Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
R am almost stepped forward to keep Kade’s father from getting too close to him when Waya stepped in.
“Enough Coyote. He is our son whether you like it or not. I don’t care who he loves as long as he’s happy,” she barked at her husband, making him sit back down, before she looked towards Kade.
“Your apologies are a little too late Mother, you’ve done too much damage.” Kade assured her before she could speak.
She swallowed hard. “I understand. The one good thing about being here is we’re clean, and we’re paying for all the sins we’ve committed. Can you just tell me if you’re happy?”
“Yes and no,” Kade told her. He wouldn’t lie, she would get it all from him. “After you were arrested I joined the military and found a family I’m very proud of. I was captured and tortured for almost two years before I was rescued. I was blinded before I was saved. I came home and started a business with the brothers I served with, and continued to search for the brothers you tossed out like they meant nothing. I’m still recovering from being a POW, but I’m happy with my family. I’m happy with Ram.” He patted Ram’s arm. “But I am still dealing with all you two and my time in the military have caused.”
Ram could see Kade was reaching his limit, and he placed a reassuring hand on his back.
“I only came here, because Siren deserves to be remembered so she can live on in us, but you deserve to live here and never see us again. You can live with your actions for the rest of your time on this earth and when you’re gone I hope whatever God exists makes you suffer for eternity, because that, Mother and Father, is what you deserve,” Kade said, trying his best to stay in control of his emotions, but seeing them again after all this time and what all they had put him through it was hard not to give in and let the anger win.
“Can I please write to you?”
Kade was honestly shocked by his mothers words. “You do realize I’m blind, I can’t read them.”
Waya licked her lips nervously as she studied her son and his partner. Her Mercy had grown into a powerful warrior and she was so pleased to see he’d made a life for himself after everything. She knew he didn’t owe her anything but she really hoped he would give her the chance to at least be a small part of his life. “Seeing the way your man looks at you I don’t think he would mind reading them to you,” she said softly, meeting Ram’s eyes. She gave him a weak smile when he nodded at her in encouragement. “You don’t have to respond, I would just like to tell you everything I wish I could have back then.”
Kade was quiet for a moment as he thought. “Okay.” Was all he could say as he headed towards the door they came in through. He was glad his parents didn’t say anything else, he was barely hanging on as it was and he would lose his shit if they tried to make excuses.
Ram followed behind Kade making sure not to touch him, but allowing Kade to know he was there with him.
“Back again, I see.” A new guard smirked at Kade as they headed to the front to be checked out and to grab their things.
Ram figured by the way the guy was leering at Kade that this was the guard that gave him shit anytime he came in.
Kade didn’t bother responding and just dressed Valk back in his vest and grabbed his keys and wallet.
Ram followed suit barely sparing the man a glance, but as he moved to step in front of Kade, Ram stood to his full height and met the man’s eyes unflinching. He got sick satisfaction out of seeing the man’s eyes widen as he backed up.
“See you next time,” the guard huffed.
“Yes you will,” Ram assured him, he wouldn’t be letting Kade return here by himself for anything. Once they were loaded up in the truck Ram took off, deciding to take the back roads so they could enjoy the peaceful drive and not hit any traffic on the way home. He threw a glance at Kade every few seconds, just to keep an eye out. Kade was unusually quiet and that was saying something as the man was always on the quiet side, but he couldn’t even be sure Kade was breathing with how still he was. “Baby,” he said, softly reaching out to touch Kade’s cheek.
Kade’s breath hitched as he lost control of his emotions.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Ram assured him, gripping the back of his neck roughly to ground him as he tried to find a place to pull over. He jerked the wheel and sent the truck deep into brush before putting it in park and pulling Kade into his lap. His breathing was short and fast, and if he didn’t calm Kade down soon he’d throw himself into a full blown panic attack. He rubbed Kade’s back, his arms and anything else he could get his hands on but nothing seemed to help. Kade was making this god awful choked off wailing noise like he was trying to shove his emotions back inside but they were so big they were coming out anyway. He threw open the driver’s side door and got them both out of the truck.
