Chapter Seven Jay
Jay
Jay isn’t sure how long they lay there in the ER staff lounge, but no one bothers them and, in retrospect, it’s probably because Dennie scares them off. The nurse is Finn’s staunchest supporter. Riordan had once told Jay that Finn inspired real loyalty to his coworkers. Physicians as talented as Finn often knew they were hot shit, but Finn is humble and kind. He sincerely believes that from triage to discharge, patients are best cared for when the team is just that: a team.
Riordan had confided that he hoped Finn would someday be in a position to positively affect the administration of the hospital. Jay’s heart had swelled with pride. No one worked as hard as Finn had to succeed so early in life. Top of his classes at sixteen and always with the dream of helping others. It hadn’t been an easy eight years for him or the pack, but they all knew how badly Finn wanted to be a physician. He had considered a specialty early on, but had eventually decided that general medicine served his purpose best. He rotated through the departments, making strong connections to staff and patients.
Dennie is just one such connection, and Finn serves such steadfast loyalty.
Jay hadn’t been able to sleep, but Finn had passed right out, his perfect nose pressed hard into Jay’s throat. There will most likely be a welcome bruise, and it gives him time to think about what the fuck has got them here.
Nix.
It would be a dream come true if his mate wasn’t fighting for his life at the end of Riordan’s scalpel. He’d heard Riordan’s second, Ewan Campbell, paged about ninety minutes ago. Riordan’s mate is in orthopedics, and Jay tries very hard not to think about what Nix has endured to need Ewan’s special skills.
Thinking about it makes his rage boil. Finn shifts at the burning wood scent, and Jay is quick to rein it in and settle him again, “Shhh, baby. You’re okay.”
He remembered the first time he’d met Nix at the beach near their hometown in Clearwater, Florida. Jay had been seventeen and unpresented, but he’d known early on that he was destined to be an alpha. His father, a traditional alpha to the core, didn’t tolerate insubordination, and Jay’s hormones were already surging. The urge to challenge his father had been a constant battle, and he’d worked tirelessly to keep those chaotic impulses in check.
School had been a bright spot for him. He’d loved it and had been popular with both Were and human friends. Near the end of his junior year, he met Ivy Rena. She was funny, cute, and undeniably human. His parents weren’t thrilled, but he’d assured them she wasn’t his mate—so what did it matter if they dated casually? They’d been more like friends than anything romantic anyway. He’d enjoyed her company so much that when she invited him to join her family’s spring break vacation at the beach, he hadn’t thought twice about saying yes.
That vacation changed Jamie’s life—he’d been Jamie back then, not James like his father.
Ivy’s family rented a place at the beach every year, and Jamie had driven his rust-red, beat-up Corolla, surfboard in tow, expecting a week of waves and good food. But when Ivy’s younger brother opened the door, Jamie knew he’d met his mate. The beautiful, dark-haired freshman had been tanned and freckled, with a wide smile that lit up the world. From that very first moment, that smile had become the sun in Jamie’s sky.
After his initial shock, the vacation had proved the best he’d ever taken. Their attraction was completely mutual, but Jamie knew very well that his mate was only fourteen. Jamie respected the unspoken boundaries Nix’s age implied, but Ivy still gave him the “shovel talk” at the end of the week. Said her brother was in love and if Jamie did anything until Nix was eighteen, she would make him the sorriest he’d ever been.
So friends they were.
They’d spent the summer in arcades and movie theaters trying to stay cool, escaping to the beach on weekends where Jamie had tried to teach him to surf. But only as friends. It hadn’t been easy. Jamie was a healthy teenage boy and soon-to-be alpha on top of that; add in that Nix was gorgeous inside and out, and Jamie had spent lots of time swimming laps to work off some of that energy.
When they’d gone back to school again, Nix could be found sitting in the corner on a grungy bean bag chair while Jamie’s garage band rehearsed, or just as often, Jamie would show up at poetry readings where Nix would share unapologetically romantic odes to Jamie’s heart.
Jay still woke up with memories merged into dreams, where he made love to a grown-up version of Nix over and over. His heart breaking over and over again when he woke to find them just dreams.
The glass door to the staff room slides open, and Dennie’s somber face peeks in. The wall clock shows it’s been two hours since Leo left. Five, since Nix started the biggest fight of his twenty-four years of life.
