Chapter 18
Nolan
“ See, ” Demián haughtily chortles from the other side of the video chat, “ you should’ve just become a doctor if you were gonna play one anyway. ”
“ Really? ” Huffs Garcia from the kitchen chair he’s parked in. “ You wanna start that shit now, Dad? ”
“ Focus ,” I grouse at the same time I fold my arms across my chest.
He nods, removes his fingers, and announces, “His heart rate seems normal.”
“Temperature?” the actual doctor swiftly inquires.
“Normal.”
“Breathing?”
“ That’s what I’m concerned about,” states the man I don’t know how to fucking thank for saving my fiancé’s fucking life.
Seriously.
I don’t give a shit what he wants.
Money.
Maintenance.
To name our first fucking born.
Whatever.
And I don’t give a fuck what Kid has to say in this instance since without Garcia he’d be dead.
Part of me would be dead.
Our son would only have one father when he should have two.
“I’m fine,” hisses the stubborn pain in the ass beside me.
“They beat you within an inch of your life, Woods. You’re not fine.”
“You’re not a doctor.”
“No, but he is, remember?” Garcia bitterly bites on a point of his finger to his phone that’s being sloppily propped up against some random car mags.
Another hiss precedes him shifting in his seat. “We don’t need to be focused on me! We need to find Bunny! We need to find out where they took her!”
“Who took her?” cautiously investigates Demián.
“One nightmare at a time,” murmurs Garcia while shaking his head. “And this nightmare- ”
“I’m not a fucking nightmare!”
“Dealing with you right now certainly is.”
“Fuck you!”
“Fuck you, you ungrateful little shit! I just saved your fucking life!”
“I was fine!”
There’s no hesitation in me grabbing a fist full of his disheveled hair and yanking it back so that his glare meets mine.
“ You weren’t fuckin’ fine, Kipp. You were almost dead.
” I let the last word hang undeniably in the air until the faintest line of tears begins to rim his eyes.
“ I need you alive. ” Flashing him the engagement ring they left behind occurs next.
“ Our woman needs you alive. ” Noticeable trembling begins in his jaw.
“ Our son needs you alive. ” This time a single tear rolls down his grease stained face.
“ So, please, just put your pissiness in park and let Garcia do whatever he’s gotta do to help keep you that way. ”
A long lull passes before he nods.
“ Words, Kipp. ”
“ Yes, Sir. ”
The sexy yet sweet reminder prompts me to lean over, lovingly place my lips to his forehead, and briefly let my eyes shut.
How the fuck is this possible?
How the fuck did I go from having the whole world to all of it nearly being wiped out?
How the fuck did I go from my biggest problem being my nuts freezing off to my reasons for living almost being gone?
How the fuck did that mother cunt damn near take us all out of the race?
How did we not see that fucking coming?
How did we not see a flag waving?
How could I not have been more prepared?
Why the fuck hadn’t I done more?
How the fuck did I leave Kid so fucking open to be rearended?
Sideswiped?!
How could we let that shit happen to Rabbit after swearing to her we wouldn’t?!
How the fuck can we not know where she is?!
And how the fuck am I supposed to do any kind of thinking – fuck planning – with Kid possibly dying?!
When I finally pull back and open my eyes once again, he offers me a faint grin alongside a whispered, “ I’m okay, Nolan. Fresh off the lot promise. ”
“Can you just fuckin’ humor me then?” I release the hold and allow my fingers to lovingly run through his locks. “Let him check on those ribs?”
“What happened to his ribs?” quickly questions Demián. “Slip and fall? Doesn’t take much ice for that to happen.”
And unfortunately for us that shit is currently coming down with a vengeance.
Like Hell has actual scheduled plans to fucking freeze over.
“Pretty sure he’s got two that are cracked,” Garcia describes as Kid angles his face at the phone and I slip her ring back in my pocket, “maybe one and a half, but my bigger concern at the moment is if it punctured a lung. I know that’s the difference between pop and stop or stop and go.”
My head cocks to one side in tandem with me leaving my hand resting on Kid’s back. “Pop and stop?”
“Pop pain killers and stop regular activity,” Demián educates, “versus stop all activities and go to the ER.”
“ Which ,” Garcia forcefully interjects, “is fucking far and the roads are currently an injury lawyers wet dream, hence, why I’m trying to get a prelim examine done here.”
“And one that’s also off the books?” his father good naturedly goads.
