shoved them away. “I'm delighted to hear it, Sam. Now close your eyes and relax. You've got all the time in the world.”
He studied her face, frowning. “No. I have to remember.”
“Cool down, Sam.” Izzy touched his arm. “What do you have to remember?”
Sam's hand closed to a fist. He stared down at his locked fingers, breathing heavily. “It's right there. That close.” He looked up at Izzy. “They didn't tell me where the accident happened. All I see are buildings. There are sirens everywhere and I'm trying to hang on, to hold it all together. For them, but I don't remember who.”
“You saved over forty people, ace. That makes you America's reigning hero.” Izzy spoke with just the right edge of challenge. “If you weren't so dog ugly, I'd have to be jealous.”
“A hero,” Sam repeated. His eyes closed slowly. “Can't remember.”
The pain medication finally kicked in, pulling him under.He wouldn't have to fight anymore, Annie thought, or pretend he wasn't hurting.
She nodded at the medics, who pushed the gurney outside. On the bed Sam muttered, but didn't wake. She started to move her hands away, but he made a low sound of disapproval.
“Don't stop now, Doc. Just … getting good.”
Izzy studied Sam gravely. “We're going to have our work cut out for us.” His voice was low. “The big fool will be fighting his pain every step of the way.”
“Fighting can be good.” Annie slid one hand gently over Sam's hair. “And we'll be here to help him fight.”
“You okay?” Izzy asked softly.
How can I be okay? I touched this man. That night under the stars, I gave him a piece of my heart. He went away without a real good-bye, and now he's come back a stranger.
Though her eyes burned with unshed tears, Annie straightened her shoulders and smiled. “I'll survive.”
S OMETHING WAS WRONG.
The pain was back, but Sam was already used to feeling pain. This was different.
He lay staring into the darkness, his whole body tensed. More of his imagination? First the surgeries. Then they'd pumped him full of medications in spite of all his protests.
He tried to block out the crushing pain, but he couldn't focus, couldn't see, couldn't—
Remember.
Not one damned thing prior to waking up in the hospital.
His name?
Okay, he knew that much.
My name is Sam McKade.
His lips twisted. He only knew
that
courtesy of a frowning doctor from the naval hospital. Even that might have been a lie.
He went through his usual inventory, testing legs, arms,hands, fingers. Every muscle was weak, but they functioned, even if any movement made his left shoulder ache like hell.
He needed to get going, to start building himself up. He didn't have much time before…
Before what?
He tried to sit up. Instantly pain shot up his chest and clawed down his arm.
His fingers gripped the bed, tightened. Damn it, before
what
?
The darkness offered no answers as he fought for clarity, caught on the razor's edge somewhere between pain and sleep. Something whispered that he couldn't trust anyone, that things weren't what they seemed. Gritting his teeth, he blocked the dark slide to oblivion because he had to. Because he needed to remember.
Before it was too late.
Chapter Ten
A NNIE AWOKE TO THE CRACK OF SHATTERING GLASS. Disoriented, she stared into the darkness, remembering she wasn't alone.
Sam.
She lurched from her bed, running down the dimly lit hall to the guestroom. “Sam?” she called breathlessly.
Through the faint moonlight she saw him, stretched across the bed, one arm caught in the sheets. His hands opened and closed as if trying to hold something that kept slipping away.
There was blood on the sheet. More blood at his shoulder. His body was rigid, every muscle of his chest defined.
Something stabbed her foot as she crossed the floor, but Annie ignored the discomfort. Sam's doctors had warned her to approach him slowly, never taking him by surprise. By training and experience, his instinct was to
He studied her face, frowning. “No. I have to remember.”
“Cool down, Sam.” Izzy touched his arm. “What do you have to remember?”
Sam's hand closed to a fist. He stared down at his locked fingers, breathing heavily. “It's right there. That close.” He looked up at Izzy. “They didn't tell me where the accident happened. All I see are buildings. There are sirens everywhere and I'm trying to hang on, to hold it all together. For them, but I don't remember who.”
“You saved over forty people, ace. That makes you America's reigning hero.” Izzy spoke with just the right edge of challenge. “If you weren't so dog ugly, I'd have to be jealous.”
“A hero,” Sam repeated. His eyes closed slowly. “Can't remember.”
The pain medication finally kicked in, pulling him under.He wouldn't have to fight anymore, Annie thought, or pretend he wasn't hurting.
She nodded at the medics, who pushed the gurney outside. On the bed Sam muttered, but didn't wake. She started to move her hands away, but he made a low sound of disapproval.
“Don't stop now, Doc. Just … getting good.”
Izzy studied Sam gravely. “We're going to have our work cut out for us.” His voice was low. “The big fool will be fighting his pain every step of the way.”
“Fighting can be good.” Annie slid one hand gently over Sam's hair. “And we'll be here to help him fight.”
“You okay?” Izzy asked softly.
How can I be okay? I touched this man. That night under the stars, I gave him a piece of my heart. He went away without a real good-bye, and now he's come back a stranger.
Though her eyes burned with unshed tears, Annie straightened her shoulders and smiled. “I'll survive.”
S OMETHING WAS WRONG.
The pain was back, but Sam was already used to feeling pain. This was different.
He lay staring into the darkness, his whole body tensed. More of his imagination? First the surgeries. Then they'd pumped him full of medications in spite of all his protests.
He tried to block out the crushing pain, but he couldn't focus, couldn't see, couldn't—
Remember.
Not one damned thing prior to waking up in the hospital.
His name?
Okay, he knew that much.
My name is Sam McKade.
His lips twisted. He only knew
that
courtesy of a frowning doctor from the naval hospital. Even that might have been a lie.
He went through his usual inventory, testing legs, arms,hands, fingers. Every muscle was weak, but they functioned, even if any movement made his left shoulder ache like hell.
He needed to get going, to start building himself up. He didn't have much time before…
Before what?
He tried to sit up. Instantly pain shot up his chest and clawed down his arm.
His fingers gripped the bed, tightened. Damn it, before
what
?
The darkness offered no answers as he fought for clarity, caught on the razor's edge somewhere between pain and sleep. Something whispered that he couldn't trust anyone, that things weren't what they seemed. Gritting his teeth, he blocked the dark slide to oblivion because he had to. Because he needed to remember.
Before it was too late.
Chapter Ten
A NNIE AWOKE TO THE CRACK OF SHATTERING GLASS. Disoriented, she stared into the darkness, remembering she wasn't alone.
Sam.
She lurched from her bed, running down the dimly lit hall to the guestroom. “Sam?” she called breathlessly.
Through the faint moonlight she saw him, stretched across the bed, one arm caught in the sheets. His hands opened and closed as if trying to hold something that kept slipping away.
There was blood on the sheet. More blood at his shoulder. His body was rigid, every muscle of his chest defined.
Something stabbed her foot as she crossed the floor, but Annie ignored the discomfort. Sam's doctors had warned her to approach him slowly, never taking him by surprise. By training and experience, his instinct was to
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