Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen
Johnny
When Davey called his boss at Apex, they immediately got a private plane to fly them home.
A hired car waited for them at the airport to drive them straight to the hospital.
It made everything faster than going through normal commercial channels.
No waiting. Almost no waiting. Johnny would have enjoyed it all except for the worry about Uncle Gary.
He’d been more of a dad to him than his jackass father ever had, and he’d been a positive role model for Pilot as well.
Even though Pilot’s family never abandoned him, they could be real dickheads.
Johnny wanted to kill them most of the time, but growing up, Pilot took refuge from them with Johnny at Uncle Gary’s house and his business, Trident Security.
That’s how they’d become involved at Trident to begin with.
At the hospital, Johnny checked in but was told to wait for a bit. He turned his phone off after seeing a message from Gavin. He couldn’t even read it right now. It would wait—everything would wait.
“Johnny, you know I love you, right?” Pilot asked.
“Of course.” How he’d longed for those words to mean the romantic kind of love, but at the moment, it didn’t bother him at all. He didn’t care. It didn’t matter.
“I’m gonna come out and ask this. We’re always straight with each other. So why are you being shitty to Gavin and shutting him out? I thought you two were more—"
“I’m not. Gavin has his own stuff to do, just like your guys do. I don’t see them here.”
“Uh...seriously? My guys are flying in on that private jet we just got off as soon as the Main Events are over. I took their damn luggage, so they won’t even be able to change before they’re on their way. I need them here. They’re coming.”
“I need you here. That’s all.”
Pilot hugged him and kissed his forehead. “I’m here. Always, man, but I think you need Gavin too.”
He didn’t answer. He took the comfort Pilot gave him, knowing it had to be enough.
Finally, they let him in to see his uncle.
He was only semiconscious. The doctor said he needed his rest more than anything.
They scheduled an operation for the next morning.
They’d already done extensive tests and given him medications.
He was doing well, but they needed to do a cardiac catheterization and possibly a stent.
Johnny only understood about half of what the doctor said, despite trying to concentrate on it.
He got the basics. Heart attack, tests, drugs, operation. Then Uncle Gary would be better, but recovery would take time. Johnny had nothing but time.
He watched Gary, lying in bed. His skin looked a bit gray, but that could have been the lighting. He couldn’t lose his uncle. He wasn’t ready for that. He’d never be ready for that. He took Gary’s hand and squeezed. “I love you. Get better.”
Gary mumbled something unintelligible. Johnny needed to let the man rest.
With a deep sigh, Johnny left his uncle. He walked along the stark hall that smelled like antiseptic, heading back to the waiting room. His eyes immediately scoped out Pilot, and Gavin sat there next to him.