“For legal reasons, I am not going to confirm that information.”
Demián lightly laughs and shakes his head. “I assume you do not have the stethoscope I got you as well as insisted you keep in your emergency vehicle medical bag?”
“ Sí. ”
“ Apuesto a que desearías haberlo hecho. ”
“ Dad, ” gripes his son out of frustration, “time is a bit of a fucking factor.”
He lifts a hand in surrender prior to stating, “You need to make one. Do you have a plastic funnel?”
“Of course,” leaves me. “What else?”
“Paper towel roll and duct tape and Woods needs to remove his shirt.”
“Naked Arts and Crafts time, Kid,” I playfully poke during my exiting. “Your favorite.”
Grumbles of unhappiness precede me promptly grabbing everything indicated.
Thankfully, getting the contraption taped together isn’t difficult; however, not laughing while Garcia arranges the questionable device on top of my fiancé’s bare chest definitely is.
At least until I see the deep bruises from where he was beat with a wrench.
How one spot looks to be protruding slightly more than the others.
I’ll kill ‘em.
I’ll kill ‘em all.
“Find his heart,” Demián calmly instructs, “once you confirm you can hear it beating and how fast it’s beating, that’ll verify your little elementary school STEM project is working and that we can move on.”
Minimal movement of the clunky object as well as his ear against it is followed by a thumbs up.
“Find the lungs. You’re gonna listen to two full respiratory cycles at the auscultation sites.”
“Huh?”
“The ribs spots on each side of his sternum,” his dad sighs in irritation. “Just start at the top of the lung on one side and then go lower. Then switch to the other side. We’re gonna do two rounds of this shit since you’re using DIY disparates .”
I relocate my hand to give the back of Kid’s neck another small soothing rub with my thumb. “And what’s he listenin’ for?”
“Anything abnormal. Wheezing. Crackling. Gurgling. All these indicate you need to hang up this phone and get him to a hospital.”
We nod our understanding.
“Woods,” calls out the doctor, “I’m going to need you to do something you’re gonna hate me for.”
“What’s that?”
“Take in a really fucking gran aliento .” He demonstrates the level of breath he wants to see. “Repeatedly.”
“ Fuckkkk, ” grumbles the injured male. “Okay. When?”
“Now.”
Kid sucks it in, entire body straining against the evident pain, but he doesn’t complain.
Or speak.
Or flinch.
Or quit.
He simply lets my other best friend move the device around and examine the territory for what I am praying like hell isn’t there.
Because he can’t go to the hospital.
Not right now.
No.
Right now, I need his ass where I can see him.
Where I can protect him.
Where I don’t have to wonder if this doctor or that doctor has been bought off or tampered with.
Or if this nurse or that nurse is secretly gonna pump him full of drugs to finish the job the mercs didn’t.
Rather than announce his findings on the more damaged side, Garcia merely moves to the opposite.
Cycles through the exploration.
Shuts his eyes and truly focuses on the task at hand.
When he’s finished – what feels like four heart failures later – he warmly nods his head. “All clear.”
“No sounds?”
“Everything seemed soft. Real low pitched. Oddly calming.”
“Was that…like…a…compliment?” the man I’m glad he saved confusedly questions. “Like a Pinto make compliment?”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Garcia snaps back in sync with lowering the device.
“Notable but sad,” I translate.
Demián doesn’t leave time for the conversation to veer further off course.
“Likely nothing was punctured, which is good; however, I do suggest continuing to steadily monitor the situation for at least the next twelve hours, every hour, to ensure there is no progression. If he starts getting a fever, coughing, or struggles to breathe, get him to a hospital. Understood?”
“ Sí. ”
“As for those broken ribs? Do not wrap them. Simply pop some anti-inflammatory, get some ice on it – use a towel for a soft barrier – do some deep breathing, and rest. No strenuous activity. No heavy lifting. No running or other quick movements. They’re gonna have to heal on their own and that’s what’s necessary for that to happen. ”
An unhappy snarl is all that leaves my pouty other half.
“Call again if you boys need anything else . ”
Warm sentiments are exchanged prior to Garcia hitting the end button and sighing, “At least we can count no punctured lung as a win, right?”
“You being here when you were to save his life was a fucking win too, Garcia,” I express at the same time I give the back of Kid’s neck a soothing stroke to prevent his temper from flaring a second time.
“That shit was just crazy luck.”
