30. Apollo
I n all my time watching my treasure, I’d never seen her look as tired and vulnerable as she did curled up in the armchair beside her mother’s bed. Once we reached the hospital, Von took charge and explained everything we knew. Test after test was performed checking everything that could be checked to see what had truly been damaged from the toxic drugs.
The first step was fluids and dialysis to clean her blood of everything they could. Once her mother was stable, and all traces of the drugs were gone, they’d do the tests again. We were now on day two of being in the hospital, and from what I’ve understood, things are looking good. Von’s father stayed the first night but couldn’t risk staying longer since he had another shit show to deal with. The twins assured Von they’d dealt with Tony, but they’d been rattled by the whole event. Time and time again, Von had warned the twins about being too lax and now they were seeing the truth of her words.
A nurse entered and flicked the room light on, waking Von who just managed to drift off. “I’m sorry, but we need to wipe her down and change her clothes.”
Von uncurled from the chair and stood on wobbly feet. Since I was closet, I scooped her up and followed the other two of our unit out into the hall.
“When’s the last time you ate?” I asked.
Von shrugged as her head rested on my shoulder, something my treasure wasn’t known for doing.
“Let’s head to the cafeteria and see if something interests you,” I suggest.
Erik gripped his stomach as it growled loudly. “Looks like we all might need to eat.”
I carried my treasure in my arms soaking in her warmth, her scent, and the feel of her body molded to mine. Everything she’d put me through and will continue to do was all worth it to be here when she needed people the most. She, of course, would never admit she needed our support, so it’s a good thing we weren’t the type to ask.
The cafeteria had a lovely outside patio, and I settled Von into one of the chairs. “I’ll be right back with coffee and food,” I assured her.
She waved me off and dropped her head onto folded arms shutting her eyes. I knew she’d never be able to sleep in such an open and vulnerable spot, but I was glad she was resting. Going around the cafeteria, I grabbed a little bit of everything I thought might interest Von, and returned with a try overflowing with food.
“Did you buy out the whole damn place,” Von grumbled, taking the coffee first.
“And if I had?” I challenged. “You need to eat, and I wasn’t going to risk you turning up your nose at what I brought.”
Von scanned the tray and pulled out a cup of chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top. “I’ll start with this.”
Bear tapped the table with his finger to get her attention. “ Just so we’re clear, you’re not leaving this table without eating some kind of real food. The last thing your mother needs is to worry about you fainting in her room. ”
Von narrowed her stunning honey-brown eyes at a man most people would consider terrifying. “That was a low blow, asshole, but you’ve made your point.”
We fell into a comfortable silence as each of us realized how hungry we were. Von ate all the pudding, half a breakfast burrito, and two strips of bacon, appeasing her grumpy bear.
“So what now?” Erik asked. “I mean after we know your mom is gonna be okay.”
Raking her fingers through her hair, Von sighed. “I’m not really sure. None of the people who were involved with killing off my family were Serena’s people, they were hired guns. It’s smart because I couldn’t torture them to get information about other areas of her network. I suppose you could say the balls in her court, we can’t make a move until she does.”
I took a sip of my hot tea and cleared my throat. “I have a suggestion.”
The three of them all turned to me with questioning gazes. This was the moment, there was no going back, once I told Von she would be free to kill me. My heart wanted to believe I’d proved myself to her and earned even a sliver of trust. Well, as all the self-help books say, you have to take the first step in trusting someone, for you to earn their trust in return.
“We can go visit my brother,” I offered.
This had Von instantly perking up. “Wait, you really know where he is?”
“Yes, I’ve always known where he is. He’s the one who doesn’t know where I am,” I explained. “Passy and I couldn’t be more opposite, but his flaw is being far too honest with people. He’d end up saying something offhandedly to a person, and the next thing you know, I’d be in jail.”
“So… where is he?” Erik pressed.
“Passy lives south of Nepreea, in Yethea,” I revealed, handing over the last trump card keeping me alive.
This story will be continued in Three to Get Ready.