by Kerry Taylor
“But she’ll be ok, right?” Cole asked. “We got here in time? They can save her?”
“I really fucking hope so.” Kyle whispered.
Livy was loaded onto a gurney and EMTs sped away with her, the four of us following.
“Just one with us!” The male EMT called as they loaded her into the rig.
“Cole, go with her. We’ll all follow.” I ordered, knowing he would be more level headed of the four of us, less likely to get kicked out of the hospital as they worked on her. Kyle and Matt could both be too hot headed to handle the situation alone.
“How is she Maxwell?” My chief asked as he approached.
“In rough shape. He drained her blood, something to do with time travel I think.” I was moving as I spoke. Nothing, not even my work, was stopping me being with Livy.
“Time travel?”
“I can update you later Chief, but I have to go right now.” I said as I reached the truck, Kyle and Matt right behind me and already climbing in.
“Go! Be with your family. I’ll catch up with you at the hospital once I handle things here.” I nodded, grateful he understood and jumped into the truck.
We found her and she was still alive. That had to mean something. We couldn’t lose her now. Fate couldn’t be that cruel, even to us four reprobates, could it?
CHAPTER 18
COLE
Livy didn’t regain consciousness once during the ride to the hospital. When we arrived Xander and two other doctors were waiting outside the ambulance doors and they rushed her off, Xander yelling to me that he had her before he disappeared.
A nurse had ushered me to a small waiting room and I was losing my mind pacing back and forth, just needing to be with her, to know she was going to make it!
She had looked so close to death, her skin too pale and all colour gone from her lips. If we were too late I would never ever forgive myself, none of us would. We swore to protect her, to make sure no piece of shit ever got to lay hands on her ever again and we had failed terribly.
“Cole? Where is she?” I looked up as my parents came rushing into the waiting room. They both looked terrible, having not slept a wink since she was taken. They loved her like a daughter, and it had torn them apart, just as it had all of us, not knowing what she was suffering.
“Xander is with her, but it was bad.” My voice broke as I tried to explain.
“Kade said it was the serial killer, the one he’s been tracking, he took her?” My Dad asked. I knew Kade had called them as we raced to that farmhouse, so they knew some of the story.
“He was a fucking psycho!” I ranted, unable to hold it in. “He wanted to time travel and he thought the blood of his equal would m-make it happen. He almost fucking killed her, still might have.” Tears filled my eyes and I hurried to wipe them away. I never fucking cried, even as a broken little kid, I had never cried a fucking tear, but the thought of losing Livy was more than I could handle.
“She’s strong, son. If there’s any way……” Dad engulfed me in a hug and I knew he too was fighting his emotions as he stopped to take a breath. “.....any way she can come back, then I know she will.”
I felt Mom join the hug and we all three just held each other, Mom’s rattling sobs making it harder for me to hold back my own tears. Livy had brought something to the lives of everyone in our family, something we would never get back if we lost her now.
***
Three hours later and we were still waiting. The whole family was crowded in the small room, even Simon, and we were all climbing the walls with fear she was still not stable.
Xander had been by in the first hour to say they were doing all they could to get blood back into her, but the blood loss wasn’t the only problem. She was severely dehydrated to the point it had started to affect her kidneys. Her blood tests had come back a mess and the doctors were concerned her brain was swelling, because she had gone so long without water, and the blood loss on top. She had also been pumped full of a ton of unknown drugs which were not helping. He had warned us she was in a bad way, but assured us she was hanging on, and for hours that was the only hope we had, that she would hang on and find her way back to us.
“This is ridiculous!” Dad snapped as he jumped up and started pacing back and forth. He was in sweats and a t-shirt and his hair was a mess where he’d been running his hands through it over and over.
Mom had been curled into his side, trying hard not to cry, but every so often bursting into tears when it got to be too much.
Matt and I were sitting in the back corner, both just staring blankly at the wall in front of us and trying hard not to lose it, since Kyle was losing it enough for the whole family. He had already punched a wall and Kade had to stop him from flipping the small table in the corner. I knew it was killing him having to sit and wait knowing at any second Xand could walk in and tell us all that was it, she was gone,
When Kyle was emotional, he always channeled it into anger. Kade was trying hard to keep it together too, while keeping a very close watch on Kyle, grabbing him every time he stood to flip out, and calming him down with words of confidence in Livy’s strength.
Kade’s boss had been by and Kade and I gave him what we knew about the math I deciphered, and about what went down before and during the rescue. He tried to tell us about the guy who had taken Livy, since he had come up when they ran his prints, but none of us really listened. Nothing but knowing she would pull through, mattered.
“Xander will come to us as soon as he can Grant. You know that.” Mom said as she stood and tried to comfort her husband.
“When we get Olivia home she is never leaving our sight.” Dad went on, “One of us is always with her, She has been through…...through too much. We have to protect her.”
“We will Dad.” I agreed. When Livy got home I was never letting her leave the safety of it ever again.
The door to the waiting room opened and we all leapt up. Xander walked in and Simon went right to him, wrapping him in a hug filled with love and support.
