Chapter 7
Seven
Carver shoved on his clothes, then stomped all the way back to the medical bay where Doc was working.
The other man looked up from the patient, his brow furrowed. "I don't have any answers for you yet, Carver."
Doc's eyes widened. "Holy shit," he murmured.
Then he rushed to move around the room, gathering his notes and medical equipment.
"If that's the case, then this is worse than I thought.
He needs intensive care. I don't know that you have everything here that I can use, Carver.
And he needs to be watched around the clock.
Fury is going to need to talk to him as well, because when he wakes up, he's going to need it.
Over two decades of confinement and abuse changes a person.
He wasn't even a fully formed individual when he was taken.”
“I understand that," Carver bit out as rage enveloped him all over again.
Even though he didn't want children of his own, he had watched other people raise theirs. He had saved several during his years as an Angel. He knew just how fragile they were, how malleable.
Stopping Mordecai should have been more of a priority. When she first came onto the scene, he should have swept in and taken over.
But then he remembered all the lives they’d saved earlier that day. He remembered the people who might have become casualties if they had gone in before they had a solid plan.
He dropped his hands to the edge of the bed where the boy was laid out asleep. Monitor's beeped in the background and an IV had been hooked up to him.
"Do you think he'll survive this?" Carver asked Doc.
"It's anyone's guess. The psychological effects are what I'm most worried about at this point.
Knowing his age and the damage that's probably been done to his system, I can say the physical will take a while, but eventually he'll be okay there as well.
It's the mind that will wander; that will question things and be unsure. Everyone he comes in contact with will need to be patient with him. Wherever he winds up—” his words cut off as Carver growled.
“He's not going anywhere.” The fierceness in his voice surprised even him.
Doc shook away his shock and continued ahead.
"I understand what you're saying, Boss. What I'm telling you is that this is so much more than just him having a safe place to sleep and restarting his life.
This is physical, mental, and emotional abuse spanning far longer than he'll remember.
I'm not sure the clubhouse is the safest place.
However," he held up his hand to stop Carver's response, "however, I understand the need to ensure he's stable before he goes anywhere else. Besides, he might latch on to someone here, might find himself wanting to be near the people who saved him.”
“You think he'll have a hero complex?"
Doc shrugged as his eyes trailed over the boy's form. "It's quite possible. Then again, he might fear everyone. With Mordecai being a woman, I have a feeling he'll distrust them in general. But the guards were all men, right?”
“They were," Carver answered.
"Then it's anyone's guess. I truly think we're in for many surprises for however long he's here."
Carver took a moment to assess how he felt.
His phone was likely broken and the men in the gym probably thought he'd lost his mind. He had no doubt Silver was reaching out to Slash or Hex to get an answer. He'd have to explain himself later. Or he’d get the others to. He wasn’t sure he could remain calm when discussing it all.
The news would be enough for them to understand. Even the ones who didn't know Carver's past would know his compassion and desire to help others could be triggered through this news.
After Doc reassured him again that he was doing everything in his power, Carver left him with access to club funds to be able to get whatever other equipment Doc said was needed.
"It's all approved," Carver said. "Or if you need to outsource to a clinic, we'll coordinate and escort there and back. But he is to remain in our care. Understood?”
Doc had agreed. With that handled, Carver went to his room. He had work to do. There were other projects he could check on. Trix likely had an update, and even the rest of the men on the compound were sure to have business he should manage.
Carver wanted nothing to do with any of it. In his room, he threw down his leathers and shirt before he stripped the rest of the way. He went straight into the shower, turning the water to a scalding level. He stood underneath the stream hoping it would relax him.
He needed some type of relief. Fighting didn't work and fucking was off the table. His libido was south of hell at the news that the boy had been held for so long.
Though boy really wasn't a fitting word anymore. He was a grown man. A grown man who might have been stuck with the mind of a boy. Had he ever learned what was going on around him? Had anyone ever explained that life shouldn't be that way?
Carver doubted it. More than likely, he was left in the dark so they could keep him complacent.
Carver scrubbed his skin as if the soap and water could wash away what he had witnessed.
As if the suds moving down the drain could take away the years of torment the boy had lived through.
As if it could take away the memories that Carver struggled to push down again.
It had been years since he'd been reminded of the past. Years since he couldn't get himself in order quickly. He would need to schedule a session with Fury if this kept up. He needed to be in his best form to lead his men. Anything less could hurt them.
He stayed in the shower far too long. Eventually he climbed out and dried off.
