Talisman of Light: Highland Hearts Afire - Time Travel Romance Read online

The nurse patted Mrs. Innes’s shoulder and smiled. “It was touch and go for a while, but this sudden improvement in his condition is a welcome turn of events. Doctor Murray will be most pleased.”

  Alex glanced around the room. Judging by the overpowering scent of antiseptic, the large window with a view of a nursing station directly across the hallway, and the array of elaborate machinery surrounding his bed, it appeared he was in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

  “But none of this makes any sense.” Alex brought a shaky hand to his brow. His throat was so dry, he’d give anything for a sip of water.

  “Accidents seldom do.” His mother stroked his cheek. “You’ve been through a lot, son. I’m sure it will all come back to you in a day or so.”

  “Your mam is right. Dinna try to talk. You need to conserve your strength,” the nurse said. “The pain medicine in the IV bag should start working soon. Rest now.”

  “I don’t want to rest,” Alex replied sharply. “The events of the last few days are very clear in my mind and I didn’t spend them in a hospital bed. Aside from a few bumps and bruises, I walked away from the crash and left the airport in the rental vehicle my secretary arranged.”

  “Alex, please. You don’t have to do this now,” his mother cautioned.

  “I need to do this before the drugs muddle my mind.” Alex drew in a gulp of air, then continued. “I thought I could make it to the dig site, but got stuck in a snow bank on my way. Fortunately, I found refuge in an old croft and that is where I spent the first night.”

  He sucked in another slow shallow breath and continued. “In the morning, I borrowed a horse and went on to Burghead. That’s where I spent the last couple of days. In a Medieval Scottish castle, living amongst people in the twelfth century.” He stopped there when he noticed the look of horror and disbelief on his mother’s face. He had to confess, the latter statements gave him pause for thought as well. The story sounded crazy to him, and he’d been there. The nurse and his mother were sure to think him mad.

  “There, there, you must try to relax.” The nurse rested her hand on Alex’s shoulder as she offered him a sympathetic glance, and spoke to his mother. “Try na to worry, Mrs. Innes. It’s na uncommon for a patient to be confused and disoriented after a severe trauma. They imagine all sorts of things, and are convinced they really happened. Try na to fash, your son will be more lucid after he’s had time to recover.”

  “Even as a boy, he had a vivid imagination. I suppose an event like this can’t help,” his mother said.

  “I imagined nothing.” Alex found himself getting more agitated and frustrated by the minute. “And I wish you would stop talking about me like I’m not in the room. Other than a bump on the head and some sore ribs, I was not injured when the plane crashed. And I did spend the last few days in—”

  “Calm down, Mr. Innes, or I will have to administer something stronger to relax you,” the nurse said. “The plane crash happened over two weeks ago and you have gone nowhere except radiology and the operating theater.”

  “Please do as the nurse requests, Alex,” his mother said. “Perhaps you were dreaming.”

  “I wasn’t dreaming,” he muttered, then glared up at the nurse. “What day is it?”

  “February 13th,” the Nurse replied.

  “That can’t be. I arrived in Scotland on January 30th, a couple of days before Imbolc.” Confused and no longer certain of anything, Alex scratched his chin. “You said I had surgery. For what?” He couldn’t argue the fact that he felt like he had an elephant sitting on his chest and the simplest movement caused him gut-wrenching pain, but he also recalled walking away from the crash virtually unscathed. They’d be hard pressed to convince him otherwise.

  “You’re lucky to be alive, Mr. Innes,” the nurse said. “You sustained a hairline fracture of your scull with minor, controlled, intracranial bleeding and a severe concussion.”

  “That explains the pounding in my head, but not why my chest and the rest of my body feels like they’re in a vice,” Alex said. “The last thing I remember was being in the cave surrounding the well at Burghead. I was trying to rescue someone and toppled into the water. I hit my head on a rock, I’m guessing, blacked out, and woke up here.”

  The nurse frowned. “That is quite the tale. But you were brought here immediately following the crash and have not left that bed, other than to go down for a CT scan and a series of x-rays.”

