by Kayce Kyle
First with her eyes, and then with her lips, she smiles at me, even if it is weak.
“Hi, babe,” are the first, and most beautiful words I’d heard in days. Her voice is raspy, but I expected it.
“Hi, baby,” I whisper as I lean in and kiss her lips. “Do you know where you are?”
Jenalyn
As soon as I felt and sensed Justice’s presence, I knew I was safe. Waking up and seeing his face eases any and all doubt. It was almost as if I was dreaming until he spoke and I came all the way to consciousness.
My voice wasn’t working at first, and I felt sick for an instant. That was of course, until Jus handed me some water, only to take it. Apparently he’s afraid the doctor will get onto him. Inside I laugh at the notion and would give anything to tease him about it, but I am too weak.
He is asking me if I know where I am. “A hospital, Jus. I know…I was…injured. What happened?” My entire reply, followed by a question just drained me. I know it must be pretty serious as his tear stained cheeks and look of relief reflect just that.
“You were…you were shot,” he finally says.
I figured as much. The last thing I remember was fucking Littlejohn pointing a gun at me and Ty. Then an enormous amount of pain in my right side. Now I wake up here. I want to know who my doctor is and speak with him or her. “Jus…my doctor.”
He presses a button and a nurse comes in. “She’d like to see Dr. Cole,” Justice says to the older lady with short red hair.
“Oh you’re awake, honey. Yes, let me go get Dr. Cole,” the nurse replies.
I attempt to manage a smile, but again I’m so weak.
I have so many questions. Where are my parents? How long will the recovery be? Hell, are all my organs still intact?
A beautiful, slender blonde female walks in. I assume she is my doctor considering she has a white coat that reads S. Cole, M.D. Her hair is neatly pulled back into a bun, and she looks far too young to be a doctor.
“Well, hello there, Jenalyn. I’m Dr. Cole,” she says as she begins listening to my chest with her stethoscope.
I usually prefer dinner and a date before I let someone fondle around my breasts, but I suppose this is necessary.
When she finishes, she asks me, “How are you feeling?”
Is this bitch for real? I’ve been shot as she clearly knows. I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck, and left for dead. This is surely some rhetorical doctor bullshit mandatory bedside manner crap.
“Weak,” I answer her.
“That’s expected considering your injury. You were shot in the side. Very lucky girl you are, the bullet missed every vital organ. It tore up some tissue inside which will most likely cause some scar tissue build up. You lost a lot of blood, but we managed to keep you with us,” she explains.
Fuck. I cannot believe how lucky I am. “Where are my parents?” I question out loud.
The doctor looks at Justice, which causes me to look at Justice catching him shaking his head to gesture no toward the doctor.
She then looks back at me blinking and staring, unable to speak.
“Justice Paine…where are my parents?” I demand the best I can.
“I’m gonna excuse myself,” the doctor says.
“No,” I demand again, and she stops her retreat.
“They’re here, baby,” Justice assures me as he takes my hand into his, but he’s holding back and I know it.
“I want to see them,” I say.
“Actually, the hospital has rules of only one person, or visitor at a time in ICU. Your mom was just in here, but she left so Mr. Paine could visit,” Dr. Cole interjects.
I gauge them both for their reactions, expressions. Something is off and I know it, yet I’m far too weak to investigate. My mom was just here, so that eases me a bit.
I yawn and my eyes feel so heavy.
“Why don’t you get some more rest for now, and we’ll talk some more tomorrow. I’m sure your mom is eager to see you awake, but visiting hours are about to end. Only one person can stay. You want me to get your mom, or are you okay with Mr. Paine staying?” the doctor says, very professionally.
I look over at Justice and wish I had the strength to laugh at someone calling him Mr. Paine.
“Mr. Paine…he can stay,” I answer before the heaviness of my eyelids consume me, and I’m fast asleep again.
Justice
As soon as Jen is fast asleep again, I usher Dr. Cole into the hallway.