Kade paced away from Ram as he tried to suck in a deep breath, plucking at his shirt because everything felt too tight, his clothes, his skin. He couldn’t breath and as he continued to fight it. Things got worse, he started to feel light-headed, and his chest felt like it was being stepped on by an elephant. That was until he was surrounded by thick powerful arms that yanked him into a strong chest.
“Deep breaths for me, baby,” Ram murmured in Kade’s ear as he nuzzled his face against Kade’s neck. “You’re safe, I’m right here. Batty won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”
Kade made a noise of disgust through his labored breathing. “I’m never calling you Batty again, Saint ruined that.”
Ram blinked in confusion, before he chuckled. “I’m almost afraid to ask.” He rubbed Kade’s back with the heel of his hand, to help ease him down from the panic attack.
“He made me watch FernGully,” Kade grumbled into Ram’s neck.
Ram laughed so hard he was afraid he would give Kade a concussion with the way his head was bouncing around on his chest. “Yo the name is Batty, the logic is erratic.”
“Potato in a jacket. Yeah, yeah.” Kade rolled his eyes as Ram continued to laugh. “I’ll have to come up with another name for you.”
Ram chuckled. “I can’t wait to hear what you come up with.” He gently kissed Kade’s pouty lips. “Let’s get home and get some lunch then we can rest for a bit before we have to go see Justice.”
Kade sighed deeply, and slumped back into Ram. “If you insist.”
Ram helped his boy back into the truck and helped him recline his seat far enough that Valk could lay his head on Kade’s shoulder. “Try to get some sleep, okay baby. I’ll wake you when we get home.”
“Can we stop for burgers?” Kade mumbled sleepily.
Ram smiled, it had been a bit since he’d had the pleasure of speaking with his Little Britches. “Yeah baby, I’ll get you a burger.”
Kade smacked his lips as he settled back in his seat and closed his eyes. “Thanks Daddy.”
Ram’s heart skipped a beat. God help him. When his boy pulled out that sweet soft voice he was completely whipped and he wouldn’t change a damn thing about it. He slowed down going the exact speed limit so he could give Kade a little longer to sleep, his boy needed it no matter how much he didn’t like it. He let Kade sleep even as he stopped to pick up burgers and only when he pulled back into Kade’s apartment parking lot did he reach over and gently brush a lock of Kade’s hair off his forehead. “Hey baby, wake up. We’re home.”
Kade came awake slowly, it was like his mind refused to release him from sleep. He could smell the scent of seared meat and the mouth watering aroma of freshly made French fries, and he felt his stomach give a painful rumble.
Ram caught Kade’s hand when his arm flailed as he tried and failed to get his body to work. “Easy baby, just take your time, the food’s not going anywhere.”
“Wanna get up,” Kade mumbled.
“I know baby, but you’ve got to give your body enough time to follow your brain.” Ram really needed to talk to Doc about these episodes where Kade essentially lost control of his body. It freaked him out and he couldn’t even begin to think how Kade felt. He’d be terrified if one day he woke up and was able-minded but unable to move his body of his own accord. He gently stroked the back of Kade’s hand with the pad of his thumb as he waited for Kade to regain control.
“I want my burger.”
Ram chuckled. “Alright, baby. Let’s go inside and you can eat your burger.” He jumped out first and rushed to Kade’s side to help him just in case he still hadn’t regained use of his legs. “Here.” He handed Kade the bag of food and smiled as his boy basically waddled to the door, his face stuck in the bag as he breathed in the aroma of the heart attack in a delicious slab of meat. He settled Kade in front of the TV and turned on Scooby-Doo, his boy loved to listen to anything with the crazy pooch in it, while he set about unwrapping their burgers. He enjoyed his food while he watched Kade eat his food and laugh at the TV. “Alright, baby. Why don’t we go take a little nap, then we can go see Justice.”
