“Your antics are becoming legend around here, and you’ve been here for what? A whole three hours? The nurses are already plotting their revenge.” Lucas moved closer to the bed.
Brandt continued to stare off at the wall. “Luke… you know how much… I hate being here… I want to go home.” His voice cracked, and he appeared to pout. His frame deflated as the stiffness left his body. The grayish, pallid tone of his skin was unsettling.
Lucas laid a hand on Brandt’s shoulder. The touch seemed to relax Brandt further. “I know, but you’ve got to let them take care of this. Don’t make it worse, or you’ll be stuck in here longer.” The quiet softness in Lucas’s voice belied his imposing exterior. “But I brought someone to see you, and you need to keep making that good impression on him.”
Gabe stepped farther into the room, arms wrapped tight around his middle. Brandt’s gaze locked with his, and Gabe fought the lump in his throat.
“Finally. Come here.”
Gabe rushed to the bed and then stopped, afraid to touch him. “Are you hurt?”
Brandt raised his arms in reply. Gabe bent, and Brandt pulled him down until he sat on the edge of the bed. Brandt squeezed him so tightly that he himself had trouble breathing. He didn’t care.
“Are you okay? I was so scared.” Gabe forced the unsteadiness from his voice.
“You’re shaking…. I’m going to… be okay.”
Gabe let his fear go. Brandt was safe. He pulled back and cupped Brandt’s pale cheeks. His breaths were so shallow and fast. “If you ever scare me like that again….”
Brandt raised a brow.
“Well, it won’t be pleasant.”
“I promise.” Brandt took Gabe’s hand and kissed his palm. “Do you know if Dan… and the kids are okay?”
“Travis, Gregg, and David are in the hospital but will be okay. Dan’s at UVM in the burn unit. He’s going to need skin grafts, but he’s alive. They’re all alive because of you.”
Brandt started to cough, and Gabe held his hand as the hacking reddened his face and brought tears to his eyes. He sighed. “Fuck. Hurts.”
“Do you need anything?” Lucas asked.
Brandt pointed to the gray plastic jug on his bedside table. “Water.”
Lucas poured the cold water into a cup and dropped in a straw. Gabe held the cup while Brandt drank, then set the cup on the table.
Gabe rubbed Brandt’s chest in soothing circles. “The nurse said you have old scars in your lungs. I don’t understand.”
The scowl wasn’t unexpected, and neither was Brandt looking away from him.
“I’m sorry. You really shouldn’t be talking.” Gabe didn’t want to upset Brandt and start another coughing fit. “Have you seen the doctor lately?”
He shook his head no. When he looked to Gabe, the anguish in his eyes was like a knife in Gabe’s chest. “I can’t be here… please, get me out.”
Gabe squeezed his hand. “How about me and Lucas go find your doctor and see what’s going on? Okay?”
Brandt gave an economical nod. Gabe smiled, but Brandt only sighed. Kissing Brandt on the forehead, Gabe stood and then followed Lucas out of the room. In the hallway, Lucas did an about-face and stopped in his tracks, surprising Gabe.
His jaw was clenched, his brow heavy over his eyes. Gabe suddenly felt as if he’d done something wrong. Maybe he wasn’t what Lucas thought Brandt needed. Gabe stiffened his spine, ready for something awful. When Lucas seemed to collapse against the wall, Gabe was confused.
“Are you okay?”
Lucas swiped his hand over his face. He looked exhausted. “When the principal called and told me what had happened in the lab, I knew his lungs had already been compromised before. Then I had to catch a flight and drive here. Luckily, I was in the States. But I had about four hours to think the worst, you know?”
“Yeah, I’ve been sitting here waiting, so I get it.” Gabe chewed on his lip. “He was injured in the service. That’s why he left?”
“Medical discharge. I can’t tell you what happened. It’s up to him to share what he went through with you or anyone else. I will tell you that he was in Walter Reed hospital for over a month and then spent another three months living in Tranquility Hall for rehab. Most of that time, he was alone. His family only visited when they could. I imagine he’s terrified that will happen again.”