  “It isn’t a tale. It happened.” Why wouldn’t they believe him?

  “In addition to the head trauma, you also suffered a ruptured spleen and a blunt chest injury, in which several of your ribs were fractured,” the nurse continued to explain. “Your left lung was punctured by a rib fragment, causing a traumatic pneumothorax. A nick in the pericardial sack also resulted in cardiac tamponade. A buildup of fluid pressing on the heart,” she added.

  “The surgeon performed an emergency thoracotomy so he could remove the fragments of broken bones, repair the damage, set the ribs, and insert a catheter to drain the area around the lungs and heart. When finished in the chest cavity, he moved on to the abdomen and extricated your spleen.”

  Mrs. Innes rested her hand on Alex’s forearm. “They had you in a drug induced coma until last night. They didn’t want you thrashing about and reinjuring yourself. So you see dear, you were too ill to go anywhere.”

  “So you’re telling me that I’ve been here for two weeks?” Alex blinked several times, finding it hard to believe he’d suffered so many injuries and lived. Was his time in the twelfth century a dream as his mother suggested? “Did anyone else survive the crash?”

  The nurse hung her head. “Aye. The stewardess and one other passenger were found alive in the wreckage. The bairn, a seven year old lass, was airlifted to Glasgow, and we’ve had no further word on her condition.”

  The majority of passengers were adults, but Alex did remember seeing a little girl on the plane. She’d sat with a woman he’d assumed was her mother, three or four rows behind him. She had long golden ringlets and carried a rag doll he’d heard her refer to as Suzie when proudly showing her off to one of the flight attendants. He wondered if she was the child who survived. But so many others were not as lucky. The elderly couple who’d been sitting next to him came to mind. “And what about the flight attendant they rescued?”

  The nurse shook her head. “I’m afraid that she succumbed to her injuries on the way to hospital.”

  He closed his eyes and muttered a prayer.

  “It was a horrible tragedy. One that fortunately doesna happen often.” The nurse checked the drainage bag attached to his chest tube before taking his blood pressure, then smiling. “Things appear stable and your chest is draining nicely. I’d suggest you get some rest and I’ll inform Dr. Murray that you’re awake. If you feel any sudden change in the level of pain or canna catch your breath, call immediately. I’ll be at the nursing station if you need me.”

  Alex glanced at his mother. “You look exhausted. Why don’t you go to the hotel and try and get some sleep. I’m obviously in good hands and it won’t do either of us any good if you make yourself sick.” While he was genuinely concerned about his mother’s health, he needed some time to process everything he’d just learned. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out why he was one of only two spared in the crash, and why the images of his time in the twelfth century were so vivid in his mind.

  “Ciara.” The word slipped out as if in prayer. Had she managed to keep the Talisman of Light and defeat the hag, or had Cailleach worked some other sorcery and won?

  “What did you say, dear?” his mother asked. “It sounded like you said someone’s name.”

  “It was nothing,” he lied. He wished his mother could have met Ciara. She’d have adored her. Of that he was certain. But the meeting would never happen, because if what they told him about the crash was true, the love of his life didn’t exist. Not in this century. Yet her memory left a gaping hole in his heart. One that no surgeon could repair.
>
  “You really should go and get some rest, Mother. The drugs the nurse put in my IV are starting to work and I’m feeling punk. Once they take full effect, I’ll likely sleep for hours and there is no point in you sitting here by yourself.”

  His mother smiled. “I doubt I’ll be alone for long. A lovely young woman has been keeping me company. She was with you when the ambulance brought you in to the hospital.”

  He battled the drug-induced fog clouding him mind and causing his words to slur. “What woman? No one was meeting me at the airport and I was travelling alone.”

  “From what I was told, she wasn’t on the plane, dear. She was one of those assisting with the rescue at the crash site,” his mother replied. “When I arrived, you were still in surgery, and this very attractive young woman was waiting at your bedside for you to return to your room. A Scottish lass with a very sweet disposition and lovely green eyes. The nurse said she was in the ambulance with you and insisted on staying.”

  “Did she tell you her name?” Dare he hope?

