Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
It was like someone had stabbed Gio in the heart. The back of his eyes stung, and he blinked away the tears. He looked at Jack, his heartbroken expression matching what Gio felt down to his soul.
“Hey, buddy,” Jack said quietly.
“Jack?” Sacha lolled his head toward Jack, but he wasn’t looking at Jack. It was as if he couldn’t see him. Something was wrong.
“I’m right here.” Jack frowned deeply. He waved a hand in front of Sacha’s face. “Can you see me?”
“Colors. Blurry,” Sacha muttered, closing his eyes, then forcing them open. “Where am I? Where’s Echo?”
“Take it easy. You’re in the hospital,” Jack replied.
“Head hurts.”
“Gio is here.”
Sacha’s brows drew together. “Who? Where’s Echo?”
Jack opened his mouth, but Gio placed a hand on his shoulder before turning to Sacha. “I’m sorry, love, but Echo is gone,” Gio said softly. “Has been for a long time now.”
Sacha shook his head. “No. Not true. Need to find her.” He tried to sit up, but Jack quickly stopped him.
“You were badly injured,” Jack said, trying to prevent Sacha from getting up. “Please, don’t fight me.”
Sacha flexed his fingers, slowly opening and closing his hands as if testing his mobility. They needed to get the nurse before Sacha did anything to hurt himself. Sacha moved his legs and tried to sit up again, only to have Jack hold him back, a hand to Sacha’s chest.
“Sacha,” Jack pleaded. “Stop.”
“I need to find her,” Sacha growled, balling his hands into fists. “Get the fuck off me!”
“What about Chip?” Gio asked. “Remember Chip?” An idea hit him, and he quickly grabbed his phone. He found the video he wanted, turned up the volume, and pressed play.
“Don’t you sass me,” Sacha argued in the video as Chip barked at him. “Do you hear this? I told you. If he keeps hanging out with Cocoa and Ace, he’s going to turn into a delinquent.”
Chip barked again and started talking in his doggy language.
“Excuse me? How dare you, sir! Don’t you run over to your dad. He’s not going to give you any bacon.”
“Well…” Gio’s laugh could be heard from the other side of the phone since he’d been the one recording the video.
“You shit! You already gave him bacon? Oh, you’re in trouble now.”
Sacha stilled. He closed his eyes, a shuddering breath escaping him.
“Gio,” he murmured. He opened his eyes, his brows furrowing, and extended a hand.
Gio gently took his hand and pressed it to his cheek, holding his breath as Sacha ran his thumb over Gio’s bottom lip.
A tear tracked down Sacha’s cheek. “I remember. We love each other, have a life together, with Chip and Cookie.” His bottom lip quivered, and Gio softly pulled him into his embrace.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
“It’s like…losing her all over again,” Sacha whispered against Gio’s chest.
“I know.” If he could take the pain from Sacha and make it his own, he would. Gio closed his eyes. “I was so scared.”
“I’m sorry.” With a sniff, Sacha pulled away and lay back, his eyes closed.
“I’ll go get the nurse,” Jack said, hurrying out of the room. He returned a short time later with the neurologist and her staff.
“Mr. Wilder, it’s good to have you back with us,” the doctor said as she approached the bed. “Though we hadn’t expected you to be quite so active. It usually takes patients much longer to regain consciousness.”
“Yeah, well, what can I say? I’m an anomaly,” Sacha grumbled.
The doctor chuckled. She removed her penlight from her front pocket and started to check his eyes.
“My vision’s blurry.”
“That should be temporary, but if it doesn’t improve in the next day or so, we’ll run some tests,” the doctor replied.
“Everyone’s body reacts differently. Given your medical history and background, and the fact that you tried to get out of bed shortly after waking up, I’m going to emphasize the importance of being patient. ” She gave him a pointed look.
“I can’t see your face, but I’m gonna assume you’re giving me a look.”
“You would be correct. Recovery is a gradual process. It could be days, weeks, or even months. You need to take it slow and allow your body the time it needs to heal. No running obstacle courses, no chasing after dogs, and certainly no carrying them on your shoulders.”
Sacha turned his head in Jack’s direction. “Really?”
“What?” Jack glowered at him. “She asked me what you did for a living.”
“I don’t carry dogs for a living,” Sacha told the doctor, and Gio tried his best not to laugh. Damn, Gio had missed him fiercely.
“But you do carry them.”
Sacha sighed. “I carry one. Mine. It’s fine. I did it for years.”