“They’re almost done, but Austin is stable for the moment. Dr. Kennedy will meet you in the ICU lounge. Do you want to make your way up?”
Finn is awake in an instant, as doctors and nurses often are, and Jay helps him into a sitting position and offers him a bottle of water.
“Jay? Could you stop by the nurses’ station? We are officially assuming you are his next-of-kin—and I have some paperwork.”
“What? He must be in the system already,” Jay says incredulously, genuinely confused.
“If I may? Screw that. That boy is here because his former next-of-kin is useless. That’s why he’s hanging on by a thread. We sure as hell aren’t calling him. What we did do was call the police.”
White-hot rage turns his vision red because, for the first time in his entire life, Jay wants blood. Wants his teeth in another Were’s neck and his claws in his chest. That there’s nowhere for that rage to go makes Jay sick to his stomach, and his blood pounds in his head.
Instead, he holds it down, hauling his exhausted mate to his feet and collecting their shit so they can follow Dennie out of the room. A quick signature on Nix’s intake forms and a detailed list of all of their mates so that they could be let in as visitors, and then they were in the elevator heading to the fifth floor.
“Jay?” Finn’s whisper is loud in the quiet. “Where has he been all this time?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I’d like to know why we’ve thought he’s been d—gone for nine years. Why would your mother tell you that?” The anger obvious in the other alpha’s scent burns Jay’s nose. Even now, Jay can’t think about the day his mom had called to tell him that the Renas had all died in a car accident shortly after Jamie had left to make music as an intern at Ripley Records.
Shit. He would have to call their manager and let them know that Long Road Home was on hiatus indefinitely. The new album will have to wait because the pack comes first.
“I’d like to know that, too. But not today. I can’t.” Jay can’t deal with his mother while Nix fights for his life. The doors glide open, and Finn steps ahead, guiding them to the ICU lounge. Only two rooms on the floor are occupied, but in the room nearest them, there are active preparations taking place.
Finn pushes him into the waiting room, where his pack will gather ready to spend however long it takes Nix to heal. Jay has no intention of leaving Nix’s side—not until he can walk out of there and take him home.
As he settles into a chair, Jay is reminded of the call he still owes Leo. With a sigh, he pulls out his phone and dials, silently hoping the beta will handle the hardest part of breaking the news to their mates.
Leo Costas, steady and dependable, has always been their pillar of strength, and Jay feels a wave of gratitude for him.
“Jay?”
“He’s alive. He’s in intensive care, but he’s alive. We can’t see him yet, but yeah. He’s still here.” It’s scary to say it out loud. Jay hopes that they are a comfort to each other and maybe snuggled in their pack nest.
His relief is short-lived.
“Thank fuck. We’re on our way. We all want to be there for him. We’re coming.”
It’s not what Jay wanted for them, but he’ll focus on getting his hands on his mates and reassure his wolf that at least this part of his pack is safe, rather than his distress at the thought of them coming here to see their broken mate. Jay takes a seat across from the door so he can keep the staff elevator at the far end of the hall in sight. Finn perches on the very edge of the couch beside him.
“Hey, why don’t you freshen up? Splash some water on your face.” When Finn shakes his head, Jay brings out the big guns. “Luca is probably freaked out. Seeing you look so sad will no doubt make it worse.”
Finn glares but does as he’s told, and Jay looks around at what he’s sure some designer thinks is a “calming” waiting room. There are two long sofas in a soft blue pattern in an L-shape and a decent-sized television on the opposite wall. Add in a small coffee station and an apartment-sized fridge, too; it’s set up for families who might need to hunker down for a few days’ vigil.
Jay takes his turn in the restroom after Finn emerges, looking marginally better. The fluorescent light feels harsh as he washes his hands and splashes water on his face. Glancing up at the mirror, he catches sight of himself—wild, bloodshot eyes staring back, the weight of everything etched deeply into his features. He grips the sink for a moment, grounding himself, before heading back out.
The faint sound of commotion in the hallway catches his attention, and hope stirs in his chest. Maybe it’s Riordan with news of Nix’s recovery.
But it’s not the doctor—it’s his pack. The elevator doors are open and his pack is making their way toward the waiting room with Luca in the lead. He wastes no time in throwing himself straight into Finn’s waiting arms. Tears spill down his cheeks the moment they connect, and without hesitation, he sinks his teeth gently into Finn’s neck, his quiet sobs muffled against the alpha’s skin.