Kade’s brows furrowed. “I just woke up.”
Ram smothered his laughter behind a cough. “I know, but I can see you’re still tired, and I know I could use a nap and I would love to have my boy with me.”
Kade brightened at that. “Okay.” He got up and tossed his trash before he followed behind Ram, yawning so big his jaw popped.
Ram chuckled. His boy was fighting sleep so hard, and he could understand why. Every time Kade fell asleep he ended up seeing things he didn’t want to relive and he only hoped that his presence would help him dream of better things. He crawled in bed behind Kade who was already sprawled out getting himself comfortable. Ram settled on his back and grinned when Kade wrapped around him like a baby koala. “Sleep tight, baby,” he said through his laughter then yelped when Kade pinched his nipple in retaliation.
“You’ll pay for this… as soon as I wake up,” Kade threatened before snoring softly.
Ram tried his best to hold in his laughter he really did, but thank God Kade was a heavy sleeper because the man was just too damn cute, threatening him like he wouldn’t enjoy anything Kade had to throw at him. He wasn’t very tired and he was still too wired from earlier to fall asleep but he enjoyed the feeling of Kade’s heavy body against his. He patted the bed on the other side of him when he saw Valk stick his big head through the door to check on them. “Got room for one more.” He assured the dog who happily jumped up and snuggled into his shoulder. He held Kade while he slept for a couple hours before he gently eased away and got out of bed. He wanted to check in with Alejandro and see if he was doing okay.
“Bianchi.”
“Hey, you doing okay?” Ram asked, cutting straight to the point.
“Hold on.”
Ram could hear muffled voices in the background as he waited for Ali to come back on the line.
“Yes, I’m fine. Were you worried?” Ali teased.
Ram snorted. “Why yes, Alejandro, I was a little worried and wanted to check in to make sure things went okay between you and Ronin after I left.”
Ali sighed deeply. “Yeah things are good. He was a perfect gentleman. I can’t believe you took me to a fucking cop though Ram, that was fucking ballsy.”
Ram cringed. “Yeah, not my brightest idea but in my defense it completely slipped my mind, he works with me at the club so I don’t tend to think of him as a cop.”
Ali grunted in reply.
“Did it at least help you any?” Ram asked, hoping it had. He would never feel guilty for being with Kade but he did feel a little bad that he was leaving Ali basically hanging in the wind. He heard the deep sigh through the phone and his heart sank.
“Yes and no. I really needed the release and while I may not particularly like the guy he does know how to make a man feel good. But I’m also afraid I’m going to crave it more now. Shit’s about to hit the fan here so I am thankful to you that I was able to take the edge off.”
Ram could hear more voices in the background.
“I have to go.”
“Be careful Ali, call and check in when you can.” He didn’t wait for a reply and just hung up, knowing he was putting Ali in a corner calling him. He really liked the angry young man, he was really smart and loyal as long as you earned it and seeing the big bad gangster turn into a little boy around his dog was one of the best things Ram had seen in a long time. He shook his head as he pictured it and set about making Kade a snack for when he woke up. He wanted his boy to be full and calm when he went to see Justice, he didn’t think this appointment would go very well after this morning’s events. Kade was already on edge and he hoped Justice would be able to keep him calm throughout. He hated to see how much Kade was struggling and he had no idea how to help. It caused the Daddy part of him to be upset and want nothing more than to smother his boy in love. He also hoped Justice would be able to give him some tools to help Kade cope in the following months.
“You ready to go?” Ram asked, as he grinned at Kade who was shoving a giant chunk of cream cheese smothered bagel into his mouth. “Please don’t choke.”
Kade chewed and swallowed before he answered. “Yeah as ready as I’ll ever be.”
Ram leaned into Kade’s side, offering him support. “I’ve got your six, baby. Don’t worry.”
