I sighed in relief. Thank God, I couldn't have handled it if there was bad news. I knew he would have a long recovery, but he was going to be okay in the end. I felt as if a giant weight had been lifted off my shoulders. "Thank you so much, Doctor Collins. Can I see him?"

"He's just coming out of the anesthesia so he may be asleep for a while, but yes you can see him. Room 409."

I shook Dr. Collin's hand and then took the elevator to the fourth floor and found room 409 which was right by the Nurses' station.

I entered the room and the sight of him brought me to tears. It hit me again, how bad of a shape he was really in. My Keith was lying there hurt and in pain. I put my hand to my mouth and choked back a sob. Each of his fingers were splinted and then bandaged together. His hand was in a sling hanging from the ceiling to keep it from swelling. I stepped closer; my heart sank as I saw the bandages wrapped around half of his upper chest. He wasn't wearing a hospital gown; a blue blanket covered him from the chest down. I could see that there were bruises on his arms that his shirt had hidden. I looked at face; his eye was now purple and the cut above his eye was covered with a bandage. There was an IV attached to his left hand, yet he looked so peaceful lying there sleeping. I took off my coat and flak jacket and laid them across a chair. I stuck the gun and radio in the drawer. I then pulled up the other chair on his left side and took his hand in mine, my fingers grazed across his wedding band and I smiled softly. I bowed my head and prayed that he would be okay. As I sat there watching him sleep, I remembered something I told him on our first anniversary: We had borrowed a cabin by a lake from a friend for the weekend. On the night of our anniversary we went to a small restaurant on the other side the lake.