“It’s okay. Shhhh, baby.” Finn sits on the couch with the crying beta in his lap soothing him with a hand rubbing along his spine, ready to ease his mate, knowing Luca finds comfort in the instinctual behaviors of pack life.
Their youngest mate nearly bowls over Jay himself. Their baby alpha is not one for casual affection with his fellow alphas, especially since he is a newly presented enigma. His instinct to dominate and demand submission runs high, making it difficult for him to show affection outside of sex. Ruts can be especially difficult, and Jay has spent the last two of Rowan’s ruts with his teeth in the younger enigma’s neck. It just takes the smallest bite to help him remember who’s boss.
Jay isn’t upset by it. He’s honored by Rowan’s submission because where Leo and Luca submit partly because they crave it, his alphas do it because they choose it. Every single time. And that choice—like their trust in him as their leader—is as precious to Jay as their love. Everything he does, everything in his deeply blessed life, is driven by his need to keep earning it.
So, a hug like this means Rowan is feeling adrift. He needs the grounding of a confident pack alpha, so Jay grips the back of his neck and pulls him down into a kiss. Wet and messy, Jay forces his tongue into Rowan’s mouth with a growl. The young alpha responds immediately, opening his mouth wider, sucking on Jay’s tongue.
“Keep it SFW!” Grayson joins the hug, squeezing Rowan in between them and stealing a kiss from Jay when Rowan’s knees buckle.
“Hey, pretty. You okay?” Jay searches Grayson’s face. There are lines of stress around his full mouth, and his blue eyes are red-rimmed. Not that even these signs of grief could detract from a face that fits DaVinci’s Golden Ratio to perfection. Add to it a body that could be born from Aphrodite herself, and pretty is woefully understating it. Of course, Gray isn’t just beautiful on the outside.
“I’m all right. Glad we’re here together. Do we know anything?”
Jay releases Rowan into Grayson’s capable hold. He’s a bit scent-drunk and limp from the pseudo-scruffing. Grayson handles the big man easily as if the huge man weighs nothing at all.
Gideon takes Rowan’s place in arms, sinking his sharp teeth into Jay’s earlobe and licking his neck. It sends a hot frisson down his spine, which is not entirely appropriate given the current situation and location.
Jay flushes, because Gideon reserves his public displays of affection for Luca and Luca only, giving affection of every kind on demand for the needy beta. It’s the intense nature of their relationship. But, they have all experienced the reality that Gideon is a generous and creative lover, intuitive and dominating in their den. In their everyday life, however, he shows his love with acts of service and a generally grumpy attitude.
“Shut up. Are you complaining?” With a raised eyebrow, Jay shuts his mouth before he can ruin a good thing. “Good boy.”
Jay can only blush at the praise, and he wonders why he lets Gideon get away with it.
That’s when seven heads whip around toward the noise in the hallway. Finn beats them all to the door, effectively blocking anyone from entering the hall and inadvertently getting in the way. Several staff members are pushing a bed down the hall toward them and into the room to the right of the waiting area. An ICU nurse in blue surgical scrubs directs the somber processional.
On the bed is a small body. He’s intubated with a cast on his left arm, and the blankets cover what looks like a cast on his lower left leg. There’s a bandage covering the left side of his swollen, bruised face from the top of his head down over his eye and cheek. A brace is holding his head immobile, as well as a bag filled with reddish brown fluid hanging off the side. Jay realizes it’s urine; Nix’s organs were damaged enough that he’s literally pissing blood. The pack collectively holds their breath.
Jay struggles to see the boy he knew in the person on the gurney, but the feeling in his chest that Jay now realizes is Nix and has been forever, soars with joy. Nix is the piece of the puzzle he’s been missing all this time. Without warning, Jay is gasping and clutching his chest. Leo lowers him to the floor as he struggles to breathe past the painful relief in his heart.
“Can’t breathe,” he gasps. Nine years is a long time for his wolf to be missing his mate, and the relief is more than he can contain.
Finn holds Jay’s hand to his diaphragm. “Breathe with me, alpha. Come on, slow down. Breathe with me.”
Following the slow, exaggerated breaths, the black spots slowly disappear. Jay thinks it’s funny that all seven of them are sitting on the floor, half in and half out of the lounge doorway when Riordan arrives.