Kade’s heart warmed as he gave Ram a small smile. He’d taught Ram what that saying had meant at the start of their vacation together and the fact that the man would always remind him he was there settled most of his anxiety. Knowing Justice could bring something up that would set him off made him dread these appointments, but it was either Justice or waiting until he died of old age before he’d be able to be seen at the VA. He made a mental note to talk to Justice about a plan he’d had brewing for a while. It was unacceptable how many of his brother’s and sister’s were on the streets becoming another statistic when they had given everything to a country that did nothing more than turn its back on them when they came home. They were trained to become killers, but they were never given an off switch. It made him sick to his stomach seeing how they were tossed aside. He had the money and the backing to be able to do something about it, but he needed someone who knew the legalities of it all to help him out.
“You wanna take Valk?” Ram asked, heading to the front door to grab his gear.
“No, leave him, he’s earned a night off. Unless you’re staying here.” Kade froze, he hadn’t really thought about Ram actually going, he’d known the man had said he would but it hadn’t clicked until just then.
“Yes, I want to go, unless that would be too much for you.” While he would hate staying behind, he would if that’s what made Kade comfortable.
Kade nodded. “Then we’ll leave Valk here, he can relax and sleep on the couch that he knows he’s not supposed to get on.”
Ram snorted at Valk’s happy face as he sat next to the sliding glass door that led out into a little courtyard, panting after having just scared a squirrel half to death. “I’m sure he’d love that. You’re doing really good with him, baby. I’ve been meaning to tell you that but seeing you two work together makes what I do so rewarding.”
Kade could feel his face heating, God how messed up was he that he was getting hard from hearing Ram tell him he was doing good with his dog. He really had problems. He swallowed hard as he tried to get himself back under control, they didn’t have time for anything and if they were late Justice would be a pain to deal with. “Thank you.”
Ram chuckled at the raspiness in Kade’s voice. “I promise I’ll take care of that when we get home tonight.”
Kade groaned and his head made a thunk noise when it hit the table. “Don’t talk about it, hell don’t even acknowledge it,” he griped making Ram laugh.
“Let’s go before we’re late,” Ram said through his laughter as Kade grumbled the whole way to the door, through putting his shoes on and glared at Ram as he walked out of the front door. “Should I sleep with one eye open, baby?”
Kade sucked his teeth before flipping Ram off.
Ram snickered.
The drive to Justice’s office only took a few minutes in the truck and when they pulled in they were actually early.
“We’re a bit early, so we’ll wait out here until closer to time.” Ram pushed his seat back and gave a sigh of contentment when he stretched his legs out. “What would you like to do for the rest of our vacation? We only have a couple of days left.”
Kade shrugged. “I like what we’ve been doing, although I would like to see my brothers again, it feels like a lifetime since I’ve seen them.”
Ram nodded, completely understanding Kade. “Me and Jed made plans last night for this weekend to have a big barbecue and invite everyone.”
Kade’s brows furrowed. “Where?”
“The farm, you know damn well Sanem will cut me off if she finds out I planned a get together and didn’t ask her to cook or host.” Ram huffed, just thinking about it made him shake his head in amusement.
Kade grimaced. “She is kind of scary when she’s mad.”
Ram snorted. “Yes she is. Come on, it's time.” He followed Kade into a tastefully decorated lobby, the chairs were chic and comfortable as they waited to be called back, but what he noticed the most were the walls. Instead of the bright clinical white that you’d usually see the walls were a soft warm gray, the mood wasn’t necessarily happy but more calm and controlled and he hoped the feeling would last.
“Hey guys come on back,” Justice said as he poked his head out of a room further down the hall.
Once inside Ram waited while Kade got himself settled before he moved to sit beside him. He knew letting Kade make decisions and feel like he had some control over the situation would help in the long run.
“It’s good to see you again. I’d like to formally introduce myself. I’m Justice.” Justice held out his hand for Ram to shake.
“Ram, it’s nice to meet you.” He gave Justice a polite smile before sitting next to Kade, letting his thigh rest against Kade’s.
Kade curled his lip. “Sorry, I meant to introduce you.”