I look over at Joker who is now reading some damn medical magazine. “Yo, give us a minute, here. Go get an update on Don for me, will ya?”
Joker pulls out his phone, “Oh, I can tell you right now. Last update was about ten minutes ago and…”
I clear my throat obnoxiously loud and look at him and then the exit door.
“Oh, yeah. I’ll go check and come right back,” he says, taking my hint.
Once he’s gone, I now have my chance to ask Dr. Cole some questions again. “So, um…how exactly are we supposed to tell Jen her father’s in a coma? I mean, you don’t know her like I do. She will push past any pain to get to his side, and she could further harm herself, and the baby…fuck.” My last word causes the doctor to jump.
“Dammit…” Escapes my throat as I go to apologize causing her to jump once more. This is a bit frustrating, because we don’t usually have to deal with such sheltered people. No offense.
“Look, I’m sorry. It’s habit, I’m at your mercy here. You saved the most important thing in my life, my everything. I owe you, so the last thing I wanna do is startle, or cause you any harm. I need some guidance here and you’re a doctor, so I figured you could give me some direction on this…fragile situation.” I ask her as I cross my arms, and rest my chin on my chest.
She swallows back a hard gulp. “Mr. Paine, I really think you’ve been through a lot and maybe you could benefit from speaking with a grief counselor here at the hospital. We have case workers. I haven’t brought one on because your…well, Vault asked me not to.”
Now running both hands over my forehead and through my hair, my own frustration builds again. “Do I look like the type of guy who wants to speak to a grief counselor, or any damn counselor? That’s not how I work…how we work. Look, I just need you to assure me Jenalyn’s gonna be physically able to deal with this information. Can you just tell me that she will? I mean honestly tell me.”
Dr. Cole looks as though she’s trying to find the right words to tell me, and this slight hesitation causes my mind to immediately go to any and everything negative. “I am a doctor, there are no guarantees. Trust me, I wish I could offer you at least one. My job is to keep her alive. If she starts to go into some sort of shock, I will sedate her again. She’s very early on in her pregnancy, but her hormone levels have doubled as of this morning. That indicates as of now, the baby is still thriving, but please understand Ms. Strong is my first priority. If her body is too weak to sustain the pregnancy, there is literally nothing I can do. She is simply not far enough along, and I might suggest she be told that first.”
I nod, absorbing all this information in and feel the throb from an impending headache begin to form.
Dr. Cole is facing the doors and I notice her eyes widen, so I turn around ready for whatever lurks behind us, but not knowing what to expect at the same time.
It’s Ty to my surprise, and for the first time in a while I don’t feel the need to challenge him, or beat him to a pulp.
His eyes are watery. “Jenalyn’s pregnant?”
God dammit, I know she will give me endless shit if she is the last one to find out about her, our, own baby. Me, Burkes, now Ty? Fuck, it’s usually the woman who surprises us men with this information overload.
“Ty, listen.” I approach him. “She doesn’t even know herself, yet. She doesn’t even know about her own damn father. You’ve got to keep this to yourself, please man?” I ask.
“She’s gonna be okay though, right?” he asks as he places a hand upon my
shoulder. “Joker said she woke briefly. I mean, that’s good, right?”
I place my hand on top of his. We’re a brotherhood, and when one of us hurts, we all hurt. I can see his empathy is genuine. “That’s the plan, bro. She’s doing good all things considered. We just have a few more hurdles to overcome. That’s my everything in that room, and she above all, is my first priority.”
Ty just nods, and I can tell he’s fighting that fucking lump we all choke back during shitty times like this. “How’s Pres, still hanging in there?”
“Y-yeah, he’s hanging in there right now. He’s in critical condition, though. His doctor wants to discuss some things with Lorna later. She’s napping right now, but said she wanted to come see Jenalyn after she woke up from her nap,” he replies.
“Good,” I reply. “Maybe, hopefully, if Jen doesn’t completely go crazy once she’s told, I can bring her to visit her dad.”