  “Why of course she did. Two women do not spend hours upon end together and not exchange names. She said her name was—”

  “I’m so glad you’re awake, Mr. Innes.” A woman in a hooded cloak stood in the doorway. “You gave us all quite a fright.”

  Alex squinted, trying to focus on the woman, but the drugs were too powerful and he could no longer fight the inevitable.

  Chapter Twelve

  Alex awakened with a start. “God, I’m thirsty,” He groaned, then covered his eyes with his forearm, shielding them from the blinding light above his bed.

  “They don’t want you to have anything to eat or drink yet, but the nurse left some ice in case you woke up and were thirsty,” his mother said.

  He stared up at his mother, grateful when she popped a couple of the chips into his mouth. “That is so good,” Alex mumbled and sucked on the frozen morsels until they were gone. “What time is it? What day?”

  “Why it’s eight in the morning on the fourteenth. Valentine’s Day to be exact,” his mother said, grinning. “You slept through the entire night. Twelve hours.” She glanced at her watch.

  Alex scrubbed his fist across his eyes. He felt a little more human today, but still had a great deal of pain to contend with. His concern again shifted to his mother. “I hope you didn’t sit there all night.”

  “I stayed until midnight, after which I went to a room they have set aside for the family of critical patients,” she said. “But I didn’t leave you alone. The young lady I was telling you about arrived just as you fell asleep. She stayed with you through the night.”

  Alex quickly scanned the room, but saw no one. “Did she leave?”

  “When I returned to your room this morning she said she was going to freshen up and had a couple of things to tend to. I’m certain she won’t be gone long. She never is.”

  “You didn’t tell me her name.” Alex grabbed his mother’s hand and peered up at her. “Please, I need to know.”

  “Ciara Dunmore.” A woman appeared at the door, carrying two large Styrofoam cups.

  When the woman smiled, Alex’s heart did a quick flip. “Ciara,” he gasped. “Is it really you?”

  “So you do know the lass,” his mother said, grinning. She motioned with a flick of her hand. “Come in and sit a spell, Ciara. I was just telling Alex all about how you have not ventured far from his side since he was brought to hospital.”

  Ciara approached Alex’s mother. “I was passing the coffee shop and thought you might like a cup. If you’re hungry, I also have a bag of current scones in my purse.”

  “How thoughtful of you, dear.” Mrs. Innes patted the chair beside her, then turned her attention back to Alex. “Isn’t she lovely? Can you believe there was once a time when the Clan Innes and Clan Dunmore were enemies? Fortunately for you, that is no longer the case.”

  “Very fortunate,” Alex mumbled, his eyes never leaving Ciara’s face as she placed the cups on a table beside his mother before removing her coat. He studied her from top to bottom, half expecting her to be dressed in twelfth century attire. Instead, she wore a pair of loose-fitting grey tweed slacks, ankle-high suede boots, and a red turtleneck sweater that hugged her perfect breasts.

  He swallowed hard as thoughts of how close they’d come to making love flooded his mind. Alex gave his head a shake. While the woman indeed looked like the Ciara he’d spent the last couple of days getting to know, there was something different about this woman. She carried herself with confidence. She dressed and spoke in a manor more in tune with the twenty-first century, not the twelfth. Since she didn’t immediately run to his side or show any indication of affection, he decided to wait and compare the similarities and differences between the Ciara in his room and the one from the past before saying any more.

  But when she approached the bed and touched his hand, a familiar, tingling sensation ran up his arm, warming his heart. He knew instantly this was his Ciara.

  “Is something wrong?” his mother asked.

  Alex wanted to grab Ciara by hand, draw her closer, and kiss her, but he refrained from doing so. “Enemies you say?”

  “Aye, and all because of ancient superstition and this.” She reached into the neck of her sweater and tugged on a chain, revealing an amulet made of rubies—identical to the Talisman of Light Alex had carried back to Scotland and given to Ciara as she was about to face Cailleach for the last time.

  “That’s a lovely antique.” Barely able to contain his excitement at seeing the gem, Alex nipped at his bottom lip.

