The Davenport Christmas Chronicles

by Piper Davenport

  “Home, home?” I asked, hopefully.

  “No. I understand you have a place here where you’ll be able to convalesce?”

  “I do?”

  “You do,” Mouse said. “We’ll be staying with Aero and Letti.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah, Lace. We,” he stressed.

  I raised an eyebrow. “We’ll talk about that later.”

  He grinned. “Can’t wait.”

  “You’re not going to be able to fly for a while,” Dr. Warren said. “I understand you have people in Colorado Springs who can support you as you heal?”

  “She does,” Mouse said.

  I glared up at him. “Or I can answer the doctor’s questions without comments from the peanut gallery.”

  He grinned. “You’re right, baby. How about you do that?”

  “How about you shut it long enough so I can?”

  Mouse chuckled.

  “So, you have a place to convalesce?” the doctor asked again.

  “Apparently, yes,” I said.

  “A Dr. Brooks reached out to me about your chart,” the doctor continued. “I don’t have a waiver on file so I naturally couldn’t talk to him about your case, but if you’d like him to have access, we’ll get you the form.”

  I nodded. “Oh, right. Yes, please. He’s a friend.”

  “We’ll take care of that today,” he said as he glanced over my chart.

  “Thanks.”

  “I’m going to keep you here for an hour, then we’ll transfer you to a room and go from there.”

  “Thanks, Doctor,” I said, and he smiled and walked away.

  “You two should go find something to eat,” I said, nodding to both Remington and Mouse.

  “I’m not goin’ anywhere,” Mouse said.

  “Have you eaten?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I ate while you were in surgery.”

  “And I ate on the plane,” Remington said. “I also brought snacks.”

  “Mouse, can I have a few minutes with Rem alone?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Seriously?” I hissed.

  “Yeah, seriously.”

  I frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because you’re gonna try to hatch some dumbass plan to get rid of me.”

  I snorted. “Oh, the plan’s already been hatched, big man. And, never fear, I would never leave a trace of your murder.”

  He smirked.

  “Seriously, Declan. I just need to talk to my bestie for a few.”

  He sighed. “Fine. You got three minutes.”

  I rolled my eyes as he walked away.

  Remington sat in the chair he’d just exited and took my hand. “Are you freaked?”

  “Quick. Work with me here. I need to get back to Savannah,” I said.

  “You’re freaked.”

  “Remington, we have limited time,” I whispered. “You need to get me out of here.”

  “Honey, you can’t walk. I can’t get you out of here.”

  “Then get him out of here,” I growled.

  She raised her eyebrow. “Why?”

  “You know why.”

  “No,” she countered. “You’ve given me bullshit reasons and shown your delusions—”

  “Um, hi Kettle, I’m Pot.”

  She smiled gently. “Takes one to know one, Kennedy, and you love that man like I love Finch.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “You don’t know me.”

  “What’s really going on?”

  I shook my head and picked at the blanket over my lap.

  “Don’t shut down on me,” she demanded. “Talk to me.”

  “I’m peeing into a bag,” I whispered.

  She sighed and smiled gently. “Mouse doesn’t care.”

  “I care,” I hissed. “It’s gross. And totally not romantic.”

  “It’s not going to be forever.”

  “I don’t care,” I said. “I don’t want him anywhere near it. I think he needs to go home, and we can talk when I can walk my ass to a toilet.”

  “You’re done,” Mouse said, walking back to the bed. “My turn. Can you give us a minute, Rem?”

  I scowled at him as my best friend stood and walked away.

  Instead of taking the chair, he sat at the edge of the mattress and took my hand. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “How much did you hear?”

  “Pretty much all of it.”

  “Eavesdropping is super rude, Mouse.”

  “Well, how else am I supposed to know what you’re really feeling, Kennedy? It’s either eavesdrop or get you so fuckin’ high you tell me the truth.”

  My heart raced and I felt sick. “I’m scared.”

