Double Full (Nice Guys 1)

In a matter of a few brief moments this went from a case of helping his dad out to wanting to help these two men. Interesting.

Chapter 29

Jace sat perched on the chair, observing every single person who came through the room. He watched everything done and rarely asked any questions. There was a method to their maddening routine. It seemed to proceed like clockwork, only changing when the shift changed. If there was any foul play going on, Jace couldn’t identify it.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he let himself go, thinking all the terrible thoughts. He’d tried to keep those hidden, not letting them be seen by the staff. Jace needed to hold himself together for Colt. So thinking things like, what if the next person in this room came back to finish Colt off or what if they came back to finish them both off, couldn’t be productive. Surely Colt’s dad wouldn’t be that aggressive, but as the minutes turned into hours, and the hours almost equaled a full day, reason lost some of its draw to Jace’s overactive imagination.

Jace released the pent-up breath he held and started up again on the rolling dialog he performed when they were alone in the room. It kept the crazy thoughts buried and consisted of three things.

Please get better.

Open your eyes.

Don’t leave me.

Realistically Jace understood Colt was heavily sedated. No way could he open his eyes even if he wanted too. But that didn’t stop the insanity from spilling over, or his heart’s desires to be said aloud. If Colt would open those eyes, Jace would know everything would be okay. Right?

The hospital room door opened. The smell of a new cologne caused Jace to look up, his gritty, tired eyes landed on a portly, older man. Not much more than five-six, maybe five-seven.

“I’m Dr. Knox, you must be Jace,” the doctor said, already dressed in scrubs. He came to his side of the bed. Jace rose. He assumed the visible relief showed on his face as the doctor took his hand and reached around to pat Jace’s back.

“Thank you for coming.”

“This guy’s come to mean a lot to me. I’m glad you called,” Dr. Knox said. He rounded the bed again and did a small exam, looking Colt over.

“Your son stopped by,” Jace blurted, filling the silence in the room as he closely watched each move the doctor made.

“I spoke to him while I was downstairs. I’ve been here a little while, reviewing his charts. I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing. I’m worried about the possibility of Compartment syndrome, though. He’s got a small amount of swelling in this arm that’s a bit of a concern from a nerve damage standpoint. He needs surgery, but it shouldn’t take long. They’re prepping now. With your approval, we’ll be transporting him back to the mainland as soon as he’s stable.” The doctor never looked at Jace as he bent his head, surveying Colt’s right arm.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” It made him nervous to have Colt on the same ground as his father.

“I’m encouraged, but concerned. His legs and right arm are pretty battered. It’s going to take a lot to get him back on his feet. He needs the best care possible,” Dr. Knox said, finally looking back up at Jace.

Jace nodded, knowing from a career standpoint none of this was good, but they weren’t there yet. Colt’s protection was Jace’s first priority. Back in the states his father could easily step in and push them all away.

“I understand why you’re worried. We’ve been working behind the scenes, taken significant steps to ensure both your safety. My son has committed to this case. It shouldn’t take long for him to track the people down who did this. Mitch is cocky, but excellent at what he does. I promise we won’t make one move until we’ve gone through him.”

He still wasn’t feeling any better about this, and he scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Son, at this point there are three people who know about this: you, me, and Mitch. The team hasn’t been told. There are two very distinctly important issues. One, the two of you and your safety, and two, to get Colt the best possible care as quickly as possible. I made a call to a friend in Dallas. He’s top in his field of orthopedic medicine and at hiding public figures. Colt will do well there.” Dr. Knox didn’t invite anymore questions. The man looked down at Colt’s face. Something sad crossed the doctor’s features before he turned to leave the room.

“Oh, by the way, you might not be aware that I’ve told them you two were married in New York last week. You’re his legal guardian for the time being.” The afterthought was said so casually, Jace had to rethink the words before they snuck in and relief staggered him. Those few simple words were exactly what they needed to fend Colt's father off.

“I need to go. I’m observing this surgery. I think Colt might want that; it’s a sensitive procedure. I’ll get him back to you as soon as possible. I promise to be with him the entire time.” Dr. Knox left to be replaced by a frenzy of activity as a hospital gurney was pushed in the room, followed by several hospital staffers.

The new gurney was pushed to Colt’s side and locked into place. The medical professionals worked like a well-oiled machine, but lifting Colt properly required all of them. They unhooked some of the machines while leaving others going and connected to Colt. They gently tugged and carefully pulled Colt until he slid from one bed to another. His arms and legs treated with the utmost care. Jace jumped in to help, working Colt over onto the gurney by supporting his feet.

He trailed along behind the crew, down the hospital corridor as long as he could. The minute came where he had to let Colt go to the operating room beyond the closed doors. They stopped momentarily, and he stole the moment to lean over and kiss Colt’s lips.