“Tell me she’s still fighting Xand!” Kyle snapped, unable to let them have their minute together.
Xander looked up and nodded, and the whole room let out a small breath.
“She’s stable for now, but her kidneys are still struggling. We’ve hooked her up to a dialysis machine while they try to recover and she’s receiving fluids and antibiotics. Her tox screen showed heavy sedatives, so we need to try and flush the drugs out too.” Xander explained calmly.
“Is she awake? Has she spoken to you?” I asked hopefully.
“No. She hasn’t woken since she was brought in, and we’ve had to put her in a medically induced coma. There was brain swelling, and the coma gives it time to settle down.”
“A coma?” Mom sobbed.
“It’s for the best for now, Mom. We’ll keep her sedated until the swelling reduces, then, likely in a few days, we’ll be able to lessen the sedation and bring her around.”
“Is she going to come though this Xand?” Kade asked, the question we all needed to know.
“She’s still in critical condition, but she’s doing well for now. We’ve moved her to the ICU, where she’ll be watched closely. She’s in good hands and I’m staying closeby.”
“Can we see her?” Matt asked from beside me.
“Just two at a time and you need to keep visits short while she’s in the ICU. There’s a waiting room up there you can sit in if you don’t want to go home, but I’d suggest you all do. She won’t be waking up for the next few days and you all look like shit.”
“I’m not leaving until she does.” Kyle grumbled and Kade, Matt and I agreed.
“We’ll take it in turns guys. Xander’s right, we all need to sleep, eat and shower, but we’ll make sure there are always a few of us here for her.” Dad said sternly, using the tone he’d used when he wanted to make sure we chose to do the right thing as kids, and just like when we were kids, we all agreed, unable to argue with him.
&nb
sp; I took a deep breath, the first since she had been taken. She was fighting to come back to us, so I needed to stay strong for her and have faith she would find her way home.
OLIVIA
Kyle’s voice was the first thing I heard when I woke from what felt like the longest sleep of my life.
“Don’t you leave me Liv.” He was whispering. “You make sure you come back because we all need you….I need you Princess. I felt like I’d never live again after I lost my team, but you…..you made me want to live, you made me feel there was a reason I survived. Just don’t leave me, ok? You’re my future, the only future I can see.”
I tried to speak, to tell him I wasn’t going anywhere, but it was like my entire body was set in stone and I couldn’t make any part of me move, not even my mouth. It was killing me to hear him sounding so broken and more than anything I wanted to comfort him, but instead the darkness pulled me back under, far away from him.
The next time the darkness released me, I heard Keira. She was close and her hand was running through my hair gently. I tried hard to open my eyes, but again, nothing happened.
“They need you Honey.” She said gently. “I used to worry about what would happen to them when they grew up and left home, They have each other of course, and I knew they’d find a way to manage, because they are all very good men, strong and smart, but they needed someone else. They are good at comforting and looking out for each other, but they needed someone who could make them happy, who got what they had been through and loved them not in spite of it, but because of it. I know now, Olivia, I know that’s you. You can take care of my boys and give them the happiness they have needed for so long. You are the bright light they have spent their whole lives searching for, and I want you to know, Grant and I couldn’t be happier about you all being together. We know it’s not conventional, but not one of you has lived a conventional life. You’ve all been through hell and you deserve to be happy. You will always have our full support, all of you. So just wake up, ok Honey? The four of them fell apart when you started seizing last night. They thought that was it, they thought you were gone. They can’t lose you Olivia, we can’t. I love you sweet girl, and I need you back too. I need you to come and side with me and Evie in that crazy house full of boys.” She sighed as she went quiet, her hand continuously running through my hair. I longed to answer her, to tell her I loved her too, but my body would still not cooperate at all and I started to panic that something serious was wrong. What if I never got to speak, or move again? That happened, like locked in syndrome, or something like that? I tried to remember why I was there, thought hard about the last thing I remembered, and then it came to me, the crazy with the time machine and bags of my blood. Had he cost me everything? Was this my life now, laid trapped in my own body?
“Olivia?” Keira said more urgently. “Honey can you hear me?” I wondered what had made her think I could, then I felt her wipe my face and I realised in my panic, I was crying. “I’m here Honey, I’m with you. The guys are here too, in the waiting room. Don’t be scared. You’ll be ok, I know you will.” That was all I heard before once again the darkness won our battle and pulled me away.
***
“Livy? Sweetheart, can you hear me?” It was Xander. His loud words roused me and I listened hard as I fought to open my eyes. I felt a hand take mine and the heat of it comforted me.
“Livy, it’s Xander. If you can hear me, can you squeeze my hand for me?” He asked. It took everything in me, but after a moment, I made my fingers put pressure on his hand.
“Good girl. You’re in the hospital sweetheart. You’re on some heavy sedatives, but we’re easing you off them. You’re going to start waking up more and more each time you come around.” He explained.
“Can she hear you? Did she react?” Grant asked, and his voice was rough and scratchy, but still comforting to hear.
