Chapter 28 Doc
Well, that didn’t go to plan. I could have told Sarah that, though.
Hell, I fucking tried. Stubborn woman. I understood her need to be with Lio, the friendship between them, her pain at seeing him so lost and being unable to help him, but being too damn close to him makes her just as vulnerable as he is.
Not that I blame her. I would have done the same had it been James or Soren in that bed, but this…nothing about this was supposed to happen.
“Hollis isn’t going to be happy,” I say quietly.
My words earn me a scathing look from Sarah. “Well, I’m sorry things don’t always go to plan. Especially not when it comes to something like this. Though, you,” she turns to glare at the man currently cradling a now sleeping Emilio, “aren’t supposed to be out of bed without assistance!”
“I wasn’t about to let him suffer,” Allesandro hisses. He looks at me, with more life in his blue eyes than I’ve seen in a long time—for a while, I thought they’d lost their spark for good. “Hollis will have to get over himself. Lio is more important than his ego.”
I roll my eyes and throw my hands up. “Both of you are so fucking short-sighted when it comes to him…”
“Doc…” Soren warns, but I ignore him, much as I ignore the threat of Sarah’s scalpel—she’s not nearly as good at concealing her weapon as I am.
“You don’t want to hear this, but it’s the truth. You cannot separate your feelings from your work when it comes to him. I understand it, I do. He’s your friend, and you care about him, but this situation is exactly what I was trying to avoid!”
“Oh, and you’re not biased toward your family?”
I shake my head. “Not in the way you may think. You want to know why Hollis is going to be upset? Not because he doesn’t want Allesandro around Emilio—though we can’t ignore that he won't be happy about it—but because Emilio is his, and Hollis takes great pride in protecting those under his care.” I meet Allesandro’s eyes.
“You’re very lucky Hollis loves that Boy more than anything, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he’s okay.
Otherwise, this won’t end well for you.”
“I’ll be gone before he wakes again.” He looks down at the sleeping boy in his arms and I can feel his pain wafting off him.
It makes me huff and wish I had a stiff drink, or that Daddy would slip one of the sedatives into me, so I don’t have to be awake to deal with this shit.
I shake my head. “You don’t get it. What do you think Lio is going to do once he’s lucid enough to understand what’s happening? Why do you think it was so important that Hollis insisted on talking to him first, or at least seeing him first?”
“Because he and Tennant are controlling bastards on their high horses,” Sarah grumbles.
“Be very careful with your words,” I warn in a low tone. A subtle flick of my wrist and my scalpel slides free from my sleeve, though I keep it concealed in my hand.
I look to Allesandro, hoping he remembers this part of his Boy as well.
“Do you remember when he was in my office after getting shot? Before you went home, when it was just Hollis…” I try to soften my tone.
I’m not sure it works, but the words seem to jog his memory as he sighs and looks at the Boy in his arms.
Allesandro leans down and presses a kiss to Lio’s too-long hair, before easing him onto the bed and tucking him under the blankets. The care he gives the Boy is sweet, and I hate to admit it, but I can see the love he has shining through every action.
“Lio would have given Hollis up had I asked. He was torn between his feelings for him, and his devotion to me. That’s what you’re saying, what Hollis meant when he insisted on being here when Lio woke. He knew Lio would need reassurance—that he would need permission to accept me again.”
“He never stopped loving you,” Sarah tries to argue.
Allesandro looks up from where he stands over Lio, giving her a soft, sad smile. “I believe you. But…what is one trait of his that never falters, ever?”
She sighs, and some of her ire fades. “He’s incredibly loyal—even to those who probably don’t deserve it.”
“Right,” I answer for Allesandro. Sweeping my arm toward the door, I say, “Shall we continue this conversation in the hall? Let Lio get some rest.”
They both hesitate, and I wonder if I’m going to have to use my scalpel after all…
“I’ll stay with him,” Soren says. “It’s my shift anyway, he’ll be fine under my care.”