The older man is a close family friend and the pack alpha for his own pack of eight. Jay has often sought his counsel to be the best leader he can be. Ewan is with him, and both are still dressed in scrub gear, exhaustion lining their handsome faces.
“Jay, why am I not surprised to see you all sitting on the floor? Should I join you? I’m not sure I wouldn’t be stuck down there after today, but if that’s where Gideon says we’re doing it, I am absolutely not going to complain.” He looks to the alpha in question, who rolls his eyes.
They all clamber to their feet, and the air of tension grows exponentially. His pack finds seats on the couches, with Gideon remaining standing right behind Jay’s right shoulder and Leo to his left. Grayson takes Luca under his arm and grabs Rowan’s hand. Finn holds his hand out for the tablet, which undoubtedly contains Nix’s surgical records.
“I don’t think so, Finn. Sit your ass down. You’re off the clock right now, and I think it’s best if I…well, it’s not good, okay?” Finn looks like he’s going to grab the chart anyway, but Luca grabs his hand and pulls him down.
“Let him talk, Finn, so we can visit Nix.”
The surgeon nods, adjusting his surgical cap over his curly black hair. “What I’m going to say isn’t going to be pretty or easy to hear, so if you think it might be too much, you can run down to the cafeteria, and we’ll let you know when you can come back.” While no one actually says anything and no one makes for the door, the doctor waits a moment longer, making it very clear he means it. After what they just saw, Jay wouldn’t blame them. The dread is back, and he knows by the look on his friend’s face that this is going to be bad.
“We’ve accepted that Jay is the pack alpha of Austin Rena. The legal department accepted the change in next-of-kin, given the testimony of the attending and witnessed by the three nurses on staff. That’s important. The patient—”
“His name is Nix,” Luca insists.
“You’re right. I should start by saying that structurally, humans and Weres are almost identical, but the rate of healing, blood stores, and treatment modalities are unfamiliar to us for the most part. But we were able to get a hold of our emergency human liaison at Ascension, whose mate is a Were staff member here, and we obtained the blood we required as quickly as possible.”
“Nix has experienced a lot of trauma on top of being in very poor general health. I’m frankly surprised that he’s here at all. That’s a very strong-willed human.” Jay places his hand over that sore spot in his chest that hasn’t let up since he saw that small body wheeled into the next room.
“Just give it to us straight, please, Dan,” Grayson says. It’s what they’re all thinking.
“All right. Nix’s left side seems to have taken the brunt of the injuries. There are absolutely no defensive injuries, and we believe he must have been unconscious for most of the attack. Frankly, it would be a blessing. However, several recent injuries were not part of this attack, including two broken fingers, a torn rotator cuff, and minor lacerations. There are also numerous bite marks in various stages of healing on his back.”
Rowan gasps. Biting for a Were is an intimate thing, something that brings comfort or intense pleasure, something for mates or children only. Imagining his sweet Sunshine, held down and bitten just to make him suffer, has Jay filled with white-hot fury, quickly turning his pine scent into a forest fire.
He’s not the only one. Rowan has sunk the claws of both hands into the couch cushion in an effort to remain calm while Luca’s cries become quiet, hitching sobs.
Clearing his throat, Riordan continues, “His left leg has several fractures, two of which required Ewan’s expertise. The same applies to Nix’s left arm in multiple locations. Additionally, there were several broken ribs bilaterally and a punctured left lung. The spleen, left kidney, and upper intestine were damaged so much that we had to remove the spleen. Much of our surgical time was spent managing the intestinal perforation and kidney. That appears stable now, but we are monitoring for infection. Intestines are tricky.”
Jay looks to their resident medical expert to gauge how worried they need to be. It all sounds horrific, and the sight of Finn with his jaw clenched tells him it’s as bad as it gets.
“We also needed a Plastics consult. Nix’s face took a lot of repeated impacts. The bones surrounding his left eye and the cheekbone were pulverized. We’ve done the best we can right now, but he will need another set of surgeries to get back some of his original structure. The eye itself is damaged extensively, but we won’t know to what extent his vision is affected until he wakes up.”
Riordan pauses before continuing. “That leaves us with the brain injury. Scans reveal a significant brain bleed and extensive bruising. Neurology thinks they have it under control, but it’s this injury that causes us the most concern. We’re keeping him in a coma for the time being. It’s safest and will prevent any possibility of seizures. Between the brain injury and the bowel perforation, Nix coded four times.”
