Chapter Twenty-Two
Dex
“Baby, can we talk?”
I’d managed to distract Otto from the earlier conversation by bringing Mortal Engines out when we were done eating, but now Otto’s voice sounded pensive.
I stuck my finger in the book to mark our spot and wiggled far enough from Otto’s side that I could see his face.
That took some doing in the cramped space of the hospital bed.
“Sure. What about?”
“I know the doc doesn’t want me to be upset,” Otto rolled his eyes, “but I feel like things aren’t right between us.”
“Um, you do?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” I asked hesitantly, not sure I wanted the answer.
“A few reasons,” Otto said quietly, reaching over to take my left hand and stroking his fingertip down the length. “For starters, you’re not wearing a ring.”
Oh, hell.
“Uh, no. I, um, don’t, um, wear a ring.”
“Why not?”
Well, shit. I really should have phrased that differently. I was floundering for a response when a knock came at the door. Otto cursed under his breath at the interruption, but I quickly called out for the visitor to enter.
“Otto! Man, good to see you awake.” Myke was his usual cheerful self as he dragged a chair from the corner and spun it around, straddling the seat and resting his arms on the back. “You know who I am?”
Otto nodded. “Kravets.”
Myke grinned. “That’s right. A lot happened while you were catching up on your beauty sleep. Can I have a few minutes of your time?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Dex? We’ll need some privacy, please.”
“Oh, of course!” I jumped out of the bed, catching my foot in the blanket. I would have tumbled to the floor, but Myke was up in an instant, catching my shoulders and helping me balance. “Thanks.”
Myke chuckled. “You know I’m happy to catch you any time, kiddo.”
I rolled my eyes and huffed. “It’s bad enough my dads call me that,” I groused. “Not you, too.”
Myke laughed again and patted my cheek. “Whatever you say. Clark is down in the lobby. He wanted to take you to get some coffee while I chat with our buddy here.”
“Okay.” I started when a growl came from the bed. “You don’t mind?” I asked Otto.
“No, of course not.” Otto’s words were fine, but they came through gritted teeth. “Will you come back?”
“Um, if you want me to, yeah.”
“I want you to, baby,” Otto said softly. “I always want you with me.”
Knowing that that wasn’t really true, I had to swallow a lump in my throat as I forced a smile. “Then I’ll be back after a bit. Do you want me to bring you anything?”
“Just yourself,” Otto said with a small smile, “and maybe some answers to those questions we keep getting interrupted during.”
“Oh, um, I’ll try.” The lump was back and this time swallowing wasn’t helping. “But no food?”
Otto shook his head. “Naw. The hospital food is fine.” He laughed. “Better than prison food was, anyway.”
That was Otto's first reference to anything in his past and it left me wondering if his memories were starting to return. My stomach lurched at the thought and my cheeks tightened with the effort of keeping the smile in place.
“Better hurry, Dex, or your dad might think I forgot to tell you he was waiting,” Myke prodded.
“Yeah, of course. Thanks, Myke.” I bolted for the door. “See you later, Otto.”
The last thing I heard as the door swung closed behind me was Otto’s confused voice calling out that he loved me.
I was so absolutely fucked.
~*~
Otto
When the door closed behind Dex, I shifted on the bed to sit upright, leaning against the odd metal headboard.
“You need anything?”
I shook my head and studied him. I was pretty sure I didn’t know the other Alpha but something in my gut told me that I knew him at least a little bit, I just didn’t know how or from where.
“Okay,” Kravets seemed friendly enough, open and non-aggressive but the bear snarling in the back of my mind assured me that I didn’t like him.
“I don’t like you,” I blurted out, huffing in annoyance at myself. “Sorry. I..”
Kravets laughed and shrugged it off. “Well, last time we saw each other you thought I was hitting on Dex, so, yeah, that tracks.”
Okay, that was one mystery down.
“You weren’t, though?” I asked, raising a brow.
Kravets shook his head. “Naw. He was in a bar by himself. Some guy was hassling him, so I hung out as pest control. Then you came in and got all pissy about us being together, yada yada.”
Okay, why the hell would my husband be in a bar alone? I flashed back to Dex’s bare finger and a knot formed in my stomach. “When was that?”
“A few weeks ago, I guess? Maybe a month and a half? I’d have to think about it.”
“I see.” I totally didn’t see but I wasn’t sure what to say. “Why did you want to see me?”
Kravets gave me another friendly smile and launched into an explanation of how the court had ordered him appointed as a guardian since I didn’t have any next of kin and was unable to make my own decisions while I was in a coma.
“Wait,” I interrupted. “My husband isn’t my next of kin?”
Kravets cleared his throat. “You mean Dexter?”
I nodded.
“You and Dexter aren’t married,” Kravets said quietly. “I assume you remember from ABO biology class in school that an Omega who is sick or injured can sometimes heal faster if they are in the presence of an Alpha?”
I nodded again.
“It works the same for Alphas,” Kravets said with a shrug.
“One of the nurses noticed an increase in your brain activity when Dexter was in the room, so the doctor suggested that he spend as much time as possible with you to aid in your healing and Dexter agreed. Who told you that you were married?”
I tried to find the answer but all I could remember was a conversation I heard while I was floating in the darkness. “I’m not sure. Maybe nobody.” I closed my eyes in concentration and finally reopened them, shaking my head. “I think I just heard a nurse refer to me as Dex’s husband.”
“That makes sense,” Kravets agreed. “There wasn’t any reason to clarify the relationship with everyone on the staff.”
Which probably explained why Dex was being so weird about us.
“Well, crap. I guess that means the baby isn’t mine and I’ve probably made Dex pretty uncomfortable, then.” I rubbed my eyes. “Fuck.”
Kravets gave a half shrug. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s as big of a deal as you think. After all, he didn’t have to stay in bed with you after you woke up, did he?”
“The doctor didn’t want me upset.”
Kravets rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, let’s worry about that if the sexual harassment paperwork is served.
In the meantime, we need to talk about the memory recovery therapy that the doctors are recommending.
Then, we need to discuss getting you released from my guardianship.
” He snickered. “I mean, you’re great but I never really planned on my first kid being six months older than I am. ”
I laughed despite the confused thoughts swirling in my brain. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“Okay. Now, to start with, I’d like you to consider drawing up a medical power of attorney. That way, you choose who helps make your medical decisions going forward and get control back while you’re able. Do you have someone you would be comfortable with? If not, I’m happy to do it.”
“Um, I probably could come up with someone if I had a little while to think on it.”
“That works,” Kravets agreed. “Next, the doctors have assessed your recovery and they don’t think there is any residual long-term damage to your brain. They want to try memory association therapy to try and recover your missing memory.”
“Oh, okay. How does that work?”
Kravets pulled a square of folded paper from his pocket and read it to me, pausing after each point to be sure I understood it.
“So, basically they want to show me pictures and tell me stories to see if I remember them? When do they want to start?”
“More or less,” Kravets agreed. “If you’re up for it, the therapist can get you in this afternoon. If the assessment goes well, they might be able to release you tomorrow.”
“Perfect,” I said with a sigh. “Let’s get it done.”