Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Gio wasn’t discharged until the following afternoon. He was grateful to have his baby brother and his best friend by his side. He didn’t know how he would have stayed calm without their support. The wait had been excruciating, but finally, he was dressed and out of the room. He asked to see Sacha.
“We’ll be in the waiting area if you need us,” Laz said gently. “Jack is in the room with Joker.”
“Thank you. Can you look after Cookie?”
Laz frowned. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You just got discharged.”
“I’m in a hospital,” Gio replied gently. “I’ll be okay. Cookie, off duty.”
His baby brother wasn’t thrilled, but he nodded and bent down to remove Cookie’s vest. “Come on, Cookie.”
Since Cookie had been given the off-duty order, he went with Laz, though hesitantly.
His boy didn’t like being away from him.
Gio braced himself before opening the door to Sacha’s room and slipping inside.
He closed the door behind him and turned around.
It had been foolish of him to believe he was prepared to see Sacha hooked up to a ventilator.
At his strangled cry, Jack’s head shot up.
His hair was a mess from where he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly, his eyes were puffy and red, and they filled with tears when he saw Gio.
Neither man said a word, they just crossed the room and held onto each other and cried.
Jack was the first to collect himself and he encouraged Gio to sit in one of the two chairs beside the bed to continue their silent vigil.
It was all so surreal. How had they gone from teasing and laughing to this? Gio refused to watch any of the news footage from that night. He wasn’t ready to see Sacha getting shot in front of him and all the horror that followed. There was a good chance he’d never be able to watch it.
Exhaustion quickly overtook him, and eventually, Gio fell asleep. When he opened his eyes, he realized someone had covered him with a blanket. Most likely Jack, who still sat beside him, his head bowed, arms crossed over his chest, and eyes closed. As Gio sat up, Jack opened his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you,” Gio said.
“I wasn’t asleep,” Jack murmured, his gaze on Sacha.
“Any changes?”
Jack shook his head.
Gio stood and stretched. He rubbed his eyes and turned to Jack. “Would you be opposed to having him moved to a VIP room? I don’t plan on going anywhere until he’s awake, and a larger, more comfortable room would make it easier for our family.”
Jack shook his head. “No, of course not. That would be really great. Thanks.” He stood. “I’ll go ask one of the nurses. I’m sure someone can get you in touch with whoever’s in charge of those arrangements.”
“I appreciate it.” Gio sat and waited as Jack left.
This was why Gio had followed the path he had.
He might not have been able to ensure his father had the best care all those years ago, but now, he could provide for his family when they needed it most. Sacha would never endure the pain and suffering Gio’s father had.
Never. Not if Gio had anything to do with it.
A couple of hours later, Gio thanked the hospital administrator for his help with the transfer. A VIP room was available, and soon, the staff would be in to move Sacha. Jack chuckled softly, and Gio smiled.
“What?”
“I can picture his face at being told he was being moved to a fancy hospital room.”
Gio laughed softly. His grumpy Sacha would have looked very unimpressed and teased Gio mercilessly. “He’d say, ‘Well, aren’t we bougie?’”
“Remember that White Party Colton’s friend threw? The one with the scented toilet paper?”
Gio had to quickly cover his mouth so he didn’t bark out a laugh.
When he could control himself, he replied.
“Sacha went to the bathroom, and when he returned to the table, he was so quiet, I leaned in to ask him what the matter was, and Sacha replied—in a whisper the entire table heard—that his ass smelled like wood sage and sea salt, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. ”
Jack laughed, and Gio joined him, remembering that night and the startled expressions of the other guests around the table. They had no idea what to make of Sacha, and Gio had barely been able to hold back his laughter.
“And then right after,” Jack said with a snicker, “He whacked my arm and said, ‘Pass the dinner rolls.’”
Gio and Jack laughed before the room went quiet again, filled only with the beeps of hospital machines and the woosh of the ventilator. Jack closed his eyes, then opened them, a tear escaping.
“Tell me he’s going to be okay. If it comes from you, I’ll believe it.”
Gio swallowed hard, his voice quiet when he spoke. “Sacha is fighting with everything he has right now. I believe that down to my soul.”
Jack nodded, but he didn’t reply. It took a few hours, but the staff moved Sacha to one of the VIP hospital suites.
The VIP suite looked more like a hotel suite than a hospital room, except for the medical bed positioned across from the seating area.
There was a dining nook with a counter and a small refrigerator, as well as an en-suite bathroom.
It was spacious and private, which is what they needed once the family started visiting.
And although Cookie could technically stay with Gio, he needed daily exercise and regular potty breaks, so Gio decided it was best he stay with their family.
Now that Sacha was settled in the private suite, Gio had cleared it with the hospital administrator to allow someone to bring in Cookie and Chip for visits as soon as Sacha woke up.
Those visits couldn’t come soon enough. Chip needed to see his daddy.
He’d begun refusing his food, and his anxiety was causing him tummy troubles.
A short knock on the door was all the warning Gio had before Fitz, Red, and Laz walked in, bringing Gio one of Sacha’s large duffel bags packed with essentials for both him and Sacha.
He thanked them and placed the bag by the sleeper sofa, where Gio would be sleeping until Sacha regained consciousness.
Fitz carried a large shopping bag over to Sacha’s bedside, and his bottom lip quivered as he took out a big, soft, fluffy blanket to cover Sacha, then he turned and broke into tears.
Jack pulled him into his arms and gently rubbed his back in soothing circles.
It was difficult to see someone as lively and spirited as Sacha lying so still.
Laz and Red held each other, and although Laz was the one wiping away the wetness on his cheeks, heartbreak was written all over Red’s face.
Red put his hand on Sacha’s arm and closed his eyes.
Gio swallowed hard and sat on the loveseat, smiling softly when Laz came and sat beside him.
His baby brother didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to.
He let his head rest against Gio’s shoulder, and Gio sighed.
Sometimes he marveled at how he’d gone from a family of two—Colton and Laz—to the small army he had now.
They were far from perfect, and magnets for trouble and hijinks, but Gio was grateful for every one of them.
He had no idea how he would make it through this without them.
They had been one of the many gifts Sacha had brought with him into Gio’s life.
The Kings, Jack, and Sacha bickered and fought often, cursed and infuriated one another, and at times even came to physical blows, but the love they had for each other and their loved ones was fierce.
They had taught Gio the true meaning of family, of being there—not out of some misguided sense of duty, but because they wanted to be there, because they had chosen their family, and that bond was everything.