“So…you’re saying he’s alive for now, but that if he wakes up, he might have a permanent brain injury, physical pain for the rest of his life, and possibly be blind in one eye? And that’s if he survives the infection that will certainly occur in the next twenty-four hours.” Gideon has never been one to pull punches, either literally or figuratively.
“You’re right. Those are our biggest concerns right now. There is one other thing I must mention in my due diligence.” Riordan has looked stoic this whole time, but this last item has caused a bit of anger to slip past his professional demeanor. “Upon initial examination, we noted that it was necessary to do a rape kit. In doing so, it was readily apparent that this assault was not the first. Scarring indicates repeated—”
“Stop. Stop. Stop.” Grayson barely makes it to the trashcan before throwing up. Leo steps up close enough that Jay can feel his firm chest pressed into his back, offering much-needed support. Gideon’s growling has become so menacing that the betas cringe. With a roar, he’s out of the room and immediately disappears down the stairs.
“I’ll go,” Leo whispers, taking off after the alpha.
There’s a beat of silence.
“I’m so sorry. Jay…could you walk me out? I have a few things to talk to you about, and once the nurses are done, you can go in two at a time.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you both. I’m glad it was you.” Jay shakes his friend’s hand.
“Finn, can you…” Jay gestures to the others. Grayson is back on the couch after a brief visit to the bathroom to rinse his mouth, and Rowan is pushing water into his hand. Jay takes a minute to worry that Luca has exceeded his social battery capacity as his eyes are back to being glazed over and he’s reaching for Grayson’s other hand.
“Sure,” Finn says, then holds his hand out for the second time. “Please, Dan.”
“It’s not light reading even for you, Finn.”
“I am aware. I need to read it for myself.”
Riordan sighs but passes him the tablet, as Ewan leads the way out the door. The beta shares a speaking glance with his pack alpha. “Jay, I’ll be in and out to check Nix’s progress. Please know we are all pulling for him. Let us know if you need anything at all.”
“Thank you. We will.”
“Let’s walk this way.” Riordan leads the way to the stairwell, and they make their way silently up five floors to the roof. Using his all-access pass, the door opens with a beep, just as the sun is setting.
They’re not up here out of the way of prying ears for nothing.
“Okay, how bad is it? There’s something you couldn’t say in front of them. Just tell me.” Jay is instantly covered in a cold sweat.
“It’s bad. Just about as bad as it can be. If he lives through tonight, it’ll still be bad tomorrow. He’s on borrowed time.”
Jay feels any remaining hope drain away. “What? No. You said he was strong. He’s a fighter.”
“He is, and that’s why he’s still here so you can say goodbye.”
Jay can’t say goodbye when he hasn’t even said hello again. He needs more time. Jay sits on his ass, head on his knees. His pack is downstairs, so they can’t see him fall apart. So, he lets his fear and worry pour off him in waves.
“Dan, please.” He’s not above begging.
Riordan sighs and crouches down next to him. Puts a hand on his knee. “It would be different if he were a Were. It would fix all but the worst of the organ damage and give him a fighting chance. Were physiology resolves these injuries immediately. The broken bones, the damaged eye, the…internal scarring from the assaults…infections, none of it would be an issue. He’d be almost a ‘factory reset.’”
But Nix is a human, goes unsaid.
“So, what if we change him, then?” Finn’s suddenly on the roof, gripping the tablet, determination clear on his exhausted features. He’s breathing as if he’d run the entire way. It’s clear he knows everything Riordan left unsaid in front of the others.
“Finn, the laws are non-negotiable. A change must be consensual. They could disband the pack and take you from me.” As the offending pack alpha, Jay would be put to death. The laws were absolute. But he considers it. For a minute, he thinks it would be a risk worth taking.
For Nix.
Riordan stands up and retrieves his phone from his scrubs pants pocket. “Stop the self-sacrificing spiral, Jay. Finn, that’s the second time today I’ve seen you willing to break the big rules.” Jay thinks he sees understanding in Riordan’s face. The doctor loves and leads his pack, and it’s powerfully motivating to do anything for a mate, even if it means losing everything. “I do think you’re onto something, though.”
“Wait, what?” Jay gasps, staring at his friend, who can be even more of a stickler for rules than Finn.