Both of them walk slowly out of the room after watching Lio sleep for a moment. I turn to Soren. “I would have stabbed her…”
“I know, Baby,” he says. “But you also know you would be just as overbearing if it were me in that bed. Give her some grace, she’s only human, and Lio is her friend.
” He leans in and kisses me gently. “She cares, and that’s not a bad trait to have.
Let her worry, give her room to express herself alongside the work you both have to do. ”
“I’ll try.” It’s all I can do. Seeing the snarky, tough Dr. Ranlen have such vivid emotions is…hard, and jarring, and maybe I need to learn to not be so uptight… But fuck, I also can’t let her compromise Lio’s care simply because she loves him.
“Go, finish talking to them. I got this.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
My words earn me another kiss and a soft smile. “Love you too, Baby.”
With the strength he gives me, I leave the room, shutting the door firmly behind me. I study Allesandro as he leans against the wall. “Shall we take this to your room?”
“I’m fine.”
I snort. “Bed. If you want to help Emilio, you’ll continue taking care of yourself.”
He sighs but allows Sarah and I to escort him back to his room, where I firmly shut the door behind us. Sarah bullies him into bed, and it’s nice to see some of my friend come back. The worry that was rolling off her in Lio’s room was…weird, and concerning.
“Hollis is a possessive bastard, but he’s not unreasonable,” I say without preamble. “If he was, he would have killed Benjamin already.” And you, but I don’t think I’m allowed to say that.
“I’m glad Lio has him,” Allesandro says slowly. “It…it’s good to know Lio has given his loyalty to someone who deserves it.”
I watch him carefully, hearing his sincerity, but remaining wary of it at the same time. “The three of you are going to need to work together in order to support Lio. Let him know he’s loved, that he’s safe, and that no one will be upset by his relationships.”
“I… It’s different from what we had before. I’m not used to sharing him. It…grates.” I can see the pain in his eyes, and hear it in his voice.
I do sympathize with him, but I have a patient to care for, and so whatever feelings Allesandro is working through need to be done in his own time, with his fucking therapist.
“Yes, well, that is something you’ll have to work out.
An Owner, a Daddy, and a Master…” I muse.
“Emilio is one spoiled Boy.” I’m kind of jealous.
“I’ll be meeting with the therapist Dr. Ranlen and I picked out the day after tomorrow, and…
I have a lead on a psychiatrist. I want them both to evaluate you, but I don’t think you’ll need a meds change, since you’re doing well. ”
Allesandro nods. “I am. Thanks to you and Dr. Ranlen.”
“Good. Still, I want the professionals to give their opinion. You will start therapy, and whatever happens with Lio…you will not let it interfere with your own healing.” I stare at him as he tries to protest.
“Doc is right,” Sarah says. “You can’t be there for Lio if you're not well yourself. You helped today, and we are both grateful.” She gives me a look, as if daring me to disagree. “But hopefully the next time he wakes, it will go as you and Hollis had planned.”
We can all hope that, but…none of these fuckers do what they’re supposed to.
“I’ll leave you to rest. You had quite the adventure today.” If he pulled a stitch, or hurt himself, that is Sarah’s problem, not mine. “Don’t hesitate to call if either of you need anything.”
“Thank you, Doc,” Allesandro says.
Inclining my head in acknowledgement, I leave the two of them. Once the door is shut behind me, I let out a breath and return my scalpel to my sleeve. I'm glad I didn’t have to use it, but also sad about that… Fucking hell, I need a vacation.
Sadly, that’s not going to happen anytime soon, so I adjust my sleeves, and run a hand through my hair.
Next order of business is tracking down a psychiatrist who wasn’t on my list for a reason…
But if he wants to insert himself into these games, I’m more than happy to use the pieces laid out in front of me.
If this were any other situation, Dr. Javi Graves would have been at the top of my list, but I was trying to avoid putting him and Tennant in the same room together. Though, now…that might work to my advantage. Or get me killed. We’ll see which comes first.