“Our plan is to move her from ICU, to a regular room later if she continues to do well. That’s the only way she’s leaving this room. Maybe we can use that as leverage also.” Dr. Cole suggests to me.
Interesting. It’s almost like a form of blackmail, I mean if she’s good she will get moved to a regular room. If she gets moved to a regular room, she can get what she will want most, and that will be to see her father.
I just shake my head, as I ponder how this will all play out. This will require finesse, and I fucking suck at finesse, but I better figure it out quickly.
“Oh, by the way, Demon stepped up and has been helping us all rotate shifts so we can keep our business’ afloat. They already took a major hit a month ago with everything. Just thought I’d ease your mind. I know you haven’t had time to think about business with everything going on.” Ty offers me more relief I wasn’t even sure I’d needed.
He’s right, I haven’t had a chance to even stop and think about the fucking game room, or anything else really.
“Demon, huh?” I ask. “Fucker usually lays lows, so that’s surprising. He keeps a lower profile than us.”
Nodding in agreement. “I know,” Ty says. “He likes taking turns with Vault, though when it comes to Littlejohn. Vault said when he went to change shifts with him, he was carving an apple with his pocket knife, taunting Littlejohn. Saying if he could, he’d carve him the same way. Dude’s fucking twisted, bro.” Ty chuckles a bit.
Demon’s only been patched a year now, but I like his fucking style. The more twisted, the better is what I always say.
“Yeah, well you just make sure he doesn’t actually touch that fucker. That honor is mine, and mine alone. You seen Ace?” I ask Ty.
“Like I said, we’ve all been rotating. He’s been trying hard to get a hold of that Tess chick, with no luck. He wants to tell her about Jenalyn,” Ty replies.
“Yeah, I know Jen’s going to want to know why Tess left, and if she’s okay. Fuck, one more thing to deal with.” I spout off.
Chapter 21
Jenalyn
As I wake up again and take back in my surroundings, I notice Justice isn’t in the room. I try sitting up a little so I can look for my phone, a call button, anything-only to be quickly reminded of my wound. Fuck, this is excruciatingly sore.
An unintentional moan is expelled, and Justice is in my room faster than I can blink.
“Whoa, whoa babygirl. What is it, what do you need?” he impatiently asks.
Looking up at him, I reply, “You. I was wondering where you had gone off to. Water, please?”
Oh, the icy cold refreshing liquid soothes my throat as it makes its way past, providing me also with a less raspy voice than previously.
Justice takes up residence in a chair he has already moved to about a foot next to my bed.
“I know you’re in pain, but should I get the doctor for anything?” he asks.
Looking at Justice I can tell he doesn’t know how, or what to do with this, with me. As painful as this is for me, my heart can’t help but feel broken for the hell this must be on him. He’s used to being in control, clearly as I’ve learned the hard way. The way he looks at me as if I will suddenly break, tugs at my soul.
“No, babe. I’m on a pain medicine drip, right?” I both answer and ask him.
“I…um…I think.” He scratches the back of his head out of uncertainty, I can tell.
Sudden nausea plagues me, and I feel the need to vomit. There’s a pink plastic bowl of some kind sitting on the little rolling table next to me. I hold my mouth and beg with a sense of urgency, gesturing with my hands. Momentarily Justice looks confused and fumbles around eventually giving me the bowl with impeccable timing.
I haven’t eaten anything, all I’ve had is water and that little bit makes its way into the bowl. Justice is standing over me rubbing my head as I continue dry heaving, and am beyond mortified. I bet this is a super sexy look for me. Now, I’m hot and in pain from using any and all of my stomach muscles.
“A cold rag, Jus,” I manage to say.
He grabs one, wets it, and begins to gently caress my forehead and cheeks with it. “Let me get Dr. Cole,” he says.
I nod, agreeing with his suggestion.
He leaves and quickly returns with Dr. Cole. “I hear you are having some nausea and vomiting,” the doctor says.
“Yes, I am. Is this to be expected? I mean, I guess with all these pain medicines, and all my body has been through it makes sense.”
