16. Chapter Sixteen #2
“Are you sure you don’t know what happened?” Nacho asked. “The EMTs are going to ask.”
Bronx groaned while they shifted him around on the bed but they managed to get him fully dressed and more presentable than he was a few minutes earlier. A shrill alarm sounded from Nacho’s phone and he stood upright to remove it from his back pocket.
“LifeFlight is inbound,” Nacho announced. “I need to get my guys into position on the highway to direct them in to land. The uniforms have already shut down the traffic on both sides of the interstate. You okay with Bronx while I facilitate the landing?”
“We’ll be ready for transport when they are,” Cavalari stated.
Nacho pinched his nostrils. “Word of advice. Spray something in here to mask the scent of the orgy.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Cavalari grit out.
“So, you’re admitting something went down in here between you two,” Nacho said and laughed.
“You are unbelievable! This isn’t a fucking joke,” Cavalari berated Nacho. “I would think seeing all the blood he’s lost would tip you off to that status.” He frantically pointed out the bloody tissues and towels scattered across the bed and floor. It literally looked like a crime scene.
“You’re right and I’m truly sorry,” Nacho said. “That was unprofessional of me and you know we’ll take good care of him. You have my word.”
Cavalari nodded at Nacho and watched him leave, then quickly turned his attention back to Bronx.
He stared at his half-opened and vacant eyes and his heart ached with not knowing if Bronx was going to be okay.
He could hear the commanding voice of Nacho outside as he rattled off orders to get everyone into a circular position on the asphalt to mimic a helipad.
The whirling blades of the helicopter began to slice through the clear Texas sky as it drew closer and closer to the bus and then dropped down onto the road.
A beat later the all-clear signal was announced by Nacho and the blades of the helicopter began to slow.
“They’re here to take us to the hospital,” Cavalari whispered very close to Bronx’s cheek and gently ground his stubble along Bronx’s bristled jawline.
The zing of electricity was instant. “Stay strong for me and we’ll get you fixed up.
And remember, I’ll be right beside you the entire time.
Even when you don’t think I’m there, I will be. Okay?”
Bronx only managed a soft moan and then the EMTs burst through the door as they offered words that gave more comfort to Cavalari than he could possible imagine.
“Houston Memorial LifeFlight! Step aside and let us get the patient stabilized,” the first EMT shouted into the bedroom and soon the room was hustling with activity.
Cavalari did as he was told and moved just outside of the bedroom while the EMTs worked fast and efficiently on Bronx.
“Sir, I’m Lieutenant Garvey and my partner is Lieutenant Crawford,” he informed Cavalari. “Can you tell us what happened to our patient?”
Cavalari offered a condensed version of the events and made sure he mentioned how Bronx had hit his head two days earlier.
While Cavalari talked, Garvey and Crawford kept working on Bronx.
Their hands were a blur and in no time at all, they were placing him onto a backboard and strapping him to a stretcher.
“Let’s move him,” Garvey ordered. “Lift!”
And just like that, they were hurrying him off the bus.
Cavalari ran, too—close enough to occasionally reach out to touch Bronx on the shin or his foot.
A couple of guys from Nacho’s team met them at the open back door of the helicopter.
Crawford stepped on board first and gripped the front of the stretcher as Garvey and Nacho’s guys carefully began to feed the stretcher in through the open loading door of the aircraft.
Cavalari watched as Crawford took a seat and ran an IV line into Bronx’s arm then hooked him up to a variety of equipment that made a symphony of beeps and buzzes.
“Sir, are you Tony Cavalari?” Lieutenant Garvey asked.
“I am,” Cavalari confirmed.
“I have orders to take you along for the ride,” Garvey said, “but you’ll need to wear the headgear during transport.”
The lieutenant hopped onboard and Cavalari followed on his heels while he pulled the helmet over his head and then secured the strap under his chin.
It was a flashback to his days in the military to be hooked up like this and his heartbeat kicked up another notch.