  “No shit?”

  “You know my history. I’m not good at this relationship stuff.”

  He smiled. “We’ll figure it out together.”

  “Can we figure it out after I can get myself to a bathroom?”

  “Nope,” he said.

  I grabbed his arm. “Declan, I’m at my literal worst. That is no way to start a relationship.”

  “We aren’t starting shit,” he said. “We’ve been in this for a while, and this is not your worst. I look forward to worse when we’re ninety and gummin’ each other.”

  “I’m going to be unable to walk for weeks,” I reminded him.

  “Means you can’t run away from me.”

  “I have a pee bag.”

  “I’ll wear gloves.”

  “I won’t be able to have sex for months.”

  “Well, that’s not entirely true,” he countered.

  “See? You’re always thinking with your dick.”

  He dropped his head back and burst into laughter before he leaned over and kissed me gently. “You’re the fuckin’ funniest person alive, Lace. I love you.”

  “You’re the fuckin’ weirdest person alive,” I retorted.

  He kissed my nose. “And?”

  I rolled my eyes. “And...”

  “Say it again, Kennedy.”

  I frowned. “Again?”

  “Yeah.”

  I let out a quiet gasp. “When did I say it before?”

  “Right before your surgery.”

  “I did not.”

  He just stared at me without comment and I knew he wasn’t lying.

  “Shit,” I whispered. “Did I?”

  Mouse nodded. “So, you wanna try that again?”

  “Not particularly.”

  He chucked my chin gently, then kissed my cheek. “We’ll revisit this conversation at a later date.”

  “No, I don’t think we will.”

  He grinned. “Okay, Lace.”

  “We seriously won’t.”

  “I believe you,” he said, shifting off the bed and sitting in the chair again.

  “Do you?”

  “No, not really.”

  I forced back a laugh as I closed my eyes.

  “Pretending to sleep isn’t getting you out of this, Lacey.”

  “I can’t hear you,” I whispered. “I’m asleep.”

  He chuckled again and I think I really did fall asleep, because the next time I opened my eyes, I was in a regular room.

  And I was hot.

  Too hot.

  * * *

  Mouse

  The sound of an alarm shocked me out of the fitful sleep I’d managed to fall into soon after they moved Kennedy to her room.

  I shot out of the chair, but was shoved toward the door as nurses came rushing in. “Sir, you need to wait outside.”

  “What the fuck’s goin’ on?”

  “Sir, we need you to give us room to work.”

  “Tell me what the hell is wrong with her!”

  “Do I need to call security?” the nurse threatened.

  “Bitch, try it.”

  “Mouse, come with me,” Remington demanded, her hand wrapping my arm and tugging. I’d forgotten she was still here.

  “Rem—”

  “Get out of the room, Mouse
,” she growled. “Or I swear to god—”

  “What, Remington?” I challenged. “What will you do?”

  “Don’t be a dick,” she snapped, then lowered her voice now that were standing in the hallway. “Just let the doctors do their thing.”

  I dragged my hands down my face and paced the hallway as medical staff rushed in and out of the room. I tried to follow, but Remington held me back and she was shockingly strong for someone so petit.

  “This is the worst possible time to have none of your biker brethren here to help me hold you back,” she grumbled.

  I sighed. She was right. I was making things difficult for her and I couldn’t do anything for Kennedy if I was charging at the doctors and demanding answers.

  “I just want to know what the fuck’s happening, Rem.”

  “Me too, buddy,” she whispered, and I pulled her in for a hug.

  Her phone pealed in the silence of the hallway and she dug in her purse and pulled it out. “Hi, Trish. Well, the surgery went well, but she’s got a really high fever. The doctor’s in with her now. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Sure. I’m here with—hm? Oh, right. Yes. Him.” She nodded and I watched her closely as she filled Kennedy’s mother in on everything. “Yep. He sure is.” She glanced at me, grinned, then turned away. “Absolutely. Okay, we’ll see you when you get here. Sounds good. Okay. Bye.”

