elegant fingers, drawing circles over the tan line her missing rings had made. The circle of diamonds he had placed there when he had been so reluctant to marry her.

He was wearing a ring too, a simple band with diamonds etched into the platinum. He should marry her for real, he mused.

"I'm sorry."

He began hoarsely.

"You probably cannot hear me darling, but I'm so sorry. I caused this--"

His voice choked and he had to stop.

"I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

He blinked hard to clear away the moisture.

"Our son is fine. He needs his mama. We never decided if we were going with Dylan or Declan. I remember us arguing and you saying that you like the Irish name. We should go with Declan, but I don't want to do this without you."

Bending his head, he rested his cheek on their joined hands.

"I love you. Before I met you, my life was without color. I was simply just going on. You brought life into my existence. Do you know that? Darling, I adore you. And I never ever want to know what it feels like to be without you."

*****

"You went home." Kyle observed a few hours later.

He had insisted that the family go on home and he would keep them in the loop.

"I changed at the precinct."

Matthew had looked in at his sister, before following Kyle from the room.

"You should at least go home and get some sleep."

"No."