Trevor watched Reed while Rylie spoke. He looked so beautiful lying there. Trevor wouldn’t mind waking up in a hospital every day if he woke to Reed’s face every morning. After a moment, he lifted his eyes back to Rylie. “So I guess everyone knows now?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Rylie said, looking him straight in the eye.
“Does it change anything?” Trevor asked, holding Rylie’s gaze. His mind began to clear; flashes of memory made his head hurt. The hotel room came flooding back to him, and he could feel the stain of a blush crossing his cheeks.
“Nah, man, not for me. I’ve known for a while,” Rylie said, looking down at his sleeping brother.
“How?”
“I don’t know. Reed just never hid it. You two are a lot alike, in many ways. I’m glad you’re together. I didn’t realize it got so serious, but Reed needed someone. He needs to settle down. We were beginning to think he’d be a player for the rest of his life." Rylie gave a quick smile. "I’m glad it’s you. I couldn’t have asked for better for him. I wish I would’ve thought of it. I’d have done the hookup before now. I need to tell your nurse you’re awake. We promised we would. You should know, Reed’s been a bear where your care’s concerned, throwing around all that legal jargon, requiring second and third opinions on everything, making calls and conferencing the United States. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t your family. It worried me you weren’t gonna make it through this because it would’ve destroyed him. You should’ve seen him. I’m sure they’re past ready to get rid of him around here. I’ll be back, but I know he would rather be awake now that you’re awake.”
Rylie reached down to clasp Trevor’s left hand, giving a tight squeeze. It was then Trevor realized the bandages around his chest kept his arm secure to his side. He couldn’t lift his arm at all. Quietly, Rylie left the room, making sure the door click didn’t wake Reed. Trevor looked down at the sleeping man. He lifted a finger, and gently ran his index finger over Reed’s full lower lip. The movement caused Reed to jar awake, lifting his head in a rush. Reed’s eyes were swollen red, sleep deprived, and swept up to him immediately.
“You’re awake. Thank you, God. Are you in pain?” Reed leaned over the bed, running his fingers through Trevor’s hair, then down his face. Relief flooded his features, and he lowered his head, gently kissing Trevor’s lips.
“A little. You’re here,” Trevor replied, his voice coming out a little stronger than before.
“Indeed I am. I’ve been waiting for you to wake. I’m so sorry I fell asleep.” Reed stayed over him, resting a hip on the side of the bed while he continued to run his fingers through Trevor’s hair.
“No, don’t be sorry. Rylie told me you’ve been awake for days. Thank you for coming. You shouldn’t have come all this way.”
“Here, take a drink. I’ve been trying to keep your lips and mouth moist. I read it helps. I don’t know if I did a sufficient job though. I didn’t want you to be alone, Trevor. You agreed to a relationship with me. I wanted to be here with you, taking care of you.” Reed poured a small amount of water into Trevor’s mouth, wiping away the drops spilling from the side of the cup. “At least I’ve told myself you agreed to a relationship with me. It might be that I haven’t formally asked you yet, and just made it up in my mind. Regardless, I needed to come to you.”
“Rylie said you’ve been guiding my care. What’re they saying?” Trevor watched pain slice across Reed’s face.
“Trevor, there’s more.”
The nurse walked in, cutting Reed off. Rylie and Brody followed along after her.
“Good, you’re awake,” the nurse said. Reed rose, standing close to the front of the bed, taking Trevor’s hand in his own. “Sgt. West, I’m Alice, your nurse. Dr. Willis is on his way. Are you in pain, sir?” The nurse looked to be in her mid-fifties, short, plump with springy red hair. She was a civilian nurse, and carried a small tray with a syringe lying across the top. Sitting the tray down, she scanned the different monitors above Trevor’s head before picking up the needle and removing the cap.
“A little,” Trevor replied, looking at the nurse, who wouldn’t really look him in the eye, then over to Brody and Rylie. Brody wouldn’t look him in the eye either. Instead, he kept his gaze downcast, focusing somewhere along Trevor’s chest. Trevor remembered the anger he saw on his buddy’s face when he exited the elevator back at the hotel, but somehow he didn’t think this had to do with that.
“This will help, sir. It’s a mild pain reliever. It also acts as a sedative.” Thumping the syringe a couple of times, Alice inserted the needle into the IV. A doctor entered the room at the same time, making the already small room packed.
“Hi, Sgt. West, I’m Dr. Willis. I’ve been in charge of your care while you’re here. We’re glad you’re awake. How are you feeling?” Doctor Willis picked up the chart at the end of his bed and flipped it open. The doctor was around sixty years old, balding, and plump. Both the doctor and the nurse were American.
“I’m sore,” Trevor said. He watched the faces of everyone in the room. Brody still wouldn’t quite make eye contact with him, and Reed looked tense, tracking every movement the nurse and the physician made.
“Yes, I’m sure you are. You’ve been through quite a bit in the last few days. Simply stated, we’ve removed two bullets from your left shoulder and arm. We also removed one from your hip, and another in your left thigh. The wounds are healing nicely. Miraculously, the tissue damage appears to have minimal disruption, and no infection to this point. You were lucky. Nothing hit any major arteries or organs. We’re encouraged that there’s no fever. Your care has been very aggressive. Your young man here made sure of it.” The doctor stood at the end of his bed, pausing for a moment, looking as if he needed to find his words. After a moment, he continued, rubbing his hands down the front of his lab coat, pushing forward.