Throwing on some comfortable sweats since he didn't intend on going anywhere else, he left his room in search of food.
He wasn't all that hungry, but something was better than nothing.
Especially after how long he'd been awake.
In the kitchen, he found several of the men hanging around eating snacks. He gave each of them a nod as he went to the cabinet. Some bread, meat, cheese, and veggies later he had a massive sub sandwich. He ate it while leaning against the counter.
His eyes were unseeing despite the activity in the room. It was as if he had blinders on. The only thing he could think of was the food he needed at the moment. Next he would go over how to get a new phone since he couldn't go without one for long. After that, he would check in with his team.
Everything was an item on a list to be checked off. He had to take the emotions out of it, or he would never get anything done.
“Boss,” a voice said. He looked up to see Hex standing there with a scowl. “You good?”
Carver swallowed the bite he was chewing and nodded. “Yeah.”
“You sure? Because word in the compound is you got a little riled up earlier.”
Carver bit into the sandwich a bit more forcefully than necessary.
Hex's lip curled at the edge. “I mean, I get it if you were. It's been a shit day. Might have something to cheer you up though.”
He pressed some buttons on his phone, then turned the screen towards Carver. As he watched, Hex stood in front of the camera bouncing around excitedly. “Time for the final show,” screen Hex said, then raised his hands and wiggled his fingers. Flames erupted behind him as the house went ablaze.
Even if the fire department could get to them, there was no chance of putting it out. Hex was a master with the flame. Carver knew the house would burn until there was nothing left.
The truth of it brought him a bit of peace, made him a little less murderous. Hex sped the video up until the house collapsed. Then he fast forwarded to the end where there was nothing but ash and metal just as Carver had instructed.
“I told you I'd take care of it. Now it's all gone. Not a single piece left. Mouse is still there to coordinate scrap metal pickup. You know, he's just going to play Tetris until someone shows up.”
“I know,” Carver said after polishing the last bite of his meal. He dusted his hands off, then motioned for Hex to follow him down the hall. What he had to say next wasn't meant for everyone to hear.
Once they were in his office, he closed the door. Hex dropped into the chair and propped his feet up on the edge of the desk. While Carver would normally tell him to chill out, he ignored his agitation as he dropped into his seat too.
“Based on what I was told and what Doc thinks, there's a lot that's going to be headed our way. The boy,” Carver stopped and cleared his throat. “The young man in our care is older than we thought. He’s going to need a lot of help.”
Hex's easy smile dropped. He dropped his feet, leaning his body forward. Gone was the playful pyromaniac. He was all serious and focused.
Carver could appreciate how he flipped the switch on his emotions.
“What do you need from me, Boss? Should we set him up a room? Is there a space that you think would work best?”
This was where things got tricky. Carver knew what he wanted to do, but it wasn't what he should do. He wanted the boy close to him. Wanted to know that he would be okay. Wanted to protect him should any nightmares or trouble arise.
But at the same time, the young man was not a pet to be held close like Mordecai had done. He wasn't going to stick him in another cage. If he wanted to leave, then he should be able to. Even if it went against everything Carver felt was right.
Eventually, he answered Hex by saying, "I'm not sure what we should do. I think we have to wait on Doc's findings, but I would like a room near mine emptied out just in case."
"Understood," Hex replied.
"I want you to speak to everyone. I think you're the best suited to explain the situation at hand.
I'm not going to make the boy stay in his room.
He will have free reign of the compound, which means everyone should know who he is and respect him.
There's not going to be any walking on eggshells, but they also shouldn't be abrasive towards him either. "
Hex nodded. "Makes total sense. You won't see me complaining one bit.
I'll be his best friend if you want, since he already has a protector," Hex said, winking at Carver.
Standing, he clapped his hands together.
"If that's all, I'm going to go get things ready.
I know Doc won't have him sorted tonight, but I'll feel better knowing that this task is done.
Then we can move on to whatever other pressing matters are next. "
"Hopefully it's nothing," Carver said as seriously as could be. "We might need a break after this one."
Or at least he would, he thought to himself.
Carver had always been the first one to run into the room, the first one to pull his gun and be ready to fight the enemy that they faced.
Something about this mission, something about this young man, made Carver want to stop and sit down.
It made him want to look and listen to what was happening.
He needed time to process everything. The questions he had couldn't go unanswered.
He would figure out who the young man was, along with discovering what had happened to him.
He just hoped it didn't mean he would regret the way he handled Mordecai any more than he already did. It’s not like he could bring the bitch back from the dead to torture all over again.