Justice smiled as he sat back in his chair and crossed one leg over his knee before resting his notepad on it. “It’s fine, we met last time you were here, but with so much going on I just wanted to introduce myself now that things have settled.”
Kade grunted.
“How did you two meet?” Justice asked out of curiosity. He could also see Kade was starting to feel anxious and wanted to give his brother a moment to calm himself before they began.
Kade shrugged. “I’ve known of Ram for as long as I’ve known Saint, but we didn’t officially meet until a year or so ago when Danno was being targeted and I was asked to help find all those women.”
Justice smiled. “I heard about that, I bet you enjoyed getting behind that tank gun again didn’t you.”
Kade scoffed, but smiled proudly. “Saint still owes me a fucking steak.”
Justice laughed. He’d heard all about the bet that Saint had lost. “I think he’s waiting for the right moment.”
Kade nodded, that sounded like Saint. He would draw shit out so long people would have forgotten what he was supposed to do by the time he’d gotten around to it.
“Tell me how this morning went? I know you saw your parents for the first time in years,” Justice asked in a more soothing tone he’d noticed worked better on Kade.
Kade sighed. “Well see is pushing it, and I’m glad I couldn’t see them to be honest with you, it would have been harder not to punch my father in the face.” He shook his head. “It went better than I thought it would, but it was still more than I should have done. But my sister deserves to be remembered so she can live on in all of us, and at the end of the day they were her parents and they deserved to know the truth.”
Justice smiled proudly at Kade. “Yes they do and I’m glad you can see that, but just because you went to see them to tell them what happened doesn’t mean they deserve any more of your time.”
“I know, my father reacted how I thought he would when he found out me and Ram are together, but my mother stepped in and told him to shut up.” He was honestly still surprised by that, his mother had always been a small woman whereas his father was shorter than him but strongly built.
“I don’t think your father was as disgusted as you think, his reaction was more shock than disgust,” Ram told Kade softly. “He’d stood to move closer to you but I don’t think he meant any harm by it. I think he just wanted to get closer to you so you could explain and he could try to understand.”
Kade’s brows furrowed. “That doesn’t sound likely.”
“You didn’t see his face baby, I did. I may not know a lot about being a parent but I’ve seen that look on my brother’s face more than once, mostly when he was dealing with Saint,” Ram said, smiling ruefully.
Kade laughed. “I can imagine. So you think I should answer my mothers letters?”
Justice had been watching the two of them and the way they were interacting with each other with a smile on his face. “What letters?”
Kade looked back towards Justice, he’d almost forgotten the man was there. “My mother said she wanted to send me letters to tell me all the things she’d wished she could have told me back then. She said judging by the way Ram looks at me that he wouldn’t have any issues reading them to me.”
Justice’s eyebrows damn near hit his hairline in shock. “And what do you think about that?”
Kade rolled his eyes. “Doctor, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”
Ram saw Justice look towards the sky like he was begging the man upstairs to give him patience. “Kade,” he said warningly.
Kade pouted. “Fine, I’m not sure how to feel. I mean what the hell does she mean things she couldn’t tell me back then? What about Carnage? Why was my older brother raising me and not them? Why was my brother having to do things he didn’t want to just to make sure I could have what I needed? Why does she get to try and make me understand when she tossed us aside like we meant nothing?”
Ram settled a hand on Kade’s shoulder when his words started to break as tears coasted down his cheeks.
“She doesn’t even know if my brother is alive. What if he is dead? They’ve forgotten about him and he won’t be able to cross over, he’ll cease to exist.”
“Explain what you mean baby, I’m not sure I understand.” Ram wasn’t religious in any sense of the word but he would never try to tell Kade what he could and couldn’t believe in. If believing in something gave his boy the peace he needed hell he would believe too.
