Chapter 33
Thirty-Three
DECLAN
Living in a constant state of anxiety cannot be good for my health. Unable to rush to the bathroom for a quick stress vomit, I swallow it down and follow the guys down the quiet hallway.
Maybe while I'm here, I'll ask for a professional opinion on this disgusting stress response.
I'd rather Blue not know about it or experience it while she's with us.
Because make no mistake, she's not leaving our sides for the foreseeable future, and I see pretty fucking far. Like grey hair and rocking chairs far.
"Remember, be quiet. Dr. Morel will give you the rundown of her injuries if she has agreed to it." Ellis' reminder is necessary because if I'm ready to bust the door to her room down, then there's no telling what Felix might do.
I'm stuck, wondering why we need to be quiet or at least why it's so important, then I see her. Once my brother's broad back moves out of the way, our beautiful Blue comes into view, and, my God, it takes every morsel of strength not to fall to my knees.
A bandage is wrapped around her head, covering her eyebrows, which answers my question about being quiet. She must have a concussion. And other things...
Swallowing, I inch toward her while the others surround her bed. I barely register Felix going to his uncle and talking quietly, because I'm stuck on her. On my Blue.
I try really fucking hard to blur out the purple fingerprints on her neck, but they're already bright and glaring at me like it's my fault.
Why wasn't I protecting her? Every time she's needed us, we haven’t been there. How do we do better?
"Dec," my brother whispers. I feel his hand on my shoulder before I see him. He encourages me into a chair and stands beside me, both of us watching our woman rest.
"Is she in pain?" I ask without taking my eyes off her.
Jim steps into view, tapping away on the computer beside her bed. "She's on some pain medication, which is part of the reason she fell asleep so soon after waking up."
"Part of the reason?" Jared murmurs, staring at Blue's bandaged hand like he wants to hold it, but he's afraid of hurting her. I get it; I'm feeling the same way about just breathing near her.
Felix's uncle stops typing and turns to us with a serious look that makes dread pool in my empty stomach. He has all the answers, yet I'm feeling inclined to beg him to sugarcoat it.
"Blue hasn't given permission for me to share her medical information, but I will answer your question," he addresses Jared. "Vaguely, of course."
Roman scoffs, and I can't wait to get my brother alone so I can hear all about this mysterious Uncle Jim. What he did to make Roman, the chillest guy I know, act like...well...Felix.
Jim glances at Roman for a second before looking back down at Blue.
"She will need as much sleep as she can get to heal.
You can see some of her injuries, but there's also the matter of her mind.
I don't know exactly what happened to Ms. Bennett, but she might have some lasting struggles.
Sleeping, eating, staying hydrated, and maybe talking to someone about her traumatic experience are going to be very important for recovery. "
And there's that word; recovery.
Felix makes a noise, drawing my attention from Blue. He turns to face his uncle with a look of pure anguish and vulnerability. "Jim..."
"I know, son," Jim murmurs, and drags Felix in for a quick apologetic hug. "You guys can stay here. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but Ms. Bennett is my priority. She requested your presence, but didn't give me anything else."
Felix nods, crossing his arms over his chest. "We aren't leaving until she does."
"I figured. When she wakes, press this button here beside the bed. I'll see if I can get you a few more chairs and blankets. There are a few more pillows there on the couch."
We thank Jim as he makes his way out of the hospital room. Roman watches the doctor leave with a creased brow that still confuses me. There's obviously a bad story behind that look, but right now, he's taking care of Blue.
"I don't trust him," Roman blurts, sounding like a pouting teenager.
Felix grunts and glowers at his best friend. "Leave it, Rome."
"How the hell can I after the way he abandoned you?"
Felix stiffens as they square off over Blue's sleeping body. "Not right now," I hiss, standing and shoving Roman into the chair instead. "We're here for Blue, and Jim is her doctor. He's been kind and respectful not only with us, but with Blue's privacy. We're all exhausted. Leave it for now."
"Is it safe to enter, or are you going to keep growling and maybe sprout some claws?"
