Delaney was there when his eyes blinked open three hours later. "O'Connell?" "Yeah, Cory. I'm here." She leaned over his bed and smiled downward. The nurses had done a good job bandaging his face. Thankfully, none of the shrapnel had hit his eyes, but he'd have scars on his forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin. They'd just give him more character. "My arm hurts like hell." He shifted his shoulder and lifted his head to get a look at it. Delaney touched his chest. "Lie back. I'll talk to the nurse about upping the pain meds." She turned to flag down a nurse. Cory snagged her arm with his left hand. "Why can't I move my arm?" Her heart broke as she struggled to come up with the words to tell him he'd never move that arm again. "What's wrong? Why the sad face? Am I paralyzed?" He lifted the other arm, I.V. tubes and all. "Don't lie to me. Give it to me straight." She sucked in a deep breath. "The explosion destroyed your right arm. The doctors couldn't save it. They had to..." She couldn't say the word amputate.
