37. Xander
Xander
“How’s she doing?” Grimm asked, his voice rough. I know it had to be hard on him and the rest of the MC not being able to be with us at the hospital, but we all knew it was for the best.
After Andrie scared the ever-loving fuck out of me by passing out in my arms, Thoth and Lessia had jumped into action—making calls that led to Vik, Andrie, and I catching a ride in a medical life-flight to Brooke Army Medical Center.
It was there the doctors had discovered one of the hits to the face Andrie had received had caused a brain bleed that required emergency surgery.
Once she’d stabilized, they’d performed another procedure for her arm and took a skin graft from her leg to help close the wound.
I’d hoped that we were out of the woods, and she’d wake up, but an infection had set in, and the meds had her confused and lethargic the few times she’d opened her eyes.
Vik and I hadn’t left her side. Thoth had to have worked some magic because none of the doctors or nurses had batted an eye at us ignoring visitor hours, made us produce IDs, or even asked our names—even Andrie’s.
“Her fever finally broke.” I wiped a hand down my face.
I was sitting in the uncomfortable-as-fuck chair next to her bed, having sent Vik to get some food and a break.
“Her last scan showed her swelling is resolving, and doctors are hopeful she’ll wake up sometime today.
” If there were a God, I hope he allowed her to wake today.
Seeing her so small and pale in that hospital bed was killing me.
“They think she’ll make a full recovery but can’t promise anything until she’s awake. ”
Even as I spoke, I kept a careful eye on the monitors and listened to the ever-present sound of her heartbeat. I knew, without a doubt, there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do together, but damn, hadn’t she been through enough? Lived through enough?
“Do you want us there?” Grimm asked immediately. “We can make it happen—“
I cut him off, my voice rough with gratitude. “We’re alright for now, man. But I appreciate the offer. I just wish …” Wish I could hear her voice … see her beautiful eyes … tell her how much I love her.
“I know,” he said simply. “And if it helps, she knows it, too. Andrie might have been mad and a little hurt, but she knows what your feelings are for her. Knows what you’ve both lived through to get to this point. She’s not going to toss your ass to the curb.”
The corners of my mouth twisted up. “She might kick it a time or two.”
“Nothing we don’t all deserve,” he assured me, and I let out a low chuckle.
“Now, that’s a sound I missed hearing.” The soft, drowsy voice almost had me dropping the phone.
“Hey, sunshine.” Hanging up on Grimm, I dropped the phone and immediately took the hand not attached to the IV drip, unashamed that my eyes turned glassy.
“I like it better when you call me solnyshkuh.”
“Noted,” I said, leaning down to kiss her knuckles, relieved as fuck that she was finally awake and coherent. “How do you feel?”
Grimacing, she shifted. “Like I have a headache from hell, and my arm is sore. But all in all, not nearly as bad as I could be. What’s the damage? Where are we, and is there going to be a cop in here anytime soon that I need to have a story ready for?”
I smiled. How like Andrie to immediately organize the important points.
“You had a bleed in your brain that required surgery to release the pressure. You ended up with an infection, likely due to the knife wounds, and have been out of it for a while. We’re at BAMC.”
“Brooke Army Med Center?” she asked, looking surprised.
I nodded. “Someone pulled some strings. We haven’t been asked any questions, but I’m not sure if that’s a permanent or temporary reprieve.”
“Who’s we?” Andrie asked, struggling to sit up.
I pressed the button on the controls for her bed, raising it until she nodded.
“Vik and I came with you. Everyone else—and I mean everyone—has been checking in at least twice a day, even though we’ve been sending updates.
” At my words, I grabbed my dropped phone, texting one-handed to let Vik know she was awake. I couldn’t seem to let her go.
“Sweetheart,” I started, unable to wait a second longer, even knowing I should call the nurses and save the heavy discussions for later.
“I am so sorry for what I put you through. Both in the past, with my keeping secrets,” I said, not wanting to get too personal, even though we should be perfectly safe.
“And with what happened to put you in that bed. I never meant—”
I cut off when her eyes narrowed. Though, she immediately winced. “Xander,” Andrie started to scold, then grinned. “Alexander. I should have realized,” she murmured, almost to herself. Her smile grew. “You took my name, and I took yours.”
Smiling, too, I rubbed her ring finger gently. “We did vow to honor and love each other for as long as we both lived. I can’t think of a better way to honor each other, even if we did have to remain apart for most of it.”
“But never again,” she finished, her hand turning to grasp mine.
“Never again.” I promised, leaning down to kiss her.
My lips had just brushed hers when the door flung open hard enough to slam against the wall.
“Andrie,” Vik said before stopping short when he realized he was interrupting.
His hesitation lasted only a second before he continued his stride, ignoring me completely as he came around the bed to take up the empty chair next to me. “How are you feeling, honey?”
I felt her lips curve into a smile against mine again, and as much as I wanted to curse, I found myself smiling, too. All I’d ever wanted was the love of my life and my brother at my side. And now, despite everything, it looked as if all of my dreams were coming true.