“Can I help you?” she asked cautiously.
“Luke Johnson, FBI,” my uncle said and presented his badge to her. “I need to speak to the person caring for the Jane Doe you have in ICU.”
“Yes, sir,” she said and reached for the phone. “They’re expecting you. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll let them know you’re here.”
No one sat. We stayed right where we were and waited for the nurse.
A woman appeared moments later and introduced herself as the director of the intensive care unit. “Follow me, and I’ll take you upstairs to a private waiting room. Per hospital policy, I can only allow one law enforcement officer and one family member to go into the room to identify her. If a positive ID is made, then we’ll allow family to visit.”
“I’m the agent in charge of the missing woman’s case, and this is her fiancé,” my uncle explained and gestured to me. “We’ll be the ones identifying her.”
We left the rest of the group in the designated waiting room and followed the woman down the hall.
My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I could hear it in my ears, and it seemed to get louder with each step I took.
When we reached the room, I was surprised to see a security guard outside of her room. Without thought, I extended my hand to him. “Thank you for watching over her.”
He shook my hand and nodded in acknowledgment.
“Here she is,” the director said and slowly pushed the door open.
I gasped at the sight of her and immediately went to her side.
“It’s her,” I heard my uncle say. “Her name is Aspen White.”
I leaned over the bed and carefully placed my hands on her pale cheeks. “I love you so much,” I told her and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. But I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.” Tears were streaming down my face, and I didn’t give the first fuck who saw them. I’d almost lost the love of my life, and I was beyond relieved to have her in front of me, regardless of what shape she was in.
“You need to sit down before you fall over,” Luke instructed as he pushed a chair toward me.
“How is she?” I asked without taking my eyes off of Aspen.
“The doctor is going to come in and talk to us about her injuries,” Luke explained.
I lowered myself into the chair and exhaled slowly. “This is such a strange feeling. I’m happy we found her, but seeing her like this is awful.”
“I know exactly what you mean. I think I wanted it to be her just as much as I didn’t.”
A knock on the door had us both turning to see a man dressed in scrubs and a white lab coat entering the room.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Cornell. I’m one of the physicians taking care of Ms. Doe.”
“Ms. White,” I corrected. “Her name is Aspen White.”
“Actually, given the circumstances, I think we should leave her as Jane Doe for the time being,” Luke suggested. “Will that be a problem?”
“No, not at all.”
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked bluntly.
“She was brought in last night with a gunshot wound to her chest and a head injury. From what I understand, someone saw her walking along the highway and called an ambulance. She lost consciousness shortly after she was picked up and didn’t regain it before she was taken to surgery to remove the bullet and repair the damages it caused. The bullet hit her lung and caused it to collapse, which is why she has a chest tube. After surgery, she was placed in a medically induced coma to allow her brain to heal. She has two skull fractures, both along the back of her head. Whatever trauma caused those also caused her brain to swell. So far, she doesn’t need surgical intervention, but we are monitoring her closely for any changes. Overall, considering her injuries, she’s doing well, but she’s not out of the woods yet by any means.”
“When will she wake up?”
“I wish I could give you a solid answer, but I don’t have one. We’ll keep her sedated for a few more days. After that, it’s up to her. She could wake up within a couple of hours, or it could be days, possibly longer.”
So, there was a possibility she would never wake up. That’s what he was saying without coming right out and saying it.
“Do you have any other questions?” he asked.