Kade swallowed hard and took a few deep breaths. “It’s the passage my grandmother used to always tell me and Carnage when we were little. Death is a part of life, but if we remember the one who’s gone in both worlds and cherish their memories their spirit will be able to pass on into the afterlife where they will wait for us to join them. If we don’t remember them, their souls will wander the earth forever in search of someone to remember them so they can pass on.” He choked back a sob. “I don’t think I’m enough to remember my brother to help him pass over if he’s gone. I can’t even remember what he looked like. What if he’s lost and it’s all my fault?”
Later that afternoon Ram sat next to Kade as he slept and gently ran his fingers through Kade’s thick hair. He couldn’t even begin to understand the turmoil Kade was going through about his brother but after the session with Justice things made more sense. Kade was scared that his brother was gone and with him unable to remember him clearly, he would suffer forever. It was too much for Kade to place squarely on his own shoulders. He could only hope things would get better. After holding Kade for a few more hours Ram got up to get ready for work. He had been called in for an emergency surgery that had been scheduled for tonight. He waited until he heard the knock at the door before he left the apartment. “Hey guys thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” Doc assured him, while Saint and Jed nodded in agreement.
“Today was rough on him. Let him know when he gets up that if he needs me, to call me,” Ram ordered.
Three heads nodded in tandem.
“Good I’ll see y’all later.” He fucking hated leaving Kade, especially after a day like today but he couldn’t just say no when he was called in for an emergency.
Kade awoke with what felt like cotton stuffed in his head. “Fuck,” he groaned, shutting his eyes tight as his head pounded.
“Here take this,” Doc said softly, reaching out to touch Kade’s shoulder and hand him some pills and room temperature water.
“Where’s Ram?” he demanded sluggishly as he downed the pills dry then took a sip of water.
“He was called in for an emergency surgery, he’ll be back right after. He wanted me to tell you to call him if you need him,” Doc said, keeping his voice low to help ease more of Kade’s pain.
Kade whimpered as another throb of pain pulsed behind his eyes. “Phone.”
“Okay, hold on, I’ll grab it.” Doc jumped up to grab Kade’s phone hoping the meds would kick in soon to give him some relief, otherwise he would have to go to the higher prescription drugs instead of the OTC. He pulled up Ram’s number and pressed the call button then handed it to Kade, who stuck his hand out from underneath the blankets and pillows he had covering him before he pulled it back into his little fort. Doc went back to the living room to give Kade some privacy.
“Good morning, baby,” Ram said.
Kade whimpered, Ram’s voice sounding like a gunshot. “Too loud, Daddy.”
“I’m sorry, baby. Do you have a headache?” Ram lowered the volume and made his voice softer. He could tell by Kade’s breathing that his boy was in a lot of pain.
Kade hummed in agreement.
“Can you get Doc for me?” Ram asked.
“He already gave me something for it.” Kade assured the man.
“Are you still in bed?” Ram muted his phone as he moved through the busy vet’s office, dogs and cats alike were making their displeasures known and he didn’t want Kade to have to hear all the noise.
“Just woke up. Did your surgery go okay?” Kade wasn’t going to cry. Damn it. He felt the tears come and tried to hide his sniffle in his pillow.
“Yeah, the dog made it and is on the road to recovery. Kade, why are you crying?” Ram demanded softly. He had a feeling it was because he wasn’t there, leaving at a crucial time like this sucked for both of them.
“Mmmm fine Daddy,” Kade said, sniffing hard. “I think I had a nightmare but I can’t remember what it was about, just the feeling.”
“I’m sorry, baby, can you hold on for me? I’m leaving now and will be home shortly.” Ram was already tossing his things in his bag and heading towards the exit. He would usually stay to pass along information to the next shift but since he wasn’t the only vet there he was going to leave it up to them, he had better things he could be doing.
“Okay,” Kade said tiredly. He really wanted to go back to sleep, but without Ram next to him he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to.
