Chapter 42 #2
“Muscle relaxers, epinephrine, bond breaking illegal drugs, and more. God, that woman needs to be put down like a damn dog,” Dr. Walsh grumbles.
“Short term, I need to watch the kinds of medication I’ve been giving you.
I’m weaning you off of your pain meds earlier than I typically would because of this.
There’s only one type of bond breaking drug that’s legal that I know of, and that’s still earmarked for approval by the government.
The reason it was made was for terminal illnesses.
However, there was a laboratory found in the warehouse along with a factory manufacturing the concoctions Avery was making.
“They left in a hurry and Mr. Mayor confiscated and destroyed both drugs and the laboratory. We could see an influx of drugs hitting the streets soon, and Mr. Mayor said they’d do their best to shut it down.
As for the long term effects of the drugs she gave you, I’m giving you anti-nausea medication for any withdrawal symptoms, but that shouldn’t be an issue thankfully. ”
I have more than enough on my plate. Coming down again from drugs isn’t something I ever want to go through again.
“I think that the bond breaking medication didn’t work because you have an immunity to it, just like you’re immune to alpha barks.
Whatever your father was giving you fucked Avery over,” Dr. Walsh explains.
“I can’t prove this for sure, but I don’t need to when you lived through it.
It’s possible your blood will have antibodies that will transfer to your children if you choose to have any. ”
Holy shit. My lips part at that information, and then I think of something else. “Can I still have kids?” I ask. “They didn’t do anything to me that’ll affect that, right?”
“No. Your rapists didn’t use condoms, but that’s also part of the antibiotic protocol I’m giving you. There is nothing to indicate that you won’t be able to get pregnant if you wanted to,” he explains. “Of course, I wouldn’t suggest sexual activity for a little while.”
“We aren’t cavemen,” Nico grunts from the doorway. “We are able to control ourselves.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it, boy.” Dr. Walsh says, rolling his eyes.
“Do you know any good therapists and psychiatrists who may want a job in Michigan?” I ask. “We’re kind of working on a project.”
“You’re not moving, are you?” he asks.
“No, Savannah is our home now,” Nico answers for me.
“In that case, I may. I’ll pull together a list once I check my emails,” he replies. “I’ll see you soon, Rosa. You’re holding it together really well, okay? It may not feel like it, but you are.”
Nodding, I say goodbye and feel my energy begin to wane. Nico comes closer to me, his sharp gaze taking in my features.
“Are you hungry?” he asks slowly. I think he’s offering more to make sure I have the option than because I may actually want food. My appetite has been pretty spotty, so I’ve been drinking broth from a cup. I don’t really feel like chewing anything.
“No,” I admit.
“Rest your eyes, and then you can run up my credit cards,” he smirks, the amusement not quite making it to his eyes. Instead, there’s worry there. “I may have been eavesdropping.”
“I knew you were there,” Vero says, unfazed. “The credit cards will be there, Rosa. This house is massive, and it needs a woman’s touch.”
“Mmhmm. We’re epically lost without the two of you,” Nico says dramatically.
Their teasing lulls me back to sleep, and I blow out a breath as I let it.
* * *
PABLO
Dr. Walsh is in the bedroom with Rosa and he kicked everyone out for a video consultation with a plastic surgeon. He let us stay while he took her stitches out, and showed us why he’s leaving some of her cuts to heal without stitches.
Rosa let him poke and prod, and there’s no way it didn’t hurt, despite the pain medication. Outside of a pinching in the corner of her eyes, she didn’t make a sound.
My fingers twitch with anxiety as I wait, my patience quickly unraveling.
Verona slides her hand into mine and squeezes while we wait in the hallway, which is as far as he could chase us out.
Dario, Nico, and Ciro sit on the floor doing the Domino frown, which has been appearing more often since Rosa’s been recovering.
We all put up a great front for her, but we are all worried about her.
“This is good,” Nico mutters. “She’s taking steps to reclaim her life.”
“Rosa isn’t the type to waste away,” Verona admonishes. “She did everything to stay alive and keep our bonds alive. Even when she thought it was the end, her screams brought me to her. I hate knowing how much recovery it'll take after these bastards hurt her.”
Growls fill the hallway, and Dr. Walsh shuts the door firmly, as if to complain that we’re being too loud. Fuck, we probably were. It’s difficult for five people to keep the noise down.
“Oops,” Ciro whispers, making me roll my eyes at him. “Verona is right. Dr. Walsh also made therapy part of the condition for the surgery consultation.”
“I’ll give it to the good doctor. The man is sneaky,” Dario admits. “He pretty much moved in with us, but he knows how to get Rosa to do things we can’t. I don’t want to push her too much.”
“It didn’t go so well the last time I did,” Nico adds.
“She’s really bored,” Verona says. “Ultimately, that’s the fight we need to win, guys. Decorating the house isn’t going to last for long. She needs to do something.”
“Rise Up For Savannah needs help getting off the ground,” Nico muses. “Do you think that’s something she’d be interested in heading?”
“The issue will be convincing her she can, and even then, I don’t know that it’ll hold her attention completely once it’s up and running,” Verona sighs. “I know that may sound awful…”
“Rosalia likes a challenge,” Dario says. “I understand that completely. I’m constantly looking for new things to do. I think going back to school wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“It would help the non-profit organizations in both Savannah and Michigan if she wanted to pass the bar in both states,” Nico says. “Lyle also told me he thinks she’d make a great lawyer.”
“The girl can argue,” Ciro grins. “The future is ours, it’s just the present that’s a little rocky.”
“Speaking of that,” I say, taking a deep breath. “We’ve been discussing our security for the house, and Easton suggested that I reach out to Pack Alston about it.”
While we’ve seen them at meetings and they helped with Rosa’s search, they’re pretty quiet. As long as they can kill shit, they tend to be in from my limited experience.
“I didn’t know they ran a security company,” Verona says, laying her head on my shoulder.
None of us have been sleeping well. At night, each of us sneak into Rosa's bedroom while she’s sleeping and find a corner of the floor.
We all leave before she wakes up, not wanting her to know we’re completely lost without her.