“That shit was just the Car Gods doin’ what they do best,” offers the man enjoying my touch. “Deployin’ safety measures when we need them the most.”
Confusion twitches itself on Garcia’s face, leaving me room to interrogate, “Again, fuckin’ grateful that you’re here…that you got here …but what the fuck brought you here in the first place?”
“Zero.” He carefully places down the makeshift tool on the table. “He was worried about his car and this weather, and I offered to bring it by the shop for you guys to look it over – thinking I had more time to get in and out before the storm hit – but clearly, I didn’t.”
“Yeah,” leaves me on an amused hum. “That’s just fucking crazy luck.”
“ Car Gods, man, ” insists Kid between winces. “ They’re watching out for us. ”
“Just not Rabbit?” makes it to the very tip of my tongue, only severed courtesy of the subtle headshake provided by Garcia who can hear the words despite them not physically escaping.
I get it.
I fucking get it.
What good does cursing the shit bringing him comfort do other than return him to his previous revved up state?
What good would putting him back there serve?
It doesn’t help us find Rabbit.
Fuck, it actually makes the shit ten times more difficult, because instead of devoting my attention, my focus, all my goddamn energy to her rescue – their rescue – I’d be shittily splitting it.
And I can’t afford to do that.
We can’t afford for me to do that.
“Let’s get you over to the couch,” I command to Kid as I help him to his feet. “Ice and pills next.”
“We need to be looking for Bunny,” he argues while winding an arm around me. “I told you. I’m fine.”
“And my ass is gonna keep it that way by gettin’ you some ice and pills.”
“ Nolan- ”
“ Kipp ,” the bite is forceful and felt, “ enough. ”
Like the petulant child he becomes when he doesn’t get his way, he attempts to pull back, prompting me to hold on tighter.
Tug him closer.
Wordlessly indicate that this isn’t a debate.
He’s getting taken care of.
End of the road.
Full circuit.
“I’ll grab the med stuff,” Garcia announces, body moving to retrieve it. “Ace, what can you tell us about Bunny’s abduction?”
“Not a lot.” Our slow, sluggish movements continue. “I got over to Posie’s place with Post before she even had a chance to call us.”
“Posie’s okay?” Kid immediately asks, hope swarming in his stare as much as his tone.
“Bit shook up ‘cause this is her first kidnappin’ experience outside of Netflix ,” the corner of my lip kicks upward, “other than that, she’s alright. No harm physically done.”
“That’s relatively good news,” Kid sighs upon the gentle lowering of his frame to the couch.
“Post insisted he’d drive her home. Go over her statement there. Keep us updated.”
“Did she hear anything? See anyone?” Garcia prods during his item collecting. “Was there anything left at the scene that could be considered useful?”
“There was a struggle in the bathroom-”
“Our girl put up a fight?!”
“Of course she did.” I inform after pointing a stern finger at my fiancé to stay put. “Have you ever known her not to?”
The comment receives a slight chuckle.
“Don’t laugh. You’re the same.”
This time it’s Garcia who snickers.
“The only item left behind was her engagement ring, which was discarded in the sink like an extra fuck you to us. As far as evidence regarding where she was taken? There wasn’t any.
And as for the how they escaped with her…
a woman – Cunt de Vil – was in the store earlier in the day complainin’ about a smell and forced Posie to prop the back door open for fresh air.
Post said it looked like somethin’ small had been wedged between the door and the frame to keep the shit from completely closin’, givin’ them an easy in and out whenever the opportunity came. ”
“Civilian posed recon, prep, distract, and attack.” Garcia offers the contents in his grip to the frowning mechanic in front of us. “Add that to the communication devices, exit strategy, as well as the capture failsafe devised, and you can guarantee they’re not your basic soldiers of fortune.”
Post dry swallowing the pills, Kid grumps, “ So? ”
“ So, ” his icepack dangling is denied, “Zero can do something with that information. Sure, they may encrypt their communication or idiotically believe their whereabouts or wheretos can’t be traced; however, it can.
Especially when there’s money involved. There’s very little in the world that Zero can’t trace. ”
“Why didn’t he see this coming?” Chomps Kid when I take the ice and drop down beside him. “ Why didn’t he warn us about her being here?! Why didn’t he know she was here?! And how long has she been here?! And where is she staying?! ”
“I don’t know.”
“ Find out, ” is attached to me placing the towel and ice combo on the injured area, “ now. ”