“She squeezed my hand. She’s coming back Dad. Go, tell the guys. I’m going to have the sedatives brought down over the next few hours.” Xander sounded so excited and I realised that, mixed with what I had heard Keira and Kyle saying, meant I had been in really bad shape. They all thought I was going to die. They were shocked and relieved I had woken up.
I clutched Xander’s hand tight, trying to take some assurance from him that I wasn’t going to die now I was waking up.
“Livy, it’s ok sweetheart. You’ve given us all a scare, but you’re going to be ok. It will take time, but you’ll be just fine. Me, Mom and Dad, and the guys are all here with you. You’re safe. Just rest. Hopefully next time you come round, you’ll be able to open your eyes for us.”
I tried to fight the darkness again, even harder this time. I wanted to stay with Xander and Grant. I wanted to feel safe, but it was pulling me under and it was strong.
“Xander’s right sweetheart. Just rest. We’ve all got you.” Grant said and I just felt his hand in my free one as darkness won once again.
***
This time when I got free of the darkness, things sounded so much louder. No one was talking, but I could hear machines beeping around me and people walking around close by. I tried to open my eyes and to my surprise, my eyelids moved a little. It hurt, but I forced them to open all of the way and instantly calmed when I found Kade and Kyle sitting in chairs beside the stark white bed I lay in. They were both asleep, arms folded across their chests and heads bowed forward as they sat side by side. Kade was snoring and they both looked so uncomfortable.
The room I was in was small, with four white walls, now cloaked in shadow. I looked to the window to my right and found that it was dark out, then smiled again when I looked lower and found Cole asleep on a small sofa at the side of the room. Only half of him fit on, his legs hanging over the arm and his head awkwardly propped on the other. He had stubble on his face, which I had never really seen on him. He was usually clean shaven, but I knew, seeing the three of them, they had been through a tough time. They all wore crumpled clothes and not one of them had styled their hair with products like they usually did.
Needing to find Matt, to know he was alright, I scanned the remainder of the room and found him in a chair in the corner to my left. He leant back with his head against the wall and his mouth slightly open. He too had a heavy covering of stubble and he looked exhausted, dark rings under his eyes. I longed to go to one of them and curl up in their lap, but just moving my head had been difficult, so I knew moving out of the bed wasn’t going to happen.
Instead I just sat back, looking between the four of them, just so grateful to be there with them. I knew I had come close to losing them all, to leaving them, and because of that I knew I would never take for granted a single moment I got with each of them, ever again. Every moment was precious, I knew that better than most after so very many of mine had been wasted in The Darkness.
Kyle was the first to stir. His head moved a little, then shot up in panic and he locked those stunning eyes right on mine.
“Hey.” I whispered, my voice unable to do more.
“Liv? You’re awake! Thank fuck!” He gasped as he moved forward in his seat and took my hand firmly in his. “I was so scared we lost you.” His eyes were filled with tears and he looked like he had been through hell, his face tired, with dark circles around his eyes and his usually perfectly trimmed stubble, much too long.
“I am never leaving you.” I promised, remembering how scared he had sounded when I woke up and heard him before. “I love you.”
“I love you too Princess, so fucking much.” Finally he smiled and I was able to relax a little when I realised he would be ok. I’d take care of him, of all of them, and they would be alright. They were my guys and I would never let them go without a serious fucking fight.
“You all look so tired. You should be at home in your beds.”
“We weren’t leaving you, We almost lost you Liv.”
“Takes more than a time travelling crazy to get rid of me.” I joked and he laughed a little, startling the others to all jump awa
ke, almost in sync.
I turned to Kade as he sat up and smiled when he stared at me like he didn’t quite believe I was looking back.
“Fuck Love, it’s good to see you smiling back at me.” He whispered as he stood and placed a large hand on my knee over the blankets.
“You’re awake?” Matt appeared at the foot of the bed and just stared at me. Cole ran up behind him and froze at Matt’s side.
“Don’t you ever do that to us again Brains!” He tried to make it sound like a scold, but the tears running down his face gave him away.
“I missed you guys.” I whispered, feeling tearful myself.
“Not as much as we missed you Carina,”
“Is everyone ok? What happened to the time lord?” I was trying to lighten the mood, but only Cole smiled and I knew it was too soon for them.
“Everyone is fine and the fucker who took you is dead. It’s a long story, but we got to you before he managed to take all of your blood. Xander needs to talk to you about your health, but it was touch and go for days Livy. We really thought we wouldn’t get you back from this.” Kade explained.
“I thought of you guys, and of our family, and it made me fight to come back, I know it did. I have a life now, a good one, and people I love. I wasn’t letting that go”
“We’re so fucking grateful you fought Love.” Kade squeezed my knee as he spoke and I knew he was emotional. They all were.
“We should call Mom and Dad and get Xander in here to check you over.” Matt suggested as he looked down to his cell phone in his hand, but I stopped him.
“In a minute, but first, while it’s just us…..would you…..will you all just hold me for a minute? It’s all I wanted when I thought I was dying.” I admitted tearfully.