Chapter 38
Thirty-Eight
Axel
“Wake the fuck up,” Jo growled as I felt someone pressing hard against my side. Numerous sets of hands were on my body as pain radiated through me. My eyes fluttered open, everything blurry as I struggled to wake up.
“Charlie,” I whispered, my throat so dry that the words felt impossible to get out. Images of the man walking in raced through my mind as I worried about Charlie and the baby. Where were they? Were they okay? Had Jo gotten there in time to save them?
“Thank fuck,” Jo said with a sigh as she leaned in front of me and studied my face. “You scared the shit out of me. What the fuck happened?”
“Charlie,” I repeated as I attempted to sit up before strong hands pushed me back down.
“You need to stay still,” Dr. Foster said sternly as I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my side. “I’m almost done stitching you up and don’t want to mess up.”
I closed my eyes, my body feeling too weak to stay awake.
“His vitals are improving,” Jo confirmed, likely to Dr. Foster than to me, but I took the information as a win either way.
It was irritating me that they were so focused on me and my health when all I wanted to know was whether Charlie and Molly were okay. It was killing me every second that dragged on without an answer.
“Charlie,” I said for the third time, forcing my eyes to stay open as I pinned Jo with a look. I knew she could hear the irritation in my voice, but I didn’t care. She was keeping something from me, given how she refused to look me in the eye.
She shook her head, and I felt my heart sink as a breath rushed out of me.
“I got here as soon as I could, but they were already gone,” she said sadly.
My lip quivered as I felt the tears sting my eyes.
The pain of losing Charlie and Molly hurt more than anything I had ever been through in my life.