Ryan heard some sort of muffled sound, and it brought him out of a deep sleep.
His eyelids were heavy, though, and he merely laid there as the sound became clearer and clearer, until he recognized Gaby's voice.
"And that's how dragon-shifters came to be in North America. It seems a little far-fetched to me, but it sure makes for a good story."
Gaby. The attack and his fall came rushing back. He was alive, and his woman was right next to him.
Ryan tried his best to open his eyes. After a few beats, he finally managed to do it. Gaby's beautiful eyes came into view and she gasped. "Ryan! You're awake."
He tried to make his mouth work, but his tongue was heavy and mouth dry. All he managed was a croak.
Gaby released his hand and crossed to a small freezer, returning with a cup of something. As she took an ice chip from the cup, she put it at his lips. "The doctor said to give you a few of these when you woke up. It should make it easier to talk."
He gratefully took the cool piece, and once the ice melted and he swallowed, he tried talking again. This time he managed to say, "Gaby, I love you."
She frowned. "Don't go saying your goodbyes, Ryan Ford. I love you, too, but you're going to tell me later, on a real date, when you're not hooked up to machines and wearing a gown that has your ass hanging out."
Probably thanks to some sort of drugs, he smiled without too much pain. "You could turn it around, if you like, and have your way with me."
She snorted. "You're such a male. Here you are, lying in bed with a broken back, and you want to have sex. Sorry, but as sexy as you are in a neck brace—ha ha—you're going to have to wait."
Ryan tried to laugh, but it turned into a groan. "I feel as if I've been hit by a semitruck. So don't make me laugh."
She touched his cheek and leaned over to gently kiss his lips before sitting back beside his bed. "I'll try, but it's better than me ranting about what happened, isn't it? I don't want to make your blood pressure go up."
Her hand found his and Ryan managed to squeeze her fingers. It didn't escape him that it took a hell of a lot of effort to do so, but at least he wasn't completely paralyzed. "Tell me what happened, love. I remember most of it, but it all turns blank as soon as I was snatched from midair."
Gaby sighed. "You have Cris to thank for that."
As Gaby went on to explain about the traitors, their using a child to make their ruse believable, and Cris and Wes cleaning up the remaining bastards within hours, Ryan did his best to stay calm. He wanted to be angry—hell, he wanted to shout—but he wasn't in the best health and he needed to get better to have that real date with Gaby and tell her his feelings again.
When she finally finished, Gaby added, "So now it's just the matter of getting you better."
He forced himself to ask, "And once I do, will I be able to stay?"
Gaby bobbed her head. "Wes thinks so. He's talking with Ashley Swift today, to see if he can come to an agreement with ADDA. It'll be tricky, given how you almost died and all at the hands of a dragon-shifter, but Wes is going to try his best to make it happen. He feels he owes you that, and a lot more, to make up for what happened."
He squeezed Gaby's fingers again. "If he can get me to stay, that's enough. I don't think either Wes or Cris could've predicted someone hurting a child to get to me."
Gaby narrowed her eyes and growled. "No, and thankfully none of them will have children to hurt anymore. ADDA will lock them away for a really long time, or possibly send them to that tiny, isolated island in the Pacific Ocean, the one used for the worst dragon offenders in the world."
He was about to ask more about the dragon-shifter prison island he'd never heard of when Dr. Carter walked into the room and said, "You're awake, Ryan. That's a good sign and shows us the dragon's blood is doing its magic."
"Dragon's blood?" Ryan echoed.
He raised his brows. "Gaby didn't tell you yet? She gave you some, to help you heal. I'm not sure how much it'll help with your back, but it will certainly speed up the rest of your healing."
Gaby turned toward the doctor. "He can squeeze my hand, so that's a good sign, right?"
"It's proof he's not completely paralyzed, but I'm going to need to do a few tests to say anything further." Dr. Carter moved his gaze to Ryan's. "I know you must be exhausted, but do you have enough energy to try a few things for me?"
"If it can tell me whether I can walk again or not, then I'd endure a hell of a lot worse."
"Good." He walked to the base of Ryan's bed. "Gaby, while I won't ask you to leave, move to the side for a few minutes. I need Ryan's full attention for my tests."
After she kissed his cheek, Gaby let go of his hand. Selfish as it was, Ryan wanted to snatch it back.
However, he focused on Dr. Carter and awaited the tests. Finding out if he was paralyzed or not was more important right then and there.