Chapter 59
I was woken up by the ringing of my phone. I sat up on the couch and saw it was Wictor calling. In the middle of everything else that was happening, I had forgotten about him and Anthony. I smiled and picked up, hoping for good news. I could need some.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hi, babe. You sound off, did I wake you?” Wictor asked.
“Kind off,” I admitted.
“What’s up? You usually don’t sleep this late, it’s almost noon. Is Hunter keeping you up at night?” he asked with a teasing voice. The mention of Hunter sent a pang through my heart.
“Things happened yesterday. But let’s talk about you. I could see that things looked to be going good yesterday,” I said.
“First, you don’t fool me and we will circle back to that. Secondly, oh my god yes!” he shouted. I laughed.
“No husband, no secret harem of men?” I asked, enjoying getting a break from my problems.
“No, where do you get these things from?” he asked, acting all kind of innocent.
“I wonder…”
“No, he was just as sweet as he always was. He’s been wanting to reach out to me since he came out, but thought it would be unfair with how he ended things. But yesterday we talked. Alot. About what has been going on with our lives. Where we’re at and just, you know, catching up,” Wictor told me in a rapid flow of words.
“And?” I asked.
“We are meeting today for lunch and then to hang out. Just as friends, for now, until we figure things out, how we want things, and if there is something more there. Just very relaxed and easy,” he answered. I laughed.
“Right. I can hear how relaxed and easy you are about this. It’s okay, you are allowed to get excited about this.”
“Oh my gosh. I am excited, I can hardly contain myself. All I want to do is tear his clothes off and do unspeakable things and then spend the rest of our lives cuddling. And speaking of that, lets circle back. What’s up with you?” I sighed and started to tell him. I did my best not to cry and my voice only caught once. “Hana, babe, why did you let me go on and on about my things? I’m coming to be with you. Where is this office building?” Wictor told me.
“It’s okay, Wictor. It was nice to get some good news. And you don’t need to come here. They are taking good care of me and I can get updates and I have ways to keep busy. I need you to go and have your date with Anthony. It makes me feel better,” I told him. There was a long pause.
“Are you sure? I’m sure Tony would understand,” Wictor said and the old nickname sounded natural as he said it.
“I’m sure.”
“Okay, but you have to promise that you will let me know as soon as you know something. Good or bad. And you have to accept that I may see it necessary to come and take care of you,” he told me.
“I can live with that, and I will keep you updated. Thanks little brother.” We didn’t stay on the phone long after that. After we hung up, I sat on the couch in Hunter’s office and felt a little lost. I didn’t know what to do. I could reach out to Jason, but didn’t want to distract him. I could go down to the kitchen, Chef could use some help. But not even that sounded good. I ended up just sitting and letting my mind drift. There was a loud knock on the door and Clair walked in.
“Good, your awake. Jason didn’t want to disturb you, but he and the men left a little while back. He just texted me and let me know he got Hunter. They are headed for the hospital and he asked if you would like to go there to meet them,” she told me. I jumped up from the couch and grabbed the hoodie.
“The hospital? How bad is it?” I asked as I hurried up to her and we both left the office.
“I don’t know. I don’t have any details. These men will make sure you get there,” she told me and gestured to a group of six men.
“What about you?” I asked. She smiled at me.
“I will make sure things are as they should here. I’ll come by later,” she reassured me.
“Thank you,” I said and gave her a hug before rushing off toward the group of men. They ushered me into the elevator and then into a car while giving me instructions about how I needed to act. It was similar to what Hunter had told me. I just nodded and tried to remember it while my mind was with Hunter. He had to be hurt badly if he had agreed to go to the hospital, I knew that much. The car stopped in an underground parking garage at the hospital and the men took me to stand by the entrance. I was closest to the wall and they all fanned out around me. Five minutes later I could hear the squeal of tires as someone took a curve at too high of a speed. A dark van appeared and it had barely stopped moving before the side door opened. Jason stepped out and I could see the blood on his clothes and hands. I prayed that not all of it were Hunter’s. Next more men jumped out and they all helped to lift a stretcher out of the van. I recognised Hunter’s legs and started to move forward, to get to him. I was stopped by my protective guard. I was about to start shouting at them when the door next to us opened and hospital staff rushed out with a gurney on wheels. I watched as the stretcher was placed on top of the gurney. Once it was done, the two men holding me back let go of me and I could finally sprint to Hunter’s side. I stopped in my tracks as I saw him. He had a nasty wound on his head that had bled down his face and the side of his head. He had what looked like silver tape wrapped around his one shoulder and his shirt was soaked in both fresh and dried blood. His face was pale with dark circles under his closed eyes. For the duration of three heartbeats, I thought it was too late. That Jason hadn’t got to him in time. Then he took in a deeper breath and his eyelids fluttered.
“Hunter?” I called out and rushed to be by his side and grabbed his hand on the side where he wasn’t injured. Jason was walking on Hunter’s other side. My voice seemed to wake Hunter and he looked up at me and gave me a weak smile.
“Sweetness,” he whispered and tried to raise the hand I wasn’t holding. But pain made him flinch and he gave up the attempt.
“Don’t move, Hunter. I’m here,” I told him.
“Why have you been crying?” he asked in his weak voice. I hadn’t noticed that I had started crying. But as he pointed it out, I could feel the tears running down my face.
“I’m crying because I’m happy,” I told him. It wasn’t the whole truth. I cried because I was devastated by what he had been through, by the pain he had to be in. But I also cried because I was grateful he was alive and that I had him back.
“Oh,” he said, as if he couldn’t quite understand the idea.
“I promised you could see her, and you have. Now you need to get into surgery,” Jason told Hunter. I could feel Hunter’s grip on my hand tighten.
“Listen to him. I will be here when you wake up,” I said, squeezing his hand back.
“I’ll look after her,” Jason promised. Hunter grunted and reluctantly let go of my hand. I felt like sobbing as he did. But I needed to be strong for his sake. I stepped to the side to let the staff wheel him into the area where me and Jason couldn’t go. Jason walked to my side and for a while we both stood, just looking at the closed doors.
“Thank you,” I said to him.
“You don’t need to thank me.”
“I know, and I know you didn’t do it for me. But thank you. I don’t think you get to hear it often enough.” He chuckled.
“Maybe I did it partly for you. Mostly for him, but partly for you.” I couldn’t help but to smile a little.
“We need to find you a shower and some clothes,” I told him. Glancing sideways at him.
“John is bringing me clothes and I know where the changing rooms are. I used to date a doctor that worked here. And a couple of nurses,” he admitted.
“Of course you did.”
“Will you stay?” he asked.
“There is no other place for me to be until he comes back and wakes up,” I answered. He nodded.
“The men will also stay. They will make sure you are safe until I get back.” I nodded and took aim for the row of plastic visitors chairs. Jason took off towards where he could shower and all around me men sat down. Some still in tactical gear, some in suits. For the first time in many years, I wasn’t afraid as the unfamiliar men surrounded me. They were Hunter’s family in a way, he trusted them and I trusted him.