“Shit.” He had to be reliving the worst of those memories now. “He’s coming home with me. No questions asked.”
Gabe braced for an argument, but Lucas merely nodded. “I was hoping you’d say that. Let’s go find ourselves a doctor and get the sitrep on what’s going on.”
Gabe nodded and followed Lucas to the nurses’ station, already planning what needed to be done to make Brandt comfortable at his place. “Wait.”
Lucas stopped and turned to face him. “What if Brandt says no? I mean, about coming to stay with me.” What if that was going too fast?
Lucas shrugged his shoulder. “He won’t have a choice. There’s no way the doctor is going to let him go home alone. I’ll make sure of that.” Lucas winked.
Gabe was glad to have an ally.
TWO HOURS later, as Gabe waited for the doctor to check in, he reclined in a chair next to Brandt asleep in the bed. The nurse had given him a mild sedative, and with the extra help, he appeared to be resting peacefully, despite his accelerated rate of breathing. Lucas had gone to buy clothes and toiletries, since he’d jumped on a plane with only his wallet.
In the quiet of the hospital room, Gabe pulled out his phone. There was a voice message from Karen and several texts, including a couple from Julia and Betsy. He rubbed at his forehead, trying to think of what he needed to do. First he had to let Andrea know he was taking at least a week off. They were short-staffed, so he e-mailed the names of those who would definitely need a check-in and those who could wait. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken more than a couple of days off, so he was due.
Once that e-mail was sent, he opened his text messages. He sent Julia an update and also texted Betsy to let her know what was happening. She immediately replied, hoping Brandt was okay, and asked him to call when he could. He sent back his thanks.
Last, he looked at Karen’s texts.
“Fuck,” he groaned.
Over ten texts ranted on about how angry she was about Gabe speaking with Randy behind her back. She was pissed about Gabe’s “macho, chest-pounding, caveman decision” without her input and his deceit, which she wasn’t sure she could forgive. None of the blame mentioned Randy, which was a good thing since he was now her main support. What had he told her? That was something Gabe should have discussed with Randy before leaving the shop. Sounded as if he’d told his wife everything they’d discussed. Gabe had expected backlash from their decision, but not until she realized Gabe was distancing himself. Randy probably shouldn’t have told her about their plan of Gabe’s removal. He was about to text a response to Karen when Brandt shifted and groaned, his eyes fluttering open. Gabe stood, and when Brandt saw him, he appeared relieved.
“Hey. Do you need anything?”
Brandt licked his lips. “Water, please.”
Gabe poured a fresh cup of ice water. Brandt’s hands shook, so Gabe held it steady as Brandt took a drink.
“Thanks.”
Gabe set the cup down and took Brandt’s hand in his. With his fear waning and adrenaline crashing, he had time to think of what losing Brandt would have meant. His stomach had that funny feeling like he got on certain rides. He had to admit he was falling hard and couldn’t stop that speeding train even if he had to. Brandt had captured his heart and could do what he wanted to the fragile organ. If Brandt decided that Gabe wasn’t the one for him, Gabe was sure he’d only manage to survive but never love again.
Ha, you thought that with Tim as well, and that wasn’t true.
But what he felt for Brandt was a kind of love that he’d never experienced before. And he both loved and hated that at the same time.
>
“What’s wrong?” Brandt’s concern showed in his beautiful hazel eyes.
Gabe smiled. “Nothing. I’m just really glad you’re going to be okay.” Gabe rubbed his thumb over the back of Brandt’s hand. He admired the strength in those hands, loved to feel them on his body. A shiver raced over his skin.
Brandt cocked his head and narrowed his eyes, appearing to doubt what Gabe had said. He gave a closemouthed smile, and his eyes softened, crinkling at the corners. “I’m really glad… you’re here. Thanks.” Brandt lifted his chin, and Gabe covered the distance to bring their lips together. Brandt’s warm, rapid breaths puffed over his face. That funny feeling in his gut increased tenfold.
“Get a room.”
Gabe jumped back and turned to see Lucas sauntering into the room. Out of uniform, he wore a sweatshirt and jeans. He wasn’t bad-looking for an older man. Then Gabe realized Lucas had to be younger than he was.
