Chapter 36
August
Quinn left the room, and August seized the opportunity to shower and pile his gear neatly out of the way for easy pickup. Washing himself was difficult because he had to avoid getting his bandages wet, but the effort was worth it, if only so he could get the dried sweat and blood off.
When memories of Eren on the ice sent shivers through his body and brought black spots to his vision, he lifted his arm to his mouth and snagged the laces between his teeth, pulling them until the pain of losing blood circulation brought him back.
He couldn’t believe how well it worked, and he wanted to kiss Quinn again to show his appreciation. August had been dreading the mental breakdown looming under the surface because he didn’t want to be a fucking burden, but like this, he could wing it.
He had to.
One of the nurses stopped by with a set of scrubs that barely fit him.
The fabric stretched tight in places and hung awkwardly in others, but at least they were clean.
She hovered as he changed, fussing over the bandage to make sure it was dry while her eyes kept drifting back to his tied-up arm, curiosity slipping through her professional composure.
“Pressure points help me relax,” said August, hoping she wouldn’t think he was weird.
Anyone who knew about shibari would have no trouble spotting what the intricate knots were, but she brightened and patted him on the bicep. “That makes so much sense. Sorry for staring.”
August shrugged and tugged on the laces. “No worries. Thank you for bringing me clothes.”
She didn’t stick around once she knew August was okay and left the room with a reminder to use the call button if he needed anything.
The moment she was gone, August checked the score on the live tracker using his phone and was surprised to see that there were only three minutes left in the third period.
Had he really been at the hospital that long?
He was also surprised, and a little impressed, when he saw that the Eagles had zero goals, while the Bigfoots had twelve.
August was certain Niko was on a warpath. The temper on the kid would have put him into a feral frenzy after seeing his captain downed, and August was grateful that he had remembered to ask someone to grab his phone before he got into the ambulance.
A phone call would be necessary to calm Niko after the game, and August needed him, so dousing that rage was at the top of his to-do list.
But before that, he needed to call Diana, his therapist, so he could ask for a phone appointment on Monday. She answered him right away and praised him for reaching out, which left August feeling good after he hung up and moved to his next task—contacting the group.
August: I know you guys are worried because you haven’t said anything, but I’m okay. I don’t know about Eren yet. Quinn is talking to his doctors now to see if he can learn anything new, but it isn’t good. I don’t want to talk about it right now, but if something changes, I’ll tell you.
A lot of guys in the group were playing their own games, so he didn’t expect an answer, but one person read the text and was quick to respond.
Bash: Thank you for updating us, but don’t worry about it. Focus on your family and tell us if you need anything.
August’s eyes were too blurry to write a full sentence, so he settled for a heart emoji and left it at that. By then, the game was over, and Niko would be in the locker room. So, he punched in his number and braced for impact.
“August,” Niko answered, breathing hard through his nose. “Quinn told Emira and Alara’s babysitter to call me if she needed help, and I guess they’re freaking out. What do you want me to do?”
The typical locker room noise was absent in the background, with the occasional sniffle and thud from gear hitting the floor. The place had to feel like a silent battlefield right now, and August wished he could say something to ease the tension in his teammates.
“I can’t leave the hospital until I get discharged,” said August. “Neeks, gear down, get showered and make sure you work that aggression out before you stop at Eren’s place. I need you to bring the girls here, but I don’t want you to drive when you’re like this.”
Niko exhaled forcefully, repeating the process several times before he said, “Okay. I’m listening.”
“You’ll find a spare set of keys for Quinn’s car in Eren’s stall,” said August. “The girls need booster seats, so take his vehicle to save time. If you’re worried about not being able to handle them by yourself, ask Logan if he can come.
The girls know him, so they’ll feel safe with him there.
And I know you’re not familiar with his wife, so could you ask Logan if she’s okay with going to my house to pack clothes for Quinn and I?
He has a suitcase in my room with his things that she can toss mine into. ”
Niko was a guy who needed clear instructions and a game plan, so telling him what to do would make things simpler for him.
“Yeah—fuck,” said Niko. “Give me an hour, and we’ll be there.”
He hung up without a goodbye, and August collapsed onto the edge of the bed, opening and closing his tied hand just to feel the pressure in the knots.
