Free SEAL My Home: Bad Boys of SEAL Team 3, Book 2 (SEAL Brotherhood Series 9) by Sharon Hamilton Page B

leg for the first time.
    “Why do I get all the special treatment?”
    “You’re the one who customized my reading equipment, and if you weren’t a goddamned Navy SEAL, I’d be major sore about that.” He pushed the glasses back on his nose and stood.
    Rory put his forefinger to his lips to indicate he didn’t need the publicity, but it was too late. The patients on either side of him erupted, suddenly becoming more talkative and asking him questions.
    Rory tossed his head back into his pillow, rubbing his eyes. “I threw up on myself,” he mumbled.
    “What’s that?” the doctor leaned in and raised his eyebrows.
    Rory took a deep gulp of air and let him have it. “My ass is sitting in my own vomit and where I come from that means I get new bed sheets and a goddamned new nightie, or do I have to wait until he gets his slippers?” Rory directed a thumb over his shoulder at Corrigan.
    “You two have some kind of karma going on, no question about it. First, you collide with each other at Bear Mountain, and then you manage to take the last two beds on the surgery ward, right next to each other.”
    Rory turned and looked at Corrigan, who appeared just as shocked as he was.
    “That’s right. I guess fate wants you two to continue to duke it out, for some reason. Now, excuse me while I write up some orders that will make you more comfortable. And you’ll get that sponge bath, Mr. Kennedy. You want the lavender or lemon gel?”

Chapter 12
    ‡
    R ory was still in surgery when it was time for part of the group to return home to San Diego so they could report for work the next day. Gina, married to the handsome Puerto Rican SEAL, Armando, was a detective for the San Diego Police Department.
    T.J. and Brady said they would stay behind with Rory.
    “I’m staying too,” said Megan. There was no way she was going to leave Rory’s side.
    “No, Megan. Doesn’t work that way. We got his six. That’s the way it works.”
    “But I’m—” What exactly was she, anyway? She didn’t know Rory long enough to be considered his girlfriend, but their special connection made it feel wrong for her to leave him all the same.
    Lindsay tried to intervene, putting an arm around her shoulder, but Megan shook her off.
    “I’m staying,” she insisted.
    T.J. walked up to her, towering over her small frame. In his low confident voice said, “We can’t have you do that. We’ll make sure you get updated, and when he can have visitors, we’ll let you know. Go home, Megan. Rory would want that.”
    Reluctantly it was arranged that Megan would go back with Lindsay, carting Rory’s things and some items they couldn’t fit in the other vehicles. T.J. and Brady told the girls they weren’t going to leave until they could meet with Rory’s doctors face to face. All the other SEALs would drive back with either Mia and Fredo or Armando and Gina.
    Everyone’s biggest concern was whether Rory had a spinal cord injury. The two girls had driven for over an hour without speaking. The call finally came when they were about an hour away from home.
    Lindsay played Brady’s voice on her car speakerphone.
    “How is he?” Megan asked. She was sitting on the edge of her seat.
    “It’s bad, Megan. His left leg is broken in several places, and that’s what they were doing, cleaning up all that today. But the biggest thing is he broke his hip, fracture to the femur, so we’re basically looking at a total hip replacement.”
    They heard something in the background.
    Brady chuckled. “Ah, T.J. says he’ll be better than new, man of steel. Actually, man of titanium.”
    “How long before he can come back home?”
    “He’s being transferred. He got lucky. His doc is a world-class hip specialist who just happened to be up at Bear Lake with his family, doing rounds at the local trauma center and helping with skiing accidents in exchange for his stay. Rory’s going to be airlifted to LA tomorrow afternoon so the doc can do his surgery