  “She on her way?” I asked.

  “Yes. They’re leaving London in two hours, so they won’t be here until late tomorrow, but they got a flight.”

  I nodded.

  “She knows who you are and is really happy you’re here with her.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

  Remington grinned. “Yeah. You seem surprised.”

  “Not gonna lie, I am.”

  “That tracks.” Remington chuckled. “Kennedy’s super close to her mom, so if she’s ever going to admit how she feels about anyone, it’ll be to Trish. Kennedy’s obviously filled Trish in and she said she hoped you’d stick around even after they come.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah.” She grinned. “Trish seems to like you even though you haven’t met.”

  “We did meet. Once.”

  “You did?”

  I nodded. “At your friend’s funeral.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She blinked back tears and I immediately felt like an asshole for bringing up the subject of Michelle’s death.

  “Sorry,” I said.

  “No, it’s okay. It’s just hard to be reminded she’s gone. Some days, I just pretend she’s on some great traveling adventure and I’ll see her again soon.”

  “I get that.”

  Before she could say anything else, a doctor walked out of Kennedy’s room and we stood as he approached.

  “What’s goin’ on?” I demanded.

  “We’re trying to figure out if it’s an infection or blood clot, or both,” he said, and my blood ran cold.

  “A clot could kill her.”

  “We’re going to do what we can so that doesn’t happen,” he assured me. “She’s stable now and we’re monitoring her temperature. If it doesn’t come down in the next two hours, we’ll run more tests.”

  “Is she awake?” Remington asked.

  “No, but she’s comfortable.”

  I dragged my hands down my face and did my best not to grab the doctor by his lab coat and slam him against the wall.

  “Her parents are on their way,” Remington said. “Please make sure she’s okay.”

  “We’re doing everything in our power,” he assured her. “If you have any questions, please page me.”

  Remington nodded, and he walked away.

  “Are you okay?” she asked me.

  “No. You?”

  She shook her head.

  “Jesus.” Knuckling my eyes, I took a shaky breath. “I’m gonna head back in.”

  “I’m going to call Finch,” she said. “I’ll meet you in there.”

  I nodded and walked back into Kennedy’s room.

  Kennedy

  I felt like I was swimming in tar. I could hear quiet voices, but I couldn’t seem to reach the light. Something heavy was on my chest and I could feel the pulse in my leg. Pain shot through it as the blood pounded in my veins.

  “Kennedy, baby, can you wake up?”

  Mom?

  “She’s moaning, but I don’t think she can hear me.”

  I can hear you.

  “I’m gettin’ a nurse,” Mouse said, sounding panicked.

  I’m here, I screamed in my mind, then blackness.

  * * *

  I came to in waves. My pain was blissfully gone, and I didn’t feel hot anymore, but that made me wonder if I was dead.

  Do you feel thirsty in the afterlife?

  I forced my eyes open and glanced around the room. Mom was asleep in a chair by the window, Dad was on the bench in the window that was so narrow, I couldn’t imagine it was comfortable for him, considering he was six-feet-five and built like a wrestler.

  Remington was in a chair next to my mom, and I noticed my brothers’ jackets, but they weren’t physically in the room. I rolled my neck to my right and Mouse was sacked out in the chair next to me, his hand touching mine, so I squeezed it and his eyes flew open and met mine. “Hey,” he whispered, standing and leaning over me. “What do you need?”

  “Water,” I rasped, and he nodded, pouring me a cup and guiding the straw to my mouth.

  “Trish,” he called quietly, and my mom awakened immediately and jumped up.

  She stroked my dad’s cheek as she passed him on her way to me. “Greg, honey, she’s awake.”

  Remington stood slowly and smiled at me as she let my mom get to me first. “I’ll get a nurse,” she offered, and walked out of the room.

  “Baby,” Mom crooned.

  “Hi, Mama.”

