Chapter 55 Alexis
ALEXIS
An incessant beeping noise rouses me. It’s so annoying.
I try to raise my hand to swat at whatever it is to make it stop, but my arm doesn’t want to move.
Trying to open my eyes feels like a feat of strength and I'm just too tired.
Scrunching my nose at the smell of cleaner sends excruciating pain through my face.
I whimper, pain coursing through my body.
Fuck…what happened? Someone squeezes my hand and I work harder to open my eyes.
“Lex. Lex, baby. I’m here.” Finn’s voice instantly calms my nerves. Finally, I flutter one eye open. The other isn’t cooperating. His face is inches from mine. I smile then cry out in pain at the movement.
“What.” My mouth is so dry and it hurts to move, even to speak. Swallowing, noting extreme pain with that too. “What happened?” I rasp.
Cradling my face so gently I could cry, he hesitates before answering. He swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing, working to control his emotions. “Jax.”
Just hearing his name brings everything back to me.
“Finn.” I clutch his hand, panic setting in.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I heard your scream but couldn’t find you.
” My words are spilling out in a jumble.
My throat is raw, my head feels like it was split open, and pain radiates over my whole face, but pure terror grips me at the thought of him being hurt.
“Shh, shhh, baby, calm down. I’m fine. I lost it when I saw him hurting you and I'm so sorry I didn’t get to you sooner. I am so, so sorry, Lex.” The hitch in his voice destroys me.
I run my thumb over his hands and jolt when I feel the torn skin. “Finn, your hands.” I turn my head and yelp in pain but won’t be deterred. “What happened to your hands?” His knuckles are split open with dried blood on them.
“That’s nothing, babe. I’m fine.” He tries to wave me off, but I’m not having any of that.
I’m ready to fight him on it when a doctor walks through the door with Marcee. I blink twice, sure my mind is playing tricks on me. Her face is red and blotchy like it gets when she’s been crying really hard. Before I can speak, the doctor comes over and begins checking my vitals.
“Welcome back, Alexis.” His smile is warm and I relax a little. Finn is clutching my hand like he’s afraid someone will take me from him. I squeeze his hand in return, trying to send all my love to him through my touch. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay,” I rasp again. “Thirsty.”
He eyes me dubiously. “I’ll send a nurse in with ice chips. But first, tell me the truth, on a scale from one to ten, one being totally normal, and ten excruciating pain, how would you rate your pain?”
My eyes water up, and I don’t even know why. His calm countenance puts me at ease, and Finn leans in close, giving me his silent support.
“My head does hurt…and my face…and my throat. The head is the worst by far, maybe an eight. The cheek is a close second, so seven. The throat hurts, but I can live with it, so five?” The doctor just nods, checking my eyes with a flashlight.
“Oh, and my left ankle hurts pretty bad too.” The doctor frowns then moves down the bed, lifting the blankets to examine my ankle.
“We’ve been focused on the neck, head, and face trauma. Now that you’re awake, we can get a fuller picture of injuries.” He prods my ankle and I wince at the pain it causes.
“Careful, doc.” Finn’s voice is firm, eyes worried. The doctor just nods but continues his inspection.
“I don’t think it is broken, dear, but I'm going to order an x-ray just to check. There's some swelling and discoloration appearing that wasn’t there when you came in. Again, we also were focused on the immediate injuries.”
“Is she going to be okay? What all is hurt?” Finn’s voice is tight with concern and my love for him grows more and more.
“Are you okay with discussing this in front of these people?” The doctor speaks to me, letting me know I’m in the driver's seat.
“Of course, they’re my family, they can hear anything you have to say.”
“Lexie!” Marcee squeaks behind the doctor, then full-on ugly cries.
We all just stare at her, confused by her reaction.
He hasn’t even said what’s wrong with me.
I cringe just thinking about how awful my face must look.
“Don’t mind me, go ahead, doctor.” She sounds pitiful but the doctor just shrugs, turning back to me and reading off my chart.
“You sustained a concussion along with multiple lacerations to your head and face. We removed the embedded glass, luckily none of the cuts on your face required stitches.” Finn growls next to me, the rage in his eyes palpable.
The doctor, like with Marcee, eyes him for a second before moving on, “The laceration to the back of your head was much larger, requiring eight stitches. The right side of your face took the brunt of the attack. You have a small zygomatic arch fracture in your cheek. Fortunately, the eye socket only sustained minor contusions and lacerations and should heal without issue. Once the swelling goes down, we will assess if there's any vision impairment. The injuries to your throat appear more superficial, with minor bruising and swelling. The rest of your body is likely to be sore as well, some superficial bruising on the back and left ribcage. None are severe or reason for concern at the moment, but you’ll feel them in the days to come”
Finn's hand shakes in mine. I turn my head to look at him, my face crumpling when I see the silent tears streaming down his face.
