His head moved a trifle in Terri’s direction. The sister in her white habit put a finger to her lips as if to warn Terri not to let her emotions disturb their patient again.
Ashamed of her outburst, she nodded to the sister, then moved to the side of the bed.
His right arm was in a sling. There were needles in both arms above the wrists. As for his hands, they looked like they’d been fitted with little white gauze mitts. An oxygen mask covered the nose opening. Just looking at him made her feel as if she was going to suffocate.
“Richard?” she said in a soft voice. “It’s Terri. I flew down here as soon as I was told about the accident.”
She heard a funny little sound come out of him.
“No—don’t try to talk. The doctor said your throat will heal faster if you don’t use your vocal cords. I’m here now and I’ll sit with you as long as you want me to.”
Reaching for the chair, she placed it near the IV stand and sat down. The sister smiled approvingly before leaving the room.
Richard had played football in high school and was six feet of sturdy muscle. With all the bandages, he looked even bigger. A portion of his uninjured left shoulder was the only part of his body she could really see in the dim wall light.
Normally he worked with a shirt on, but she guessed it must have made him feel more macho to take it off. That would explain the bronzelike tan built up over months of exposure under a hot sun.
He made another muffled sound. She watched him lift his left hand from the sheet.
For a man who’d always been so restless both within and without, his suffering had to be extreme. She leaned forward and gently patted his lower leg draped by the sheet.
“The doctor said you’re going to be fine. He thinks any scarring will be so slight, you might not even have to undergo minor plastic surgery. That’s a blessing. You always were a heartthrob.”
She watched his legs stir beneath the sheet. No doubt he was in unbearable pain.
It was bad enough that they hadn’t lived together for at least a year and a half. But to have to meet her former husband under these precarious circumstances made their meeting even more difficult. What did she say to the man who was a virtual stranger to her at this point?
“Dr. Dominguez told me you called out my name several times to the fisherman who saved you. I have to admit it surprised me to learn that you’d listed me as your spouse on your work application.
“I can’t imagine why you did that when we’re divorced. I happen to know you wanted it as much as I did. But I’m not sorry to be here. You shouldn’t be alone at a time like this. My family sends their best wishes. They want you to get well as soon as possible, too.”
He lifted his left arm once more and brushed it against her arm before lowering it again. Perhaps it was his way of thanking her for coming. She didn’t really know.
“As soon as the Herrick Corporation notified me, I took emergency leave from the chamber of commerce to fly here. Ray told me not to worry about anything. He said he hoped you’d have a swift recovery.”
While she tried to think of things to say, her heart went out to him for his helpless state.
“I didn’t realize you’d taken a job in South America. Judging by your tan, it looks like you’ve been here quite a while. According to the doctor, you’ll be able to talk in a few days. Then you can tell me what you need.
“If there are friends you want me to contact, a woman you’ve been seeing, I’ll do whatever I can to help you get in touch with them.”
He made another sound in his throat and tried to lift his head. If anything, she felt as if her presence were disturbing him rather than bringing him a measure of peace.
Afraid to do something wrong that might delay his recovery, she got to her feet.
“You need to rest, Richard. I’m going to go n
ow, but I promise I’ll be back in the morning. I’m staying at the Ecuador Inn and will leave my room number in case the hospital needs to get in touch with me about you before tomorrow.”
At that moment he moaned more distinctly than before. Worried over his reaction, she hurried from the room and rushed down the hall to the nursing station.
A minute passed before she saw the doctor come out of one of another patient’s room. He headed in her direction.
“Leaving so soon?”
“Richard seemed to be more unsettled with me there. He kept trying to talk.”
“It is the excitement of seeing his beautiful wife again.”