Page 41 of Hollow State

"Sure thing."

Before he did that, he injected a small amount of pain meds. Not too much. Just enough to take the edge off. He didn't want her falling asleep yet. He needed her to be able to communicate, but he didn't want her to be in pain.

He waved Zadie over. "Keep an eye on her vitals. I want to know before things reach dangerous levels."

"Got it." Zadie nodded.

Carefully, he peeled back the dressing covering the wound.

Wynn groaned.

"It's okay," Zadie whispered, leaning in. "The sexy doctor’s got you."

"He is hot, isn't he," Wynn said.

"If you like men who can't dress, sure." Zadie laughed.

"Says the woman who lives with Gideon."

Darwin smiled. A sense of humor was good in situations like this. But he needed to let them have their banter while he focused on the wound. He tossed the bandage in the garbage. Not too much blood oozed from the hole. The entrance was six centimeters above the knee, lateral.

He ran the Doppler along the femoral and got a signal. Ran it distally and got another one. That was excellent news.

"I'm going to release the tourniquet now," Darwin said. "As long as the bleeding has stopped or is minimal, I'll extract the bullet."

"I know the prooocedurrre," Wynn said.

Surgery wasn't Darwin's area of expertise. However, he'd spent a few years as a combat emergency doctor for the military. He also loved emergency medicine. He'd cut into the human body more than once.

But the part that unsettled him was that the woman on that table was someone he cared for—someone he loved. That was brand new territory.

The tourniquet opened, and a tiny bit of blood trickled out of the bullet hole. That was to be expected. But otherwise, the bleeding was well under control. "Okay, Wynn, I'm going to give you something that's gonna make you sleep." He picked up the syringe and pressed it into the line.

Wynn fisted the front of his shirt and yanked him toward her. "Before you seeend me to wawa land I wave sommmmetin' to sway."

"It can wait."

"Nope," she managed. "When I wake up, I wanna be in your voom."

"Close your eyes, and⁠—"

"Your bed." She pulled him closer, only her fingers slipped and she smacked herself in the face. "And when I'm wewovered, we're gonna have wex. Lots of wex. An awount that shoooould concern you."

Behind him, Zadie tried to cover a laugh by coughing, but it didn't work.

"I'm done with someday. The future's wust moments. That's all it's wever been. I wannnnt my woments with you."

Darwin dropped his forehead to hers. Unable to keep it contained, he chuckled. "Are you finished with the big speech?"

"'S a good speech." Her gaze drifted from his then returned. "You walleady gave me wa drugs."

"I did." He pushed the wet hair off her temple. "But I heard and understood every word, and I agree. With all of it."

"Wow." Her eyelids fluttered…and then she was asleep.

The monitor kept its rhythm. The warmer clicked. Darwin bent and put his lips against her forehead, staying there a few seconds before straightening.

"You’d better not be thinking about taking advantage of my friend while she's doped to the gills on your table."