“Alright I’m going to hang up so I can drive but I’m going to text Doc to sit with you. I’ll be there in a few minutes okay baby?” God he felt so fucking guilty, and he knew that’s not what Kade would want, so he did what he could to get back to him as fast as he could. By the time he sped into the parking lot he was damn near out of breath from holding it. “Hey guys.” He greeted Saint and Jed who were cuddled up on the couch as he passed, tossing his bag down and rushing down the hall to Kade’s room. “Hey Doc.” He greeted the man quietly as he took his place on the bed.
“Hey, I’m going to go get him some food so I can give him stronger prescriptions, the OTC is not helping and I’m afraid if we don’t get a hold on it now it’ll turn into cluster headaches.”
Ram nodded in thanks as he gently patted around Kade’s form trying to find his face. “Hey baby.”
Kade moaned as he threw the covers off and basically threw himself into Ram’s arms. He straddled his lap and wrapped his arms around Ram’s neck, then rested his aching head on his shoulder as Ram gently massaged the back of his head.
Ram pulled a blanket closer but didn’t wrap it around Kade just yet, his boy was all sweaty and clammy and he knew he didn’t feel good at all. “Let’s take a quick shower baby. Or would you rather take a bath?”
“Shower,” Kade mumbled.
“Okay.” Ram didn’t bother asking Kade to let him go, he just stood with him in his arms and headed towards the bathroom. He was thankful the sound of the water didn’t seem to bother Kade as he set him down on the toilet. “Let me go grab the other pills from Doc and I’ll be right back okay?”
“Okay.” Kade blinked slowly, his eyes glazed over in pain.
“Here.” Doc shoved the pills at him the second Ram stepped out of the bathroom.
“Thank you. I bought a compression migraine hat for Kade, it’s in the fridge. When I bring him out can you grab it for me? I want to see if that will help him.”
“Yeah, I’ll have some plain toast for him too when he gets out. He needs to eat with that medication or he can get sick,” Doc warned him.
“Okay thanks.” As soon as he turned he heard retching. “Shit.” Both him and Doc rushed forward. Kade was hunched over the toilet losing his lunch, dinner and possibly all his internal organs. “Jesus, baby.” He gently rubbed Kade’s back through the god awful heaving before Kade slumped back into him completely worn out.
“Here.” Doc handed Ram a cap full of mouth wash.
“Here, baby. It’s mouthwash.” He helped Kade tip it back then helped him lean forward when he was ready to spit. He hauled Kade to his feet. “Come on, let’s get the shower over and done with then you can lay back down.”
“I’ll change the sheets,” Doc called out as he left them.
“Can you stand for just a moment?” Ram helped Kade regain his balance and set about stripping them both. He helped Kade into the warm water and immediately started to wash him. He did a quick wash of himself, then was pulling Kade out of the shower. “Come on baby, let’s get back in bed and we can take a nap. How does that sound?”
“I wanna brush my teeth,” Kade mumbled. He felt so weak, like a fucking new born deer who had no control over its own legs.
“Alright, take these meds when you’re done.”
Once Kade had brushed his teeth and downed the pills he poured his miserable boy back in bed and went to go get the migraine hat.
“Here you go.” Doc handed him the hat. “We’re gonna go ahead and go, but call me if you need anything okay?”
Ram nodded thanking them, and hugging his nephew before he saw them out and returned to Kade. “Here baby, I want to try this and see if it’ll help.” He grabbed Kade’s hands and held them over the hat. “It’s a gel hat that provides compression and relief for migraines.” He helped Kade slide it on. It took up most of his head, only his mouth and chin were visible, but the deep groan of relief made his heart sing.
“Oh, fuck that feels good,” Kade said, breathlessly. The tightness around his head eased with the compression and the coolness of the fabric caressing his face made the pain disappear. “Oh, God I would suck the man’s dick who made this.”
Ram snorted. “Gee thanks, baby.” He grabbed the plate of toast off the nightstand and held it out. “Plain toast at your twelve. Doc made it because he said you should eat something with the meds. He also brought you some Gatorade.”
“The blue kind?” Kade asked, hopefully.
Ram smiled. “Yes, baby. The blue kind.”