He sat alone in the dim lamplight of the room, repeating the action over and over, while calls came in from his agent and the team doctor, all of which he answered so he could coordinate visitation and give updates on his condition.
That’s how Quinn found him thirty minutes later, and August knew something was wrong the second he saw him.
Quinn shut the door and leaned against it, his green eyes haunted as he met August’s gaze. “They let me see him.”
August was across the room before he could process how quickly he had moved. He hooked his good arm under Quinn’s thigh and lifted Quinn off his feet, not letting go until he was wrapped around him like before, holding him tightly as Quinn sobbed into his neck.
“H-He looks awful,” Quinn said through gasps. “The b-bruising and the stitch-stitches—doctor s-said his skull is b-broken. Scan said there’s brain a-activity, but they won’t know how bad it is unless he w-wakes up…”
If he wakes up. That was what August was hearing.
“He had a fucking stroke,” Quinn hissed, nails digging into August’s shoulders. “Like, what do you m-mean he had a stroke?! How is this—”
August shushed him and rubbed his back, but he was lost for words.
“My sister—” Quinn curled his fingers into August’s hair. “I want m-my sister. I want Esme. I c-can’t do this—I can’t watch her soulmate d-die with no way to stop it.”
Quinn’s words lost all sense after that, and he broke down into uncontrollable sobbing. August could decipher a few, like Esme’s name and please, but the rest was panicked babbling.
August knew that Quinn didn’t cry easily. He was willing to bet that the man hadn’t taken time to grieve the loss of his sister properly to spare Eren and his nieces—because putting everyone else before himself was such a Quinn thing to do.
So, August let him have this moment.
He let Quinn cry in his arms for as long as he needed, brushing away his own tears as he rubbed circles on Quinn’s back and spoke quietly into his ear.
There was nothing August could say to make it better.
There were no magical solutions to guide him through his agony.
The only option left was to be with him until Quinn calmed down long enough to catch his breath.
And soon, the sobs quieted into whimpers, and the whimpers turned into heavy breathing—and then there was echoing silence.
August didn’t move. He stood hugging Quinn with one arm until he finally unhooked his legs from around August’s waist and lowered himself to the floor.
Even then, August didn’t let go. He cupped the back of Quinn’s head and scratched his fingers through his hair, using the same comforting touches that Quinn had used on him many times before.
“Thank you,” Quinn said hoarsely. “I—I needed that.”
Quinn tilted his head back, and his eyes were puffy and red, and snot was running out of his nose, but he was okay.
“Do you think Niko can bring Emira and Alara here?” Quinn asked. “I want them close in case…things take a bad turn.”
August brushed his hands through Quinn’s soft hair and smiled. “They’re already on their way. Niko is probably close now, so I’m going to meet them. You can take a minute to clean up if you need it.”
The air was so fucking heavy with impending doom that August’s lungs felt crushed, but he needed to put on a brave face for Quinn and the girls.
Quinn bumped his forehead to August’s chest, nodding in thanks before he left for the bathroom.
August checked himself in a mirror to make sure his nose wasn’t gushing blood before putting on the hospital slippers and exiting the room.
One check of his phone told him that Niko had just arrived, so he hurried to the elevators, making sure to follow the maps to the entrance so he didn’t get lost.
Niko and Logan were waiting for him, and all it took was a second-long glance in his direction to make Niko’s expression crumple.
“I’m good,” August said, raising a hand to stop Niko’s spiral before he had a chance to overthink things. “Can’t talk about it now. Let’s leave it at that.”
Emira and Alara pulled away from their chaperones as soon as August came close enough, and even though he knew he would get in trouble with the nurse for it later, he scooped them into his arms. They perched comfortably against his sides and copied their uncle, wrapping their tiny limbs around his neck, sniffling loudly.
“Gusty, where’s daddy and Uncle Quinn?” Emira asked.
“I’m taking you to see Quinn in a minute,” he said.
August tucked them closer, looking to Logan and Niko for an answer as to why the girls were so scared.
“They were watching the game,” Logan murmured. The man was a sickly shade of white, and he looked on the verge of tears like the rest of them. “I don’t know how much was shown live, but it was enough for them to understand.”