Inwardly, I groan, knowing the last thing we need is Ellis stirring the pot even more. While I can appreciate his humor and wit, I know Roman and Felix do not.
Felix stiffens and stomps toward the nurse. "Listen here you—"
"Felix!" I snap, annoyed with his fucking attitude. "Enough. Ellis." I sigh. "I love the jokes, I do, but read the room."
"Uh, Dec—" Jared starts, but I wave him off.
I'm not about to throw hands or anything, but someone needs to teach this guy some fucking manners. In a polite way, of course. "The woman we love is lying in a hospital bed. I'm asking you to think and be respectful because I can't guarantee my boyfriend won't punch you at some point."
Ellis pales and shifts on his feet before releasing a sigh that sounds really fucking heavy. "I'm sorry. Shit. I just—I forgot to leave my personal issues at the door tonight, I guess."
I raise a brow, and he drags his hand through his slicked-back ashy blond hair. The color comes back to his cheeks with a vengeance. "My girl ghosted me. Then blocked me. I thought…then I saw…never mind. Look, I really am sorry."
Fuck. Now I feel bad. How the hell did that happen?
Ellis glances at each of us, then checks his clipboard. "I just came to let you know a different nurse will be taking over for me."
"What? Why?" If Felix scared this poor guy away...
Ellis gives me a tired smile. "I'm off for the next week. Anyway, thank you for calling out my BS. Sometimes it's hard to rein in all the hurt, you know?"
Then he's just gone. Right out the door without a backward glance.
"What the fuck?" Roman mutters, staring at the door in confusion.
Something rustles behind me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My body knows what's happening before I do.
"I...g-get...it." Blue's raspy, broken voice wraps around me and pulls me right into her sleepy orbit.
"Blue!" we all gasp out, rushing to flutter our hands around her like a bunch of weirdos.
Her eyes are barely open, but I still notice her small flinch at the sound of our voices. Or maybe the fast movements, I don't know. Either way, I crouch, not wanting to scare her.
Unable to help myself, I wrap my warm hand around her frozen wrist as gently as I possibly can. I just need to feel close to her.
She wheezes, and I feel my eyes widen. "No more talking, pretty girl," I beg quietly. "Somebody press the button."
Blue doesn't move except for her eyes as she takes us all in. I'm not sure how much she can see with how dim the lighting is, and considering the fact that her eyes are only cracked.
"Sweetheart," Felix croaks, but doesn't say anything else.
Roman also kneels. Instead of staring at her like I am, he rests his forehead on her hip. He needs a moment.
Jared's petting her hair, but he's careful not to run his fingers through the snarled strands. They're caked with mud and dead weeds. I'm sure there are other things in there, but I ignore the blood.
Thankfully, Roman cleaned himself up in the sink of one of the bathrooms right when we got here. Blue seems to have been wiped down enough to tend to her wounds, but she definitely needs a good shower, then a hot bath for her aches.
I startle at the sound of the door closing, but Jim stays quiet and calm as he steps up to the foot of Blue's bed. "Ms. Bennett, you're awake."
She barely glances at the doctor, making me worry that she's falling asleep again. Jim must notice because he taps his pen on the bed rail. "You can sleep all you want in just a few minutes. I have water and a few other things coming to start soothing that throat of yours."
Jim glances around at us while thinking through his next words. He has a trauma victim lying in front of him. I'm glad he's talking slowly and keeping his tone gentle.
"Blue, you know these men?" She nods subtly, her face twisting into a slight grimace.
"Do you want them here?" Another sad nod, this one more obvious.
"Do I have your consent to talk about your injuries and what you'll need to heal with them here?
You'll need some help when I discharge you in a few days. "
Again, there's no hesitation when she nods. Her eyes even grow wider like she's surprised Jim would ask her that. "Y-yees," she wheezes, drawing the word out with a sigh. "P-please."
"Okay, honey," the older man acknowledges, face softening for Blue. "You just rest your voice. If you want to say something, you can type it or write it. I know your fingers must be sore, but we need to aggravate your throat as little as possible."
Metaphorically, I'm buckling myself in for the emotional torment we're about to experience. What happened to you, my Blue?