“So it’s a little low,” I say as she takes the cuff off. Then places a thermometer in my mouth. It makes a beeping sound, and she frowns again.
She takes it out and looks at it. “Hmm. One-hundred-point-one. Seems you have a bit of a fever too.”
A hospital wristband is put on my right wrist. “Let’s get you back to the examining room and I’ll get the physician to come talk to you about things. It says on your paperwork that you witnessed a trauma yesterday. Was it that terrible wreck that happened just a little ways up the highway?”
I nod and feel my jaw tighten as I recall the way the little boy was hanging lifeless in the seat belt. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
She nods and I see her look at Brittany. “That’s normal in PTSD. Not only people in the military get it. Don’t worry, we know how to help.”
“You do?” I ask as I really thought they would have no way to help me.
She nods and gestures for us to follow her as she walks out of the room, carrying the little clipboard with my history on it. “Oh yes.” She pulls back a green curtain in a room of three green curtains and says, “We’ve made some great advances in medicine to help people with such things. You should be glad you came here today. You’re going to be feeling much better much faster than you would’ve, had you tried to get over this with time and alcohol or illegal drugs.”
I look at Brittany and wait for an, ‘I told you so.’ But nothing comes from her but a sweet smile and a reassuring nod.
My heart does a little flip as I look at her. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t know how patient I’d be.
The nurse lays a gown on the bed, the same color as the curtains and nods at Brittany. “Help him get this on. It needs to open in the front so we can get some monitors on his chest. He can leave on his underwear.”
I smile as Brittany made sure to lay out a pair of underwear for me. I rarely wear them. Funny how I didn’t even argue with her about wearing them. I just put them on without a word.
She smiles at me again with a knowing look and my heart speeds up a little as I look at her sweet face. Maybe this girl is on to something.
The nurse leaves and Brittany pulls my shirt off. “Everything is going to be okay, Baby.” She kisses my cheek and takes the button of my shorts between her fingers and undoes it. She lets them fall down and I step out of them.
“I could do this myself.”
“I know. I want you to know you have a woman who is ready and willing to help you that’s all. You’re more than capable of dressing and undressing but let me help you.” She puts the gown on me and ties up the myriad of strings that holds the thing somewhat closed.
“This gown is really not necessary,” I say as I sit on the edge of the bed.
“Just lie back here,” she says as she fluffs up the little pillow as much as possible. “Relax and just let them take care of you.”
“You sure are talking a lot nicer to me than you were,” I say as she runs her fingers over my collarbone.
“Well, I had to get through to you. I’m sorry I said mean things.” She looks at me with a slight glisten in her eyes.
“Me too,” I say then look away. “If I could stop this, I would.”
“I know that. I’m not mad at you in the least and I don’t want you to apologize to me about any of it. It’s out of your control. So lie back, relax, and let’s get you better, Sweetie.”
The curtain slides back as a tall man with graying temples comes inside, looking at my chart. “Mr. Brennan, I see here you’ve witnessed a tragedy and are exhibiting signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” He looks at me and I nod my answer.
Brittany stands to one side. He looks at her then her engagement ring. “You’re his fiancé?”
He’s very observant, I have to give him that. “I am,” Brittany says with a smile and a flash of her ring. “It was his grandmothers. We’re supposed to get married sometime soon.”
“No date has been set?” he asks then looks at me.
“No. We’re planning to go to Vegas after some of my personal business is dealt with.”
“What kind of personal business?” he asks.
I feel he’s invading my privacy and let him know that. “Personal.”
He laughs and sits on the bed next to me. “Okay, first things first. I’m not asking you this to get all up in your business, Mr. Brennan. I’m asking you because if this business is stressful then it could’ve been the predecessor to the onset of the PTSD witnessing the accident caused. Talking about things is a great way to deal with them.”
I roll my eyes and Brittany laughs. “He’s usually pretty good at talking about things, Doc.”
“I’m sure he is.” He pats my shoulder. “Jason, can I call you that?”
“You can. I’d prefer it.”
“Jason, let me put your mind at ease. All of us deal with bad things in our own way. When too much is put on one’s shoulders it can trigger a defense mechanism in the brain to shut off for a while.”
“That’s exactly what I feel like. Like a switch turned off inside my head. I can’t believe you know that!”
“I know this because you’re not the first person this has happened too. So what kind of business has you holding off on marrying this gorgeous woman over here?” he asks with a smile, revealing perfect white teeth.
“Someone I’ve had somewhat of a relationship with says I’m the father of her baby. She says she took my sperm from several condoms and had in vitro fertilization to get pregnant.”
“What a piece of work she is,” the doctor says. “Well that is troubling, isn’t it? I suppose you’ve started the DNA testing process.”
“I have. Now it’s a sit and wait thing. My lawyer said it’s best to wait to get married. If the child is mine, then they could use my wife’s money plus mine to decide the amount I’ll have to pay. And she’s just about as loaded as I am. So that and a few other things have been weighing heavy on me.”
