Accepting His Love

Accepting His Love: Chapter Twenty Four

Derek was faintly aware of the warm body curled up to his side.... And very, very much aware of the pain radiating from his arm and stomach. He chose to focus on the former, more pleasant sensation, however, and turned his head to admire the slumbering face of Abigail.

Her face lay a few inches from his own. Her body was next to his, but not really as close as he'd have preferred. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but the pain in his body told him it probably wouldn't be such a good idea. So, all he could do was enjoy this priceless, quiet time with Abigail, lying under this.... tent?

Then he froze, and really took a look around him.

The first question he had was the obvious. Where on Earth was he? He and Abigail had been on the open prairie before, living out of their wagons ... So why was he on the floor, in a tent big enough to be a small house?

There were two desks on one end. From his vantage point on the ground, he could see the tops of various bottles covering the surface of the table, as well as what suspiciously looked like a stethoscope.

Finally looking down at his own body to make sure that he wasn't experiencing some sort of strange dream, he realized that he was bandaged as well.

He shook his head, puzzled. The last thing he remembered was Abigail telling him that she loved him, and then... pain. The memories were a bit fuzzy and contorted, but he did remember hearing loud noises and feeling an intense burning right before everything faded to black.

"Abigail," he croaked, surprised at the raspy nature of his voice. At the sound of her name, Abigail's eye lids immediately fluttered open and her mouth parted in surprise.

She stared at him for a moment until gradually, her eyes became tear-filled, and the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen pulled on her lips. "Derek..." she breathed. "You're awake!"

In the next instant, she was kneeling over him, cradling his face lovingly, whilst she repeatedly planted soft, warm kisses all over his cheeks. She pressed a kiss to the bridge of his nose and lingered there for several seconds.

That's when he felt it...tears. He looked at her face and saw that the tears that had surfaced before had finally escaped her eyes and were streaming freely down her round cheeks. Some of them dripped onto his own, but she wiped them away with her thumb, uncaring about the ones on her face.

He began to close his eyes, but a choked sob had him reopening them.

"No." she said. "Don't close your eyes... please. I-I just need to see them is all." She rested her forehead lightly against his and proceeded to stare into his eyes.

Chocolate brown met ice blue in a tender mixture of love and relief. Then, he froze all over again.

See?

Abigail must've noticed the confusion on his face, as she sat back and laughed softly. She began to run her fingers through his hair, tenderly massaging his scalp.

"Yes, Derek. I can see you now. Plain as day."

"H-how?"

"You could say I got a good knock to the head," she scoffed.

He frowned, even more confused than before, and tried to sit up. "Abigail...where are-" He didn't get a chance to finish his question before his throat abruptly convulsed and he began to cough.

Abigail left his side in a flash and returned with a cup of water. Lifting his head gently, she helped him take a few sips of the cool drink before setting it aside.

"That better?" she asked, lowering his head to the mat.

Derek nodded before clearing his throat and asking his question for the second time. "Where exactly are we?"