  Before she could say anything else, Sawyer rushed in and shooed everyone out of the room.

  “Can my mom stay?” I asked.

  “That should be fine,” Sawyer said, and my family walked out of the room. “How’s your pain level?” she asked as she took vitals.

  “I don’t have any pain.”

  She checked the pain pump and smiled. “Well, you got dosed less than an hour ago.”

  I assumed my mom probably did and left it at that.

  “Your fever’s gone,” Sawyer said with a grin. “That’s really good, Kennedy. The doctor’s going to be really happy.”

  “When will the doctor be here?” my mother asked.

  “I paged him, so he’ll be here any—”

  Before she could finish her sentence, the doctor walked in, pumping his hand with sanitizer, then making his way to me. “Hi, Kennedy, Dr. Warren.”

  “I remember,” I said.

  He nodded. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I got hit in the leg by a tree.”

  He smiled. “Well, that’s a good sign. If you didn’t feel anything, I’d worry.” He turned to Sawyer. “I want a full CBC and let’s get another x-ray on that leg.”

  “Yes, doctor.”

  He turned back to me. “How’s your pain?”

  “It’s good,” I said.

  “She had a dose a little over an hour ago,” Sawyer informed him.

  “Have you been awake that long?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so,” I said.

  “Her man has been timing her pump,” Mom said. “He woke himself every four hours to press the button.”

  “He did?” I asked.

  “Yes, baby, he did.”

  Warm fuzzies began to form in my heart and I gave them an internal admonishment because there was no way in hell I was about to give into them.

  Stupid fuzzies.

  “I’m done waitin’,” Mouse growled, pushing into the room.

  “Sir, we’re not done here,” the doctor said.

  “I don’t give a fuck,” he hissed.

  “Is it okay if he stays?”

  This question came
from my mother and I raised an eyebrow in her general direction. Not that she could see me... she wasn’t looking at me. Her head was fully turned toward Mouse and I had a feeling she was probably drooling at his gorgeousness.

  “That all depends on what Kennedy wants,” the doctor said, and Mouse stared at me, virtually daring me to protest his presence.

  “I’m fine with him staying,” I said.

  But only after I made him wait a few tense seconds.

  “Right,” the doctor said, and squeezed my hand. “Do you have any questions for me?”

  “When can I go home?”

  He smiled gently. “Not for a little while. But on the bright side, you can have something to eat if you’re hungry.”

  I nodded. “I am. That would be great.”

  “Sawyer will let you know what we have.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “Your pulse is good,” he said, and pulled the blanket back to look at my leg. “Good color,” he mused as he studied the incision and the halo that was now holding the leg together apparently.

  “When did I get that?” I asked.

  “We had to go back in on Thursday.”

  “Thursday?” I squeaked. “What day is it today.”

  “Sunday.”

  “Oh my god, seriously?”

  Dr. Warren focused back on me and nodded. “You had a nasty infection and have been in a coma, but everything is looking really good and I think you’re on the mend. We’ll continue to watch you closely over the next forty-eight hours.” He smiled again. “I’m very happy with your progress, Kennedy. Your body is doing what it’s supposed to do.”

  I nodded, biting back tears, hardly hearing anything the doctor said after he said ‘coma.’

  Jesus.

  Mouse was suddenly at my side, his hand sliding into mine and he squeezed gently. “You’re okay,” he whispered.

  “I’ll leave you now, but if you need me, please let Sawyer know,” Dr. Warren said.

  “Thanks, Dr. Warren,” my mom said, and the doctor left the room.

  “Do you want vanilla, chocolate, or tapioca pudding?” Sawyer asked.

  “Chocolate, please,” I said, and she nodded.

  “I’m going to update your dad and Remington,” Mom said.

  The second the door closed behind them, I burst into tears. “Oh, god,” I rasped.

  “Baby, you’re okay. Everything’s okay.”

  “I was in a coma.”

  “I’m aware, Lace.”