All of a sudden I realize I’m talking way too much so I shut up.
“So it’s safe to say you’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed even before witnessing the accident,” he says as he writes this all down. “I don’t think we’re dealing with classic depression. I think this is textbook PTSD. So I’m going to give you a month’s supply of an anti-depressant. And I’m going to ask you to see your own doctor when you get back to New York.”
“Why do I have a fever and low blood pressure, Doc?”
“The human body is complex. With depression, anxiety, stress, any of those things, our immune systems become weaker. Your fever is caused by the chemicals your body has been releasing a lot of, to help you cope with all that’s on your plate right now. Once we get those chemicals in balance which will take a few days, then you will begin to feel better.”
“So this isn’t an instant fix?” I ask as I look over at Brittany.
The doctor shakes his head. “I wish there was something to immediately take this all away. Much like this didn’t happen all at once, it won’t be taken away all at once. But each day you will feel better. And if you don’t then let your physician know so they can change the prescription until they find what will work for you.”
“Something is better than nothing,” I say and find myself meaning it.
“Now, we’re going to hook you up to some monitors for a little while so we can track your blood pressure and your heart rate, breathing, those kinds of things. And I can send in a priest, preacher, or a certified psychiatrist to talk to you about things. And you can see any variation of them if you want,” he tells me then gets off the bed.
“I think a professional and maybe a preacher,” I say as I think about who might be able to help me the most.
“I’ll get them coming to see you and my nurse will get you going on the anti-depressant and hook you all up and I’ll be back in a few hours to see if you feel like staying the night with us or leaving.”
“It’s up to me?” I ask in surprise.<
br />
“It is all up to you, Jason. Nothing is out of your control. Remember that,” he says as he pulls the curtain back and gives us a wave then leaves.
Pulling in a deep breath, I already feel somewhat better. Then Brittany moves to my side and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Better than drinking and smoking?”
I nod. “Yes. You were right.”
She sits down and runs her hands through my hair. “I love you, Jason. I will always do what’s best for you.”
And just like that, I know she is my rock and always will be.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky but I’m going to hold on to you for all I’m worth.” I take her hand and kiss it as I look into her eyes.
I don’t know how she puts up with me and all my drama, but I’m damn glad she does.
Chapter 10
BRITTANY
On his own, Jason decided to stay the night in the hospital. So here I am cuddled up next to him on his hospital bed in the largest private room they have here in the little place. He’s sleeping with his arm around me and seems to be getting better.
After a couple of private conversations with people who completely understood him and knew the right things to say to him, he seemed better. Not one hundred percent better but better.
I called his mother while he was in one of those private sessions and told her about everything. She was kind of mad at herself for not thinking about getting him help after his grandfather died.
The preacher came to talk to me after he left Jason’s hospital room. He and I talked a lot about how Jason has been living. Jason came clean with the sweet older man who never judged him a bit about all the lying, cheating, and hurting he’d done to women.
I was a bit surprised myself the man was so easy to talk to. I ended up telling him a few things about my life too. Things I’ve never told anyone before because I was so ashamed of doing them. He made me feel better too.
It seems most people do some things most other people deem as bad. The preacher put it to me this way. He said, “No one is all good or all bad. There is good and bad in us all. At times situations occur that make us pick one path or another. There is no reason to beat yourself up because you picked the negative path. You wouldn’t beat yourself up for picking a bad melon so don’t beat yourself up about picking a bad way to deal with something.”
By bringing Jason here to this hospital instead of enabling him by taking him to get alcohol, I helped us both. Even though I didn’t think I needed any help.
His arm tightens around me and his lips press against my neck as he whispers in his sleep, “Don’t let them take her from me.”
With no idea what he’s dreaming, I kiss his cheek to wake him. There’s no reason to let him have a bad dream. Not with all the other shit on the poor guy’s mind.
His eyelashes flutter as he opens his eyes. “You’re still here.”
“I am. I’m not going anywhere, Sweet pea.” I kiss his cheek again. It’s rough from not shaving yet he still looks as handsome as ever.
“Thank you, Britt. I really mean that. I can’t thank you enough. No one has ever cared enough to fight me to make me do this,” he says as he blinks back a few tears.
“Get ready for a lifetime of this kind of stuff. I’m in it for the long haul. Thick and thin and all that jazz,” I say as I run my hand over his tight abs.
“I’ve never had anyone do the things you do for me. Marrying you is going to be the easiest thing I’ve ever done. There will be no worries about you at all. You’ve proven yourself a hell of a lot more than I’ve proven myself to you. I don’t feel worthy of you. Not in the least. It scares me some that one day you will figure that out but until that day comes, which I pray never happens, I will hold on to you for dear life.”
With no idea what I should say to that, I just smile and move my hand up to run it through his dark hair. Leaning my head on his chest, I listen to his heart beating. I want to hear it every night before I go to sleep. I want to hear it first thing when I wake up every morning.
