Chapter 316
[ 534 words ]
Chapter 316:
Jarrod wrapped his powerful left arm around her waist, anchoring her flush against his chest, while his rigid right arm acted as a static, protective barrier to support her upper body. He buried his face in her wet, matted hair. His heart shattered at how freezing cold her skin felt.
Dr. Reed recovered her balance. She angrily protested that the patient needed immediate IV antibiotics and absolutely could not be moved.
Jarrod turned his head. His eyes flashed with lethal menace. He ordered Dr. Reed to shut her mouth and prepare oral medications immediately.
He stripped off his heavy, fleece-lined tactical jacket using only his left hand and teeth to yank at the zipper. He ignored the cold dampness of his own rain-soaked t-shirt.
He wrapped the oversized jacket tightly around Caroline’s trembling shoulders. He cocooned her entirely in his body heat and his cedarwood scent.
Updа𝘁𝗲𝘴 𝘦𝘷e𝗿𝗒 𝘸𝖾е𝘬 𝗼𝗻 𝗀a𝘭𝘯о𝗏𝗲𝘭𝗌.𝘤𝘰m
Leaning low over the gurney, he hooked his functional left arm deep under her knees and scooped her upward, leveraging his immense upper body strength to hoist her weight against his chest.
He allowed her upper body to rest securely against his immobilized right shoulder and the rigid brace beneath his shirt, lifting her effortlessly from the hospital gurney without using his injured arm to pull.
Caroline buried her face deep into the crook of his neck. Her hands weakly gripped the wet fabric of his shirt.
Hayes watched in absolute stunned silence. The ruthless apex predator was cradling a mud-soaked woman like she was made of spun glass, relying entirely on his single operational arm and brute core strength to keep her stable.
Jarrod turned to K.C. Bell, who had just arrived at the doorway. He barked an order to have the oral medications brought directly to his private quarters.
Dr. Reed warned loudly that taking her out of the medical bay violated every safety protocol and could be fatal.
Jarrod snarled over his shoulder. He stated that she was his wife, and the only protocol that mattered was that she stayed with him.
The explicit revelation of her identity dropped like a bomb in the room. It left the medical staff and the soldiers completely paralyzed with shock.
Jarrod walked out of the trauma bay. He carried Caroline tightly against his chest, refusing to let anyone else touch her.
He stepped back out into the covered walkway. He headed straight toward the heavily fortified officer’s quarters, leaving a stunned, heavy silence behind him.
Jarrod kicked the heavy steel door of his private officer’s quarters shut. The electronic lock engaged with a solid, reassuring thud.
He strode across the stark, dimly lit room and gently laid Caroline’s shivering body onto his large, dark-sheeted bed.
Caroline immediately curled into a tight fetal position, her teeth chattering uncontrollably as the fever spiked again in her system.
Jarrod leaned over her, using his dominant left hand to swiftly pull off her muddy combat boots. He pinned each sock beneath his boot heel to peel the thick, soaked fabric from her freezing feet, working one-handed, and tossed them onto the floor in a wet pile.
A timid knock sounded at the door. K. C. Bell cracked it open just enough to slide a metal tray inside, holding oral antibiotics and fever reducers, before quickly retreating.
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