Beautiful Brute (Court University 3)

At this point, the doctor had her clipboard in her hands when a nurse gave it to her. Once in hand, the doctor appeared to be checking off and noting things on it.

“You had some swelling to your brain, but even with that, you should be able to start getting back to your old self in about four to eight weeks and, generally, the same time frame for the rest of your ailments. We will need to make sure we monitor your kidneys. Especially, the transplant. But—”

“Transplant?” I gazed up after my mom adjusted my bedding. She’d been smoothing it down and getting it arranged for me. I looked at her. “I had a kidney transplant?”

“Yes, baby,” Mom said. “And it was a miracle. You did so well. Jaxen too.”

My mouth dried again, as if I’d never had water.

As if I’d never ever had water.

“What do you mean?” I whispered, and Dad angled a hand toward me. He had something in his palm.

Something I recognized.

The chunky ring had a gorilla mouth on it, Jaxen’s metal ring. But why did he have it?

Dad placed it in my hand, closing my fist around it. “He wanted you to have it. Said if you woke up first, he wanted you to have it.”

“Well, is he awake?” I shifted and fell back in immediate pain. The room erupted in frenzy, a need to keep me laying down, to tend to me, but no one was telling me about Jaxen. “Where is he?”

“Mr. Ambrose is in his own room, resting.” The doctor smiled again. “He had some issues coming out of the anesthesia, but he’s being monitored.”

“What kind of issues? Dad?” I faced him. “Mom?”

“He just got really sick, baby,” Mom assured, absolute dread filling me. She touched my adoptive father’s shoulder. “We’ve both seen him, though. He’s resting like the doctor said.”

“Well, can I see him?” Another move and an absolute bad idea. Forget someone hitting me with a cement truck. They basically backed up and did it two more times.

“You gotta be careful, Cleo.” The doctor nodded. “Any physical movement won’t be possible for you at this time. Just focus on resting. Getting yourself better.”

“But what about Jaxen?” He’d donated a kidney for me. I just… “When can I see him?”

“The doctor said you need to rest, honey.” Mom drew some of my short hair away from my eyes. “Jaxen will be okay. He just needs to rest too. Like you.”

She’d said this with a smile, but it faltered a little upon looking at my adoptive father. It made me feel like they knew something.

Like they did but felt I was too fragile to tell.

*

More than three days passed with little word about Jaxen and more than enough about me. Dr. Fieldhouse and her team kept me completely informed about my current state and progress. I was even told when I’d start physical therapy, but every time I asked about Jax, all I got were canned responses. He was okay. He was resting. Both my parents had seen him often, but not once had they mentioned about him asking about me. They said every time they came in to check on him, he’d been sleeping.

And I noticed he hadn’t come by.

The internet said the recovery time for a transplant was about one to three days on the donor’s part. I’d made my parents give me my phone so I could check. I asked about that, his recovery time, and when he’d be able to go home, but all I got were assurances. Telling me not to worry about my Jaxen, to relax myself as stress couldn’t possibly help my condition. I didn’t care about myself or my state. I cared about Jaxen’s.

I mean, he’d donated a kidney for me.

I had a part of him inside me. I was physically closer to him in more ways than I’d ever been, but still felt so far away from him. I felt like if something was seriously wrong with him, someone would tell me, but every time I asked, I just got more assurances and was told to take care of myself. It didn’t seem like anyone was taking care of or worrying about him, and that pissed me off.

So many people came through this room to check on me, people from Mom and Dad’s church, friends and family, and of course, Kit. She’d come after her classes one day, and after finding out who gave me my kidney, she’d been floored. She actually cried.

I had too.

I just couldn’t believe it. Jaxen had said so many things to me before the accident. But even with those confessions, even with him saying he loved me, this was different. This was him making a far bigger declaration.