His strong hand moves over my head. “I’ll make you proud of me, Pumpkin.”
“I already am, Jason. You don’t have to prove yourself to me. I know the man you are deep down inside. If you think I expect you to never have any troubles, you’re wrong. I know life is full of problems.”
“My life has more than most,” he says then kisses the side of my head.
I hold my tongue so I don’t say what went through my mind. How there are more troubles because he created them. There’s no reason to add to the pressure he’s feeling.
“I can handle them, Jason. You can count on me. I will always be in your corner.”
“Do you think we can still be happy if that baby is mine, Britt? Because I think it would cause all kinds of hell.”
“We won’t let it cause any hell. I don’t want you to worry about it anymore. There’s nothing worrying can do, anyway. And I am with you on any decision you would make.”
“Would it be terrible of me to want nothing to do with the kid if it is mine?” he asks and I get a little tense.
The doctor told me not to talk about anything serious with him for at least a few days. This is serious and I’m certainly not about to tell him it’s okay to forget about a person his body created. With his knowledge or not.
“Well, that’s one of those topics the doc told you not to think about for a while, Jason.”
His hand moves over my side, stroking it. “Yeah, I know but it’s been running through my mind a lot. I need to know how you’d feel if I signed away my rights.”
“I will back you no matter what you do,” I say. But I feel kind of bad because once he’s all better I will tell him how I really feel about it. “But you know, you can’t make that kind of decision while on the anti-depressant. That will have to be thought about a bit later on.”
“No, I hadn’t realized that. The results will be in well before I’m done with the treatment. I thought I’d give him up right away.”
My heart is aching as this is such a huge decision to make and he’s obviously in need of more therapy. “Doing something quickly is never a good idea. Giving a human away is definitely not a thing one should do quickly. Take your time and think about things. It doesn’t matter when you would do a thing like that. It doesn’t have to be done right away. Giving him up won’t change the fact you have to financially care for him, anyway.”
“It’s not the money. I’d give any kid of mine all they would ever need. It’s dealing with that woman for the rest of my life,” he tells me and now I understand a lot better.
“Things can be done so you don’t have to handle things with her on your own. Advocates can bring the child to you. That would leave her out of it.”
“I know there would still be times I’d have to deal with her. You see what she’s capable of. I don’t trust her at all,” he says.
“Nor should you. Nor should you be thinking about this right now. Let me see if I can help you take your mind off of things so you can get some sleep.”
“Now that sounds like the kind of therapy I need, Baby,” he says with a low moan.
I’m not sure how the nurse will take finding the door locked, but I’m locking it. Slipping off my shorts, I find Jason watching me in the silver glow of the dimly lit room. He makes a little growl as I pull my T-shirt off.
“Baby, you look amazing in this hospital room. The next time I see you in one of these I want it to be just after you have our baby.”
I grin at him and take my bra off as I take slow steps toward him. I giggle as he adjusts the bed to sit up some. Losing the panties, I stop just in front of the bed and pull the thin, pale blue blanket back and rid him of his underwear, leaving the hospital gown on. It opens in the front after all.
“Climb on,” he tells me as the bed has him in the best position for me to ride him.
As I settle onto his hard cock, we look into each other’s eyes. “We need to get an adjustable bed, Baby. There are ju
st so many possibilities,” I say with a moan as I am fitting him better than usual and we fit very well together as it is.
“Make it happen, Pumpkin.”
He’s almost back to being Jason again. And even though it was a very short time of having to deal with him in the other mode, I missed the real Jason far more than I realized as tears begin to flow. I run my arms around him and hold him close so I can feel him and make sure he’s real.
And just like that, it becomes apparent that I cannot live without this man. And I don’t know if that’s bad or good.
To be continued…
The Shameless Billionaire Series
Book 4
The Finish Line
By
Michelle Love
Love. Passion. Commitment.
After ups and downs, Jason and Brittany seem very close to finding their happily ever after.
Only more than one monkey wrench is thrown in their paths. A husband floats to the surface in Brittany’s past. Along with him comes a nasty little video to haunt her as well.
The way Jason takes care of the other man leaves him in trouble and needing the help of a woman who wants more from him than he cares to give.
In the process, Jason finds his love for Brittany has overcome his need to sleep with other women. But Brittany still has her doubts about that.
The two finally get to the altar but find nature seems to be against them, at first. Things seem to sort out on their own, though and our couple find a greater power might be in control of their destiny.
Can these two get past their pasts? Can they make a life with only each other? Or will things get in their way and end the love they’ve managed to find with each other again after six years of sowing their wild oats?
Find out if Brittany and Jason can find happiness in the conclusion of, ‘The Shameless Billionaire Series.’
The Shameless Billionaire Series: Billionaire Romance Box Set (An Alpha-Male, Billionaire, Bad Boy, Bad Girl, Romance) Page 18