“Hold your horses.” He takes his phone out and puts it to his ear. “Yes, hey, love. What do you know about pack law and Human-Were pact intersections regarding compassionate…” His voice fades out as he walks away.
Jay tunes him out, instead holding out his hand for his mate. Finn drops onto the roof, leaning in and pressing his nose into Jay’s throat with a sigh. Taking his deep breaths of Finn’s tart black currant scent, Jay looks at the fading sunset. He feels like it’s been a month instead of just hours since his small world has started spinning at the speed of light.
He’s had little to no time to think like he’s been reacting instead of acting, and now Riordan has added another life-altering decision to his plate. To force a change without consent onto someone is dishonorable and horrific, and Weres are taught the serious consequences of doing so. Every turning is deliberate and conducted under the strictest of conditions. It’s terrifying to think he could decide whether Nix has a chance at life.
And then he realizes it’s really not a hard decision at all: a chance at life is better than none at all.
“Will he even survive the change in the condition he is in? What if I just kill him sooner?” Jay’s voice breaks.
“It’s my fault, you know,” Finn says, his voice breaking, his scent heavy with guilt and sorrow. “He wouldn’t be here if I had just made him stay.”
“Finn. No. The only person to blame is the person who did this. Did this and so many other terrible things. You did the best you could at the moment. Valuing consent, taking your Oath to care for your patients, and respecting their choices are what make you such an amazing person and incredible doctor. Like I told you before, we don’t blame you , and Nix wouldn’t either. I’m sure he thought you were amazing.”
“He was happy, you know? He was hurt and still shining so brightly,” Finn whispers. Jay’s breath hitches to hear it said so plainly. “His smile made me want to be the best I could be. It’s such a cliche. Don’t tell Gideon or he’ll never let me live it down. I’m only sorry he didn’t let me be that for him.”
“Me too.”
Riordan strides over with a determined look on his face. He lends Jay and then Finn a hand up.
“We’ve got a plan. But we need to act fast,” Riordan says and hauls him to his feet. “Henry is on his way.”
Riordan’s mate Henry Kline is a Pack Law attorney at Leo’s father’s firm, which makes the plan much easier. They’ll petition Were Rights Courts to be filed with a motion of guardianship. It would make Jay Nix’s guardian, cementing Nix’s membership in the Rhodes pack, given he could not do so voluntarily.
It further enables Jay to make life-changing decisions without Nix’s explicit consent, a position that relies entirely on the testimony of Riordan and Dennie when Nix was brought in. That bloodied photo Nix had clutched in his hand even while fighting for his life was physical evidence that Nix had some intent to belong to Jay’s pack. It could be argued (and they will do exactly that) that he knew that the Were community existed, given the attack was perpetrated by a member of that same community, even though he absolutely had not. Records show that Nix was held against his will for a minimum of at least five years, based on his TenMed file.
His previous next-of-kin appeared on the Universal Were Registry and showed that Dawson Ulysses Haversham Hayes was a lone beta.
Henry formulates the documents in a meeting room on the sixth floor, and after examining them thoroughly, he takes the signed versions from Jay, watches as Riordan witnesses them, unsuccessfully dodges a laughing peck to his cheek from his alpha, and is gone with a nod. The young alpha is even more abrupt and prickly than Gideon, and only slightly less scary.
Jay is overflowing with a strange mix of fear, gratitude, and, worst of all, hope. Hope that the courts will work fast for once. Hope that they will decide in their favor. Hope that it will all be in time to save their Sunshine.
“Well, Jay, all we have to do now is keep your boy alive until we can get the judge to rule. Henry is confident, though. Now, let’s go get you some face time with our star patient.” They take the elevator this time and when it stops at the fifth floor, their friend offers no false reassurances, just a small smile as the doors slip shut after them.
When they arrive back in the waiting room, Gideon and Leo are back as well. Gideon’s hand is bandaged and there’s blood on both men’s t-shirts. Jay raises an eyebrow, but both men give him a reassuring nod, which is totally not concerning at all. Finn and he had agreed to wait until the court’s verdict to tell the others. No sense in getting their meager hopes up.
“We waited for you. We thought you should go in first. The nurse told us it’s two at a time for fifteen-minute intervals, but the rest of us can camp out here for as long as we like.”
Taking a deep breath, he says, “Thanks, Leo. I’ll go in by myself if that’s okay?”