Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Pennsylvania
“But it doesn’t hurt, Tenny.”
“That’s because you don’t feel pain. You know this. Just because it feels like you can go out and about and do regular activities, that’s not the case. Now go sit and watch some TV or read a book.”
“I’m bored. Why can’t I take a walk?”
“You listen to me, boy. I’m about at my wits end with you. I get that you think you’re fine to do whatever it is you want, but you can’t.”
I sighed and scuffed my toe on the rug. “This stinks, Tenny. It’s one broken arm. I got another one.”
She tilted her head, and a soft smile played on her lips. “Come here.” She patted the chair beside her in the kitchen. I shuffled to her and plopped in the seat.
“What?”
“I won’t sit here and pretend I understand.
Because the truth is, if I were you I’d be hurting and on pain medicine, pretty much asleep half the day.
I can only imagine how hard this is. But remember something—because you can’t feel it means you can hurt yourself further, and what if we don’t figure it out in time and something happens to you that I can’t fix? ”
She slipped off the chair and kneeled in front of me. I looked into her honey-brown eyes that always seemed to sparkle.
“Sweet boy, I wouldn’t survive if anything happened to you like that. I need to see you grow up into a strapping young man and take over the world.”
I chuckled. “The world?”
“Yes, sir. Because if anyone could do it, I one hundred percent believe it could be you.”
I leaned forward and she met me halfway so I could rest my head on her shoulder. She hugged me like she had all the love to give.
The distant sound of voices started to flood my memory. I heard some beeps here and there, the sliding of maybe a door. Where was I?
I tried opening my eyes but they were so heavy. I remembered Lorcan and the beating, but my eyes didn’t feel like they were as swollen as they had been, just tired.
“Penn.” Someone was softly calling my name, a woman I recognized. Through squinted eyes, I saw Rita smiling at me. “There you are.”
“Wha…” My voice was rough likely from not talking, or some damage I couldn’t feel.
“Hold on, let me get the water. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up, but the nurse said one sip was okay if you opened your eyes before she returned. Maybe I’ll let you have two.” She winked and returned to my side with a small cup with a straw.
I sipped it twice and closed my eyes. I was too tired to do anything more than sleep.
I watched as Tenny winced in pain. “Can’t you give her more pain meds?” I argued with the doctor.
“I’m sorry, son, we’ve given her the max allowed.”
“She’s in hospice, for Christ’s sake. She’s dying, can’t it be painless?” Tears filled my eyes. I wanted so much for Tenny to have my gene mutation, to not feel any pain. To sleep.
“We’re still limited.”
I glared at the doctor. “She’s hurting, and you’re letting it happen.”
“Penn, sweet boy.” Tenny’s voice was shaky, and I rushed to her side.
“Yeah, Tenny?”
“Stop fighting with the doctor.”
“But you’re hurting.”
“I am. But it’s okay. I won’t be hurting much longer.”
I hated what that meant, but at the same time I also wished for it so she wouldn’t suffer anymore.
“I wish I could take your pain.”
Her smile was weak and the grasp she had on my hand light. “I wouldn’t.”
I sniffled and rubbed my chest. “I feel this ache, though, Tenny. Right here.”
Her eyes went to where I was pressing. “Your heart.”
“Is it?”
She nodded. “You’re sad, sweet boy. That’s heartache. I promise it’ll pass. Time will heal it. Love will make it strong.”
“Love, ha.”
“You are going to fall in love with someone great someday, Pennsylvania, and I’ll be looking down on you, and you better believe I’ll be yelling I told you so.”
I released a watery laugh. “You’re high.”
She giggled weakly. “I am, but I’m also right. You’ll see.”
The next time I opened my eyes, I knew without a doubt that Gideon was there.
“Hey.” He hovered above me. “I missed those green eyes.”
“Hi.” I could see the shadows under his eyes, and his always pristine hair was disheveled.
“Normally, I’d ask if you were in any pain but…” He snorted.
“I’m just tired…I’m at the hospital?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
His hand brushed the side of my face, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. His nonanswer was very telling. I’d obviously been here for a while and he feared I’d be upset, maybe?
“Three weeks.”
Huh. Okay, yeah, that was a long time. “Am I okay?”
He chuckled. “Of course, that’s all you’d say.”
“Well, am I?”
He moved back an inch, and I wanted to sit up a little so I tried to hit the button, but he did it for me. I was in what could only be described as a glass capsule but bigger. My leg was in a cast, but my eyes weren’t swollen anymore and I could breathe.
“You’re on the road to recovery, Penn. I’ll take care of you.”
I smirked. “You’re a doctor now?”
He reached over and took my hand in both of his, his lips tenderly rubbing across my knuckles.
“I was so scared I’d lose you, Penn.”
“You didn’t, hey.” I wiggled my finger to get his attention. He looked up at me. “I got banged around…a bit broken, but I’m okay, right. Doctors said so?”
“Mhm. Your brain, there was swelling, you suffered a brain bleed…it’s why you were in a medically induced coma for so long.”
So that was why I was out, not me sleeping. “That makes sense. I was having wicked dreams—more like memories, actually.”
“Yeah, what about?”
Exhaustion was starting to creep in, but I wanted to talk to Gideon so I fought it off.
“About Tenny. When I broke my arm and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t go do things because I wasn’t hurting.
But I remembered when she was dying, the cancer was eating at her and her pain was immense.
I wanted to give her my ability to never feel it. ”
“That had to be hard.”
I stared at Gideon’s nearly black eyes. The dangerous man, feared by many, was staring at me with so much affection. I wanted to tell him the rest, but what if he didn’t feel that way? I’d experienced heartbreak—not a fan at all. If Tenny were here, she’d tell me to buck up, so that was what I did.
“One day I was sitting by her bed, and my heart ached. She told me it was because I was sad but that time would heal and love would make it strong.”
The corner of his mouth curled up. “She sounds like a smart woman.”
“The smartest.” I cleared my throat. “She uh…she told me I was going to fall in love with someone great one day.”
“Did she now?” His smile grew.
“Yeah.”
“And did you ever fall in love with someone great?”
My throat felt tight and my heart was beating out of my chest because I was going to say the words for the first time ever. It wasn’t fear, it was elation, excitement. I knew deep down Gideon Hendrix loved me too.
“I did.”
“Lucky guy.”
Gently I tugged at his hands until he was an inch from my face. “I love you, Gideon.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled, and he beamed at me. “I love you too, Pennsylvania.”