“Finn, baby. I’m going to be fine.” I press my hand to his cheek, loving the way he leans into it. When he covers my hand with his, I melt.
The doctor clears his throat, bringing our attention back to him.
“I’m almost done here. We want you to stay a few more hours, at least until we are sure you’re out of the woods with the head and throat injuries.
Now that you are awake and alert, we can prioritize pain management.
A nurse will be in to get a drip going, and someone will be by shortly to take you to get some x-rays.
No food until given permission, but water is fine.
Take it slowly at first. That throat will be very sore and the muscles might protest the use. ”
“Thank you, doctor.” He turns to leave and I remember Finn’s hand. “Wait,” I call out louder than I meant, causing my, well, everything to hurt. I wince, trying to hide the pain from my face, but I know I fail miserably.
“Yes?”
“Finn needs to be checked out too.” Everyone looks to Finn, who seems utterly confused as well.
“Dad, are you hurt, did Jax get to you too?” Marcee’s voice gets shrill and it feels like someone is crashing a cymbal in my ear. “Sorry,” she whispers at me.
“I’m fine, Lex.”
“Your hands are all messed up, Finn, you should get them looked at.” The doctor makes his way to Finn who huffs in annoyance at my insistence that he be checked. He pokes and prods the hand, moving it all around.
“You’ll be sore for a few days but nothing major. You should clean them up and cover the open wounds to avoid infection. Other than that, you’re fine.” With that, he smiles at me again and heads out into the hall.
“Well, that was humiliating, Lex.” Finn’s scold lacks heat and makes me laugh, which I instantly regret. A hiccup draws our attention back to Marcee who is now sobbing and gasping for air.
At Finn’s raised eyebrows, I ask, “How bad do I look?”
“Oh, Lexie, I'm so, so sorry. I said such horrible, hateful things to you…”
“You what?” I blink at the steel edge to Finn’s question, an edge I have never heard him use towards Marcee. “What did you say to her, Marcee?”
She draws a shuddering breath and looks at me. “You didn’t tell him?”
“Of course not, Marcee. I knew you didn’t really mean it, and there was no reason for him to hear it.”
“Well, someone better tell me something right now,” Finn barks looking ready to blow.
“Dad, uh, at Thanksgiving, I…”
Cutting her off, I tug at Finn’s hand. “Look at me, Finn.” Slowly, his eyes leave his daughter and focus on me. “The details of what was said are not important. She was understandably upset and said things; there was and still is no reason for it to go beyond that day.”
“Oh, Lexie, I don’t deserve you!”
Tears well in my own eyes as I reach for her hand. She takes it, squeezing gently before leaning in to hug me. “I love you, Lexie.” My throat is too clogged to respond, but I can see in her eyes that she knows. My heart feels ten times lighter knowing she and I will be okay.
Marcee leaves shortly after, promising to check in later. After an x-ray that confirmed only a sprained ankle, I was taken back to my room. If all goes well, they will release me after the evening rounds. I’m still sore, but the pain meds are a godsend, making it a dull throb now.
My eyes are so heavy and I fight to stay awake, but I know it's a losing battle. Finn looks exhausted. He likely has been up all night. “Hey, babe. Why don’t you head home too and get some rest?”
“Like hell am I leaving you here, baby. If you’re here, then I’m here.” His voice grows rough and his eyes turn glassy. My heart aches for this man as I imagine if this situation were reversed and he was the one hurt. It would kill me.
Instead of pushing him to leave, I scootch over in the bed and pat the spot next to me.
He eyes the monitors and tubes hooked up to me, but I turn pleading eyes on him and he gives in.
The bed shifts slightly as he crawls in beside me, wrapping me in his arms. A contented sigh leaves my lips.
I plan to tell him how grateful I am for his presence but sleep overtakes me before I can get a word out.
It feels like I blinked then I’m being poked and prodded again.
With an inelegant grunt, I open my eyes.
A new nurse is checking my vitals. Finn is still next to me and out cold with his mouth wide open breathing loudly.
I stifle a giggle and meet the nurse's eye who seems to be working to do the same.
“How are you feeling?” she whispers and I appreciate her consideration for Finn. I may be the patient, but I know the last day has taken its toll on him as well.
“Sore, but the pain levels are manageable." She nods, making notes in my chart before checking my vitals again.
“The doctor should be by in the next hour and then we’ll know if we can get you out of here.
Fingers crossed, there's nothing worse than hospital food for dinner.” She grimaces then looks to the door before leaning toward me and says in a conspiratorial whisper, “It’s meatloaf on the menu tonight and it is awful, dense as a brick and smells like wet dog food.
” Something beeps at her hip and she straightens before waving goodbye.
I add a little something extra to my prayer of getting out; the picture she painted of dinner instantly makes me nauseous.
Movement at my side draws my attention. Finn’s eyes are on me and warmth floods through my veins at the love and concern I find there.
And damn, it has me seeing our whole future together, and I want that future so much it hurts.