“Got one.” Brandt grinned suggestively.
“You’re looking better.” Lucas patted Brandt’s shoulder. “I ran into the doctor in the hallway. He’ll be in shortly to deliver your sentence.”
Brandt frowned deeply but remained silent.
On cue, the door opened and the doctor walked in, holding a binder. “Hello, Mr. Sawyer.” He looked at Brandt, then to Gabe expectantly.
Gabe held out his hand. “Gabe Reynolds.” He didn’t qualify who he was. He wasn’t sure what to say. The doctor fixed that.
“Ah, the partner. Good. I was hoping they’d track you down. I’m Dr. Robert Collins. I’m a pulmonologist.” He set down the chart and moved to the side of the bed. Lucas stepped back to give him room. Dr. Collins placed the ends of the stethoscope in his ears. “Let’s take a listen. Your O2 stats are already improving with the oxygen.” The doctor checked several places on Brandt’s chest, stopping to listen, then moving on. “Okay, deep breath.”
Brandt complied.
The doctor moved the stethoscope. “Another.” He then had Brandt sit forward and moved to his back. “Another deep breath.” By the time he’d finished, Brandt was panting.
The doctor pulled the stethoscope from his ears and flipped it over his head, resting it around his neck. “I’m not hearing any signs of pneumonia or fluid in the lungs, which is good. There is some crackling, but that’s expected.” As the doctor spoke, he poked around Brandt’s abdomen. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t a possibility, given the injury you’ve sustained. A respiratory therapist will be meeting with you with exercises to strengthen your lungs and avoid the fluid buildup. Don’t skip them, or you’ll be right back here and in serious danger.”
Brandt raised his hand. “I know. I’ve done them before.”
“Right. I contacted Walter Reed for your records once I learned of your former lung injury. Given the sustained amount of smoke you had inhaled with the first injury and the level of scarring, I’m surprised you’re as healthy as you are. That definitely helped you in this situation.”
“When can I go home?”
Dr. Collins surveyed the chart. “I want two more blood gases at least twelve hours apart. Depending on those results, you may be able to go home tomorrow.”
Gabe could see Brandt’s entire body relax.
“You will need to be on continuous O2 until you can sustain an oxygen saturation above 98 percent. Use it when you sleep, even if you feel you can go without it. If you don’t, you will stress your heart by making it work harder to get oxygen to your body. You must avoid anything strenuous until cleared medically. For a few days, I don’t even want you walking to the bathroom, so you’ll need a commode chair. No stairs for at least two weeks, or longer, and you can’t stay alone. If your lungs start to fill with fluid, you’ll need to call an ambulance to get you to the hospital.” He looked to Gabe. “Don’t drive him no matter how fast you feel you can get him there. If anything happens to delay your trip, he could suffocate.”
Gabe’s fear socked him in the gut, and icy panic washed over him. “Are you sure he should even go home?” Even with the scowl Brandt gave him, he didn’t back down. “Brandt, we’ll be forty minutes from this hospital. Wouldn’t you feel better staying here?”
Brandt didn’t hesitate to shake his head. “No. I need to… go.”
Gabe bit his lips to keep from arguing. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to leave once the doctor saw his blood gas results.
Brandt huffed out a breath. “My apartment has stairs.”
“You’ll stay with me.” Before Brandt could argue, Gabe said, “I took the week off, and I can take longer if you need me to.”
“Good. I’ll be back in the morning to check in. Let the nurses know if you become very short of breath or start coughing up anything different than you have been.” The doctor left, and the silence was thick, nearly stifling.
“I don’t want you to have to… take care of me.” Brandt had crossed his arms, and he refused to look at Gabe. The air took on an icy chill.
“You want to leave the hospital, then you have one option. Stay with Gabe or stay here. I have three days of emergency leave. Then I head back. It’s your choice.” Lucas’s tone was steady, almost harsh, but in reality those were Brandt’s only options.
Brandt stared off as he no doubt contemplated his options. Finally, he nodded tersely and said, “Okay.”