  “It dates back to at least the twelfth century.” Ciara fondled it lovingly. “This has been in my family for hundreds of years. Passed down from mother to daughter.” Her brow creased as she stared at the gem. “It was missing for a while, but miraculously turned up recently. Some say it has magical powers and is linked to the Imbolc Festival that recently took place at the end of February in hopes of an early spring. They claim it was used to defeat the winter hag. But that is just legend, of course.”

  “You should wear it always,” Alex said.”

  “I never plan to take it off again. Not unless I have a daughter to pass it on to someday.” She tucked it back into the neck of her sweater.

  His heart sank. “You’re married?”

  “Nay. I was too busy getting my practice off the ground to think about marriage and a family of my own,” she replied. “But if the right man came along, I might consider it.”

  “Our patient needs to rest.” A different nurse from the one yesterday appeared at the door. “He’s had enough stimulation for one morning, and the medication I added to his IV half an hour ago should have taken affect by now.”

  Alex yawned, struggling to stay awake. He feared he was losing the battle, but he had to talk to Ciara, alone.

  “Perhaps we’ll have to increase the dosage,” the nurse said. “We are very careful with pain medication in patients with compromised respiratory function. They can slow the heart rate and interfere with the ability to breathe, neither of which Mr. Innes needs.” She glanced at her watch. “However, he does need to rest.”

  The nurse studied the chart hanging at the foot of Alex’s bed, then checked the monitors. “A patient can become resistant to the meds over time. I’ll page Dr. Murray and see if he wants to up the dosage. In the meantime, if you ladies are in need of a break, the solarium in the hospital’s enclosed courtyard is lovely at this time of day. And if you get hungry, the cafeteria’s lunch special is Shepherd’s Pie.” She turned and left the room.

  “It sounds wonderful and I’m sure the nurse is right. You could use a break, Mrs. Innes, and Alex needs his sleep.” Ciara cupped his mother’s elbow. “Shall we get a bit of sun?”

  “Fine, but I’m not leaving the hospital. Not until my son is out of ICU and has been given a clean bill of health from Dr. Murray.” After grabbing her purse and her cup of coffee, Mrs. Innes leaned over the bed and kissed Alex on the cheek. “I won’t be gone
long. Do as the nurse tell you and I will see if I can talk them into giving you some Jell-O for dinner.”

  Alex chuckled as he watched his mother head toward the door, with Ciara at her heel. Deloris Innes was never going to change. No matter how old he got, she’d always see him as her little boy. He had to admit, he was grateful for her love and devotion. To see the two women he cared about more than life itself bonding made his heart soar. But he had to find out if Ciara remembered him, aside from the crash. Why else would she stay by his side? Did she feel the same connection and bond to the past that he felt? He had to know. “Can I see you for a moment in private, Ciara?”

  She glanced over her shoulder, a puzzled expression crossing her face. “Certainly. I’ll join you in a minute, Mrs. Innes.”

  “I’ve told you to call me Deloris. And take all the time you’d like, dear.” She smiled at Alex and winked. “I’ll be waiting at the nursing station,” she said as she left the room.

  “What did you want?” Ciara returned to his bedside.

  “When did we meet, and why did you stay with my mother?” Almost afraid to hear the answer, Alex chewed on the inside of his cheek.

  “I was at the crash site right after the plane went down, helping to evacuate the passengers and tending to the injured.”

  “So you’re a doctor or EMT?”

  “I’m a Nurse Practitioner and Registered Midwife with an office in Burghead,” she replied. “I was in Inverness at a medical conference when I heard about the crash on the radio. I wasna far, so I figured with my medical training I might be of some help.”

  “You’re a healer?” The similarities between this Ciara and the one from the past mounted. In fact they were downright conclusive as far as Alex was concerned.

  She chuckled. “Some of the older members of my clan call me that, but the university I attended frowns on such antiquated titles.”

  Her smile lit up the room and he wanted to leap from the bed, haul her into his arms, and kiss her senseless, unleashing the passion he’d harnessed since they met. But that would not only be impossible in his condition, but foolish. He didn’t want to frighten her.