“Yeah, when you were in your twenties,” Jack muttered.
Sacha opened his mouth to reply, but the doctor quickly cut in.
“The first thing patients want to know is when they can go home. We’re going to keep you a day or two longer, get you eating again, walking, moving, monitor your vitals, and do an MRI.
” She went on to explain the recovery process and what it might look like for Sacha, once again emphasizing how important it was for him not to push himself too hard, too soon.
When she was done, she informed them she’d be back and for Sacha to rest. Once it was just the three of them again, Sacha held his hand out to Gio.
“I hope you’ve been taking care of yourself.”
Gio smiled softly. “You just woke up from a coma, and you’re worried about my health?”
“Of course I am,” Sacha said as he rubbed his eyes and blinked.
“How’s your vision?” Jack asked.
“A little better. What happened?”
Jack told Sacha everything they knew about what had happened to him as Sacha absently stroked Gio’s wrist. Gio jumped when Sacha grabbed his wrist and focused all his attention on Gio’s hospital bracelet. Sacha flicked it with his thumb before slipping his thumb underneath and around it.
“I thought I felt something. Why do you have a hospital wristband, Gio?”
“Because I didn’t have scissors to cut it off, and then I forgot about it. I was a little preoccupied.”
Sacha was not impressed by his answer. “What happened?”
Jack looked from Sacha to Gio and back. “I’m glad you’re awake,” he said. “I’m going to let the rest of our family know.”
“Thank you,” Gio replied, taking Sacha’s hand and lacing their fingers together. As soon as the door was closed, Sacha squeezed his hand.
“Tell me.”
Gio sighed. “I passed out when the paramedics arrived, and because my heart rate and blood pressure were erratic, they kept me for observation.” Before Sacha could reply, Gio spoke up.
“You were unconscious and bleeding out in front of me, and then I found out you’d also been kicked in the head, had brain swelling, and were in a coma.
I was terrified. You could have died.” He shook his head and pressed his lips together, trying his hardest to keep his emotions in check.
“Hey, breathe,” Sacha said gently. “Please. I’m having a tough time staying awake here, and I can’t have you passing out.”
“And I can’t have you dying!” Gio started pacing. “You could have died, Sacha. I was the one who was supposed to get shot. I was the target.”
“Stop.” The word was quiet, but in Sacha’s serious voice, the one he used when he wasn’t about to take someone’s nonsense, not even Gio’s. “Listen to me carefully. Are you listening?”
“Yes,” Gio murmured, perching his hip on the bed now that the railing was down.
“I am never, never not going to protect you, Gio. The rest of the guys are family, and I would take a bullet for any one of them, but you? You are my family, my person, and I have never loved anyone or anything the way I love you. So, I’m sorry I terrified you, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. ”
Gio let out a shaky breath. Arguing with Sacha was futile because he understood the point. Sacha held out his hand, and Gio took it. A frown came onto Sacha’s face as he shifted.
“What’s under my shoulder?”
Gio checked and laughed softly. “Leo brought his fishy friend for you. The one you got him in Winterhaven.” He moved it from where it had gotten stuck just behind Sacha’s shoulder and placed it on Sacha’s lap.
Sacha chuckled as he put a hand on the plushy fish. “I can’t with him. We need to make sure he gets it back. You know how much he loves the darn thing.”
“We will, but first, I’d really like to kiss you.”
“I’d like that,” Sacha replied, sounding groggy again.
Gio stood and kissed him. It was a brief, gentle kiss, but Gio cherished it. “I’ve missed you.”
“I want to go home to our bed,” Sacha muttered, his eyes closed. “Don’t like feeling out of it. Where’s my boy?”
“Now that you’re awake, the boys can visit. I’ll ask Laz to bring him and Cookie. Chip’s been very upset and hasn’t wanted to eat. He keeps howling. Your boy knows something isn’t right. He needs to see you.”
“My sweet boy. Wait. Cookie’s not with you?”
“He’s with Laz.”
Sacha grunted, a sound that made Gio ridiculously happy because he sounded like his Sacha.
“I know,” Gio replied. “But Jack’s been here the whole time, plus I’m already at the hospital, so you know….”
“Mhmm.”
“I love you so much,” Gio whispered.
“Love you too,” Sacha murmured. “My person, Gio.”
“Yes, and you’re mine.”
All Gio could think about was having Sacha home with him, in his arms. But having Sacha safe and awake was enough for now. Whatever came next, they would face it together.