Lucas left the room. Gabe patted Brandt’s shoulder, and while he didn’t pull away, he didn’t respond. He merely closed his eyes, an expression of dissatisfaction remaining until he fell asleep. Was he angry that Gabe was his only choice? Maybe giving him that option wasn’t a good idea and was indicative of how Brandt really felt about Gabe. However, he’d told everyone that Gabe was his partner. That meant he was serious, right?
Gabe decided to believe the latter and chalk this up to Brandt being a cranky patient. And Lucas had mentioned he hated hospitals. Hopefully, this time tomorrow, Brandt would be free and his mood would improve.
Chapter 20
GABE GRITTED his teeth as Brandt, once again, refused to eat the soup Gabe had made for him. Being released from the hospital hadn’t made Brandt any more cheery or cooperative. Gabe hadn’t slept much since they’d returned to his house. The doctor had advised Brandt to sleep practically sitting up. Hard for a guy who slept on his stomach the entire night. To keep him upright and on his back, Gabe had piled a wall of pillows around Brandt, leaving little room for Gabe. And since the spare room had gone to Lucas, who had finagled a few extra days of leave, Gabe slept on the couch.
That had been three days ago, and even that amount of time out of the hospital, Brandt was still a downright growly bear.
“Brandt, you need to eat. You only had half a sandwich for lunch. If you get weak, you’ll get sicker.”
Brandt frowned. “I’m not hungry.”
Gabe sighed. “Just take a couple of spoonfuls.”
“No.”
“I can make you something else.”
“Not hungry.”
“How does your chest feel? Any pain when you’re breathing?”
“No.”
“Coughing up anything?”
“No.”
“Do you need anything more?”
“I’m good.”
Great conversation.
Brandt’s breathing had slowly been improving, and he no longer had to gasp for air to speak. He had been cooperating with completing his breathing exercises. Other than that, he appeared to be moping, and Gabe had no clue what to do. Frustration mounting, Gabe wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep his mouth shut. Why had he suggested Brandt come there? The coldness had appeared after he’d practically forced him to stay. Their relationship was going to be ruined before they could even make a good go of it.
“I’m going to leave it here. Please, try to eat.” Gabe bent and kissed his forehead, but Brandt didn’t speak or even move.
Gabe left the room, stomped right out the back door to the deck, lifted his head to the sky, and screamed.
Hearing a c
huckle, he turned to see Lucas, beer in hand, sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs. “Sawyer tends to elicit that reaction in most people. Beer?” Lucas pointed to the six-pack minus one on the deck beside him.
“Yes.” Gabe grabbed a beer, screwed off the top, and sucked down the cool liquid. He plopped into a chair and let his head fall back. “Has he always been this stubborn?”
“Yup.”
“I get that he’s grumpy because he’s hurt, but this is above and beyond the call of duty.” Gabe refrained from mentioning how terrified he was that Brandt was done with him.
“You ain’t seen nothing. This is mild compared to Walter Reed. But I know Sawyer. He’s a black-and-white fellow. It’s either this or that. Nothing in between, nothing gray.” Lucas took a drink. “That type of thinking shuts down a lot of options, you know?”
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”
Lucas shifted in his chair, turning toward Gabe. “He’s a strong individual molded to think with an Army brain. He’s only as useful as his body is. When his body wasn’t up to par, the Army discharged him. To Brandt, who’d considered the Army his family for so long, that was devastating. You’re either in or you’re out. That’s why being at Walter Reed was so hard for him. The reminder of the fact that bodies could be broken was everywhere.”
“Jesus, is this about some petty idea that because his body is damaged that he’s either in or out with me?”
“To you it sounds petty, but I think this incident reminded Brandt that he’s more fragile than he wants to be. I think he’s scared about what that means for his future, not only for himself, but with you.”
Gabe swallowed. “But he’ll get better.”
Lucas rolled the beer bottle between his hands and sighed heavily, his gaze on Gabe’s backyard. “After his first injury, the doctors told him that over time the ability of his lungs to oxygenate his blood will decrease. They were weakened, and eventually he’ll develop emphysema and more than likely need a lung transplant.”
Happily Ever After Isn't Easy Page 15