Do Or Die

Chapter 9

"Mmmm," Audrianna moaned.  She opened her eyes, looked up, and smiled. Then, as the face before her became more focused, she stilled.

Audrianna stared into the mockingly loving eyes of Lincoln Huntington, her secretary.

"Audrianna," he whispered softly, hugging her hands gently. He sat in a chair right beside her bed; their faces were inches apart.

"Yes," Audrianna breathed, turning to her side to face him better.

He stared deep into her eyes. Squeezing her hands he said gently, "I want a divorce."

Audrianna's smile was wry. "From whom? Me and Viktor, or Viktor and you?"

Lincoln snickered.

"Not gonna' happen." Audrianna sat up in the hospital bed, and Lincoln let go of her hand.

"Fine, then I want a raise."

Audrianna looked appalled. "On top of a five hundred thousand dollar Christmas bonus?"

"Audrianna-no amount of money is worth my life."

"You didn't accept that kind of payout from the U.S. military."

"That was different." Lincoln lay back in his folding chair, pushing the seat backwards, balancing on its rear legs. "That was for Corps and country; Viktor's an ass."

Audrianna scowled. "Don't say that about my husband."

Lincoln sighed. Folding his arms across his chest, he looked away. "You know you were a second away from dying tonight." Lincoln brought the chair down with a harsh scrape on the floor. "I nearly lost my legs-again."

Audrianna was thoughtful. "I remember the explosion...hmmm..." Bowing her head, she looked thoughtful.

Lincoln stood. The lighting in the room was dim, though dawn was quickly approaching. They were secured in a room in the women's hospital at Mount Hope. Audrianna was in a room by herself, surrounded by eight empty beds.

Lincoln looked down on her. Audrianna looked absorbed in thought. She was a small woman, delicate, but not frail. Her cheeks were high and she had a small, demure nose and mouth. Her forehead was flat and small.

Lincoln brought his hand up to ruffle her hair, an act that always made her balk. He stopped short, not wanting to alarm her with her bald head. He drew his hand to his chin and looked at her head.

She looked back at him, her soft almond-colored eyes questioning. "What?"

Lincoln covered his grin with his hand. "Nothing." His eyes shifted right to hide the guilty laughter there.

She is gonna' have one sure fright next time she takes a look in the mirror.

"I'll be outside if you need anything."

"You could go straight on holiday. Ohhh nooo, you missed your flight, right?"

"It's nothing. I'll catch a later one. I was just looking to take some time off to be with the kids anyway."

Audrianna screwed up her face, her eyes wandering in the opposite direction. Lincoln watched her suspiciously.

"What?" Lincoln asked.

"Nothing."

 "Lincoln?"

He looked over his shoulder at her.

"Thank you."

He exited the room.

Audrianna, lost in thought, soon dozed off once more.