HER BEASTLY BIKER

XI

It was two full days before Samantha started to wake from the medically induced coma. Drake was sitting by her bed, holding her hand when he felt her start to stir. As per the nurses instructions, he rang the buzzer. It wasn't  long before a team of doctors and nurses came into the room and shifted him away from her bed as they began to get her vital signs, checking her pupils for reaction and dilation. They had already pulled the ventilator the previous day. The IV was left in for medication delivery. 

When Drake heard Sam groan in what sounded like irritation, he released the breath that he didn't realize he was holding. "Dra....ke...wat...er." Drake had had enough. He pushed his way back to his girls bedside, and raised the bed. "Easy, love. I'll get you some water."

When Sam tried to gulp it down, drake pulled the straw away. She protested in her raspy voice. "No, honey. Too much too soon and you'll get sick. Now, I'll give it back it you promise me to drink slowly." At her nod, he placed the straw between her lips and allowed her to drink.'

Drake swallowed his heart that was suddenly in his throat. Realizing that the doctor's and nurses had left the room to allow him to tell her the prognosis, he took her hand in his and gently squeezed. "Sam, love, I have some bad news. Baby, they had to fuse a metal plate with your shoulder blade. The surgeon said you may never get the full use of it back. Then again, you might not lose but 5 or 10%. It depends on you. We can get you started on physical therapy, and then a workout routine when you're strong enough.'

Samantha sat quietly for a few minutes and let the information sink in. Then she looked up at Drake and said one word. "No."

"No what, love?"

"No, I will not let this happen. A stupid accident is not going to stop me from living my life. We have a future together. Bikes to ride, love to make, families to help. This will NOT stop me. If I never regain the use of my arm again, then so be it. It will not stop me, though." 

Drake felt his heart swell with love and pride for his girl. Lucy was right. She was a fighter. She didn't let things stop her.She just pushed on. "Baby, you will start physical therapy tomorrow. The want to see how much you can use your arm."

"It's gonna hurt, huh?" Sam asked him.

"Yeah, honey. Probably a lot. But, if you want to be able to use your arm, then it will be worth it." Drake reached down and brushed a strand of hair out of Sam's face, as he smiled down at her.

"You'll be here to help me? Right? You're not leaving, are you?" Drake could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He sought to reassure her in a way that would leave no doubt.

"Samantha, I love you, and yes, I'm certain. I'm not some kid who doesn't know his own heart or his mind. My love for you is already so strong." Drake closed his eyes for a moment as he fought to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat. "When I saw you falling out of your Jeep and realized that you had been shot, I was so scared. I thought that I had lost you and all that kept going through my head was that I never told you how much I love you, that if you dies, you would never know. Let me tell, baby, I'm not much of a praying man, But I did some serious praying that first night. See, what they didn't tell you was that the bullet nicked the artery that runs directly under you collarbone. Apparently, you can bleed to death from that one, just like you neck or femur." Drake paused to take another steadying breath. "Baby, they didn't know if you would make it through that first night.'

Samantha looked at the man she had come to love so very much in such a short amount of time. She could see the sincerity in his voice. See it in his eyes. Eyes that were suspiciously glassy and wet. Making a decision, she tried to reach for his hand, where it rested on hers. Just the act of turning her wrist was painful. She cried out and turned a shade of grey. 

Drake, realizing what had happened, tried to soothe her. However, she didn't stop hurting, so he buzzed a nurse. The nurse entered the room, took one look at Samantha and left. She returned shortly with a syringe and pushed it into her IV in her other arm. Within seconds Sam was wonderfully pain-free and hazy. 

Drake looked at the nurse. "That shouldn't have hurt like that should it? All she did was rotate her wrist."

The nurse frown. "No. it shouldn't have. Let me call the doctor. We may need to order and x-ray of that wrist. Is it possible that when she fell, she landed on it?"

"Well, we'll know soon enough. I'm pretty sure the doctor will order the x-rays. I'll be back to let you know when he gets back to me."

Drake went back to Sam's bed and sat down in the chair next to it. He was just getting ready to call his VP, Vulcan when he walked in with his woman.

Vulcan handed Drake a bag of food and then he handed him a bag with toiletries in it. Francesca smirked up at him. "We can't have you stinking the place up now, can we? We got body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.... You know, the good stuff?" 

Drake actually laughed a little. It felt good. The past few days had been so serious. He needed it. He leaned down and kissed her. Vulcan, being the man he was, snatched his woman away from his Prez.

"Hey, get your own. This one's mine." They all shared another laugh at that. Vulcan and Francesca stayed a little longer before they left for the day.

Drake walked back over to Sam's bed and sat down. Pulling out the food, he began to eat. Just as he was finishing up his food, the nurse entered.

"The doctor has ordered a set of x-rays on Samantha's wrist and forearm. Because she is still not quite ambulatory, I thought it best to bring in a portable machine." The radiology tech came in the room pushing the machine in question. "Sir, I'm sorry. You're going to have to leave the room while I do the x-rays." 

Drake growled at the young woman, not happy with having to leave Sam. The nurse spoke up just then. "Sir, I have to leave as well. But, we can stand right outside the door."

The whole process took less than five minutes and they were back in the room. The nurse turned to him and said, "I'll let you something as soon as I know." 

Drake looked at his girl, laying in that hospital bed, and anger began to burn in his gut. Time to get the senator. While he waited on the nurse to get back to him, Drake took out a notebook and pen that Vulcan had brought and started making notes. Formulating a plan to take down the man responsible for Samantha laying in that bed.

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Well guys, Drake is ready to take down the senator.  Right now, he's totally focused on his girl. But, when she is better, he will be taking care of the man who ultimately caused her injury.