Justice places the damp cloth on the backside of my neck which offers more ease. I look up at him, “Thanks, babe. Um, can I have a second with Dr. Cole alone, please?”
He squints his eyes and crinkles form on his forehead. “Sure, I’ll be right outside the door, here.”
He sounded none too thrilled at my request, but I need to ask this doctor something very personal.
Once he closes the door I proceed. “I have a question, and it may sound a bit odd, I mean certainly you would’ve found this by now.” I begin unable to make actual eye contact as I twist my fingers together. “I take birth control. It’s a patch, actually. Three weeks on, one week off. I’m sure being a doctor you’re familiar?” I slowly lift my chin to make eye contact.
She nods. “Yes, I am familiar.”
“Okay, good. Well, before all this happened, I was on my off week, about four whole days to be exact.” I explain.
She just looks at me almost confused, but appears to be following along.
“Well…I never got my period. Four whole days late,” I say in a whisper, as I look over at Justice who is standing outside the door still. “I mean, I’m like clockwork. I never miss replacing my patch, and the day I’m due to have my period, I get it. I keep track on my phone, I have an app.” Now I’m just rambling on. “Is there any way I could be pregnant? I mean I didn’t want to tell the big guy out there and freak him out, but could you…maybe run a discreet pregnancy test?”
Hell, I’m not even sure a baby could’ve survived my injury if I even was pregnant? I just know the thought had crossed my mind several times before I had gotten shot. I dismissed them as soon as they had entered my thoughts, though.
“You know what?” I begin. “Never mind, I mean this is silly. It’s probably stress, and the notion is really just ridiculous.”
“Actually, Ms. Strong.” Dr. Cole sits in the chair Justice has been using. She also looks at him once more outside the door before she finishes. “Your lab work showed you are indeed pregnant. As your doctor, it’s my job to tell you the patient. I just wanted to take things a little slower for you, considering you just had a brush with death. We need to get you up in a chair and walking a bit so you don’t form a blood clot. Then I’d like to transfer you downstairs, and out of the ICU. We have a few great obstetricians on staff, and I’d like to get you set up with one as soon as possible.”
I feel the nausea come straight back up with her disclosure. Justice is gonna be so pissed. I grab the pink plastic bowl, and absolutely nothing comes up. The pain from my wound is affected and I cringe with ea
ch heave.
“I’m going to order you some nausea medicine too. No need to have you any more miserable than you already are,” Dr. Cole says.
“Thank you,” I successfully say through my annoying and embarrassing attempt at vomiting.
“You’re welcome,” she says, placing the cold rag on the back of my neck again. “It’s most likely due from a combination of things…the nausea, I mean. Your body has been through a trauma, you’re on pain medication, and haven’t eaten solids in days. Your pregnancy is only a small contributing factor at this point in my opinion.”
I just nod, and I see Justice eagerly awaiting my approval to come back in. Only I’m still absorbing and digesting this news. This changes everything, and we just got into a good place with one another. Finally settling into our new lives together. I’m unsure if I’m ready for this, and I can about guarantee Justice is going to flip shit when he hears this.
Dread starts to settle in as the doctor leaves and Justice doesn’t waste a single second barreling back in here.
He takes back his seat, and my hand. “You okay, baby? Why did you kick me out?”
I retract my hand from his. “Everything’s fine, Jus. I’ve been shot for Christ’s sake, and the pain medication is causing nausea.” I look away because lying to him never works and I cannot bring myself to tell him this just yet. “It’s okay for me to have some privacy sometimes, too ya know?”
In the most sympathetic, yet sternest tone he can muster, he says, “Oh no you don’t, Jen. You can look away from me all you want. You can even kick me out momentarily, but you will not pull away from me and push me aside.” He takes a hold of my hand again, but I still cannot look him in the eyes as tears push past and form two single streams down my face. “We will get through this, all of this, together…as a family.” He places his other free hand so gently across my belly where it finds it’s resting place.