He turned on the communication system that fed sound into his ears and heard the pilot announcing their departure from the highway and an estimated arrival time to the hospital’s ER staff.
Lieutenant Crawford sat up near Bronx’s head and Garvey was on his left.
Cavalari took the remaining seat at Bronx’s right hip and clicked the safety harness into place over his chest. He heard Garvey giving a verbal list of Bronx’s vitals to a doctor who waited for them at the hospital.
It was all a blur to Cavalari. While the EMTs continued to work on Bronx, cutting open the front of his t-shirt and attaching sticky discs and wires that sent a signal to an EKG machine, Cavalari absently ran his fingertips down the bare length of Bronx’s forearm and left his hand resting on top of Bronx’s.
The touch wasn’t meant as an attempt at any type of PDA.
He did it in the hopes Bronx would feel his presence and know he was there, but he had no way of knowing his message was being received.
“Hang in there,” Cavalari said close to Bronx. “I’m right here.”
Garvey’s gaze flicked to where Cavalari was basically holding Bronx’s hand and then lifted up to his face. “Are you his personal guard?” Garvey questioned.
Cavalari nodded. “I’m part of a whole team who protect him,” he answered.
“I thought you two might be more , if you know what I mean,” Garvey commented and smiled.
“Just business,” Cavalari lied and then his thoughts bounced back to what Fizzbo said about everyone knowing about them except for Cavalari and Bronx.
Apparently they sucked at keeping things private—even when they thought they were keeping things on the downlow.
“It’s complicated,” he said to alter his response in a more truthful way.
“I figured as much,” Garvey answered. “I remember when things with my boyfriend were new and how complicated we thought everything was. Turns out, it was only complicated to us. Everyone else was fine with us being together.”
Cavalari shook his head. “The security company I work for frowns upon on-the-job relationships like this,” he explained. “It’s a real possibility I’ll be terminated for my actions, but you know what? I don’t care, because he’s worth it.”
“Then don’t let anything or anyone get in your way,” Garvey stated. His attention went back to Bronx as Crawford relayed more information to the ER in Houston.
After that, Cavalari kept his attention cemented on Bronx and drew comfort in the warmth of his hand. He continued to rub gentle circles on Bronx’s palm and tried his best to think happy thoughts about a possible future together as a real couple.
In no time at all the helicopter was landing in the designated area on the rooftop of Houston Memorial Hospital and half a dozen ER staff were waiting for them. It was one of those moments when time seemed to stand still and everyone seemed to be moving in slow motion.
Cavalari followed orders and did as he was told but he never let Bronx get too far away from his direct line of view.
After a preliminary examination in a small, private room on the triage floor of the ER, a doctor approached Cavalari and explained they needed to move Bronx to imaging for a CT scan and run a few other tests.
“Is he responsive?” Cavalari asked the doctor.
“A little bit,” he replied.
“Can I speak with him for just a minute before you take him?” Cavalari requested.
“Make it brief.”
Cavalari quickly moved to the side of Bronx’s bed and leaned over him.
He brushed back the thick, dark waves of hair from his forehead and silently willed Bronx to open his eyes for a moment but he didn’t.
“I know you probably can’t hear me right now, but the doctors want to do some tests and I’m not allowed to be with you for that, but I will be waiting right outside the door—as close as I can get to you without being in the room.
Please stay strong and know that I’m very close by.
” He placed a soft kiss to Bronx’s temple and kept contact when he said, “When this nightmare is in the rearview mirror, I can’t wait to kiss the living hell out of you again.
While the techs are running the tests, you can think about my lips on yours and all the other places I’m eager to explore on you.
” Bronx remained mostly out of it but the slanted grin that slowly lit his face told Cavalari his last two statements were heard loud and clear.
He squeezed Bronx’s hand, and then stepped away from the bed to let the nurses wheel his bed out of the exam room.
Cavalari had no idea how long he’d be separated from Bronx but he’d have to dig deep inside of himself to find the patience not to lose his mind.