Chapter 268 Chapter 268

Chapter 268 Chapter 268
"He's still in surgery. It's going to be a while yet. The doctor will come out and update you when there's news." The nurse's expression was kind but professional. "Is there anyone else we should call?"
"His family," Emma said numbly. "His parents. I—I don't have their number. Well, I do, but I don't know it by heart. It's in my phone. I don't know where my phone is."
"I'll handle it," Grayson said quietly.
She watched Grayson step away to make the calls.
Her parents arrived next, Faith immediately pulling Emma into her arms. "Baby girl. Thank God you're okay."
"I'm not." Emma's voice cracked. "Mom, he saved my life. He threw himself in front of a bullet for me. And I… I told him I needed time. I made him think we might not—" She couldn't finish.
"Shh." Faith stroked her hair. "He knows you love him. He knows."
Did he? Emma wasn't sure anymore. She had told him, hadn't she? Last week, she just couldn't deal with… this. Losing him because he was protecting their country or her. Maybe she was selfish. But when she loved, she loved with everything in her and losing him had ripped her in two.
Nate and Prue showed up with Wyatt and Lauren. Maggie came flying down the corridor in her lab coat. She must have been on duty when she found out. By the time the waiting room filled with her family and friends, Emma felt like she was drowning in their concern and support. It should have been nice, but all she cared about was Daniel living. Being alive so she could tell him everything.
How could she be surrounded by people who loved her but feel so alone?
But she knew, because Daniel was in surgery, fighting for his life, and it was her fault. If he hadn't pushed her back and covered her with his body.
"Stop." Grayson's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. He'd come back from making phone calls, was crouched in front of her chair. "I can see you blaming yourself. Don't."
"How can I not?" Emma's hands were shaking again. Still covered in Daniel's blood. "He got shot because of me."
"He got shot because some asshole decided to pull the trigger," Grayson said firmly. "This isn't on you, Emma. None of this is on you. I hate saying this after I punched the guy. But having time to think about Daniel's choices, I understand them. Daniel is a good man… an honest-to-God white hat, and he couldn't stand by and let Vance and his crew continue what they were doing. It would have eaten him alive. Even to protect you, Emma. It would have destroyed him in the end." Reaching out, he took her hand in his. "He made a choice to protect you and take down Vance's crew. So the only ones to blame here are them, not you or Daniel. I would have made the same choice if Honey had been in the same position."
It sounded nice, but that bullet had been meant for her, and he had risked his life for her. But she nodded because she felt like she should react somehow.
The minutes ticked by. Turned into an hour. Then two.
Emma couldn't sit still. Paced the waiting room until Faith made her sit down. Stared at those double doors until her eyes burned. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Faith had gotten one of the nurses to check Emma over. Minor concussion from hitting her head. They wanted to admit her for observation. Emma refused. She wasn't leaving. Not until she knew Daniel was okay. She didn't care that her head was pounding. She wasn't going anywhere.
Three hours.
Then four.
Emma was going to lose her mind.
"This is taking too long," she said to no one in particular. "Why is it taking so long?"
"Because they're being thorough," Maggie said gently. "Because they're making sure he's okay."
Or because he was dying on that table and they couldn't save him. No, she couldn't think like that. It wasn't helping.
Emma pressed her hands to her face, trying to hold herself together. She'd cried so much over the past three months. She didn't think she had any tears left.
She'd been wrong.
The double doors opened again.
This time, it was a surgeon. Still in his scrubs. There was blood, Daniel's blood. Oh, God. Even with his mask on, Emma could see he looked exhausted.
Emma was on her feet before he'd taken two steps into the waiting room. "Daniel Morris. How is he?"
The surgeon's eyes snapped to her. "Are you family?"
"I'm his fiancée." The words came easier this time. "Please. Is he—"
"He made it through surgery," the surgeon said, and Emma's legs almost gave out. Grayson caught her, held her up. "The bullet entered his upper back, just missed his spine. Because of the angle, the bullet nicked his lung and damaged a major blood vessel, which is why he was bleeding so heavily. We repaired the damage and re-inflated the lung. He's stable now."
Stable. Daniel was stable.
"Can I see him?" Emma's voice was shaking.
"He's in recovery right now. Once he's moved to ICU, you can see him. But—" The surgeon's expression turned serious. "He's not out of the woods yet. The next twenty-four hours are critical. There's risk of infection, complications from the blood loss. He's going to need time to heal."
"But he's alive." Emma needed to hear it again. "He's going to be okay." She just knew it.
"If all goes well, yes. He's a fighter. That helped." The surgeon managed a small smile. "I'll have a nurse come get you when you can see him."
"Thank you, so much, doctor." She managed to say.
He nodded to Maggie, and then he was gone, back through those double doors.
Emma stood there, Grayson's arms around her, and finally let herself breathe.
Daniel was alive. He'd made it through surgery. He was going to be okay. He had to be okay.
She'd been given a second chance. They'd been given a second chance. No, a third chance and Emma wasn't going to waste it.