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Noah: Why aren’t you two home yet? I thought everything was okay.
I sighed, pinching the skin between my eyes. After two hours of surgery, Danny was finally in a recovery room. I felt like I was slowly losing my mind. I didn’t like being apart from him, especially when he was injured. And I hated even more that I had to trust other people—strangers—with my precious boy.
Theo: He’s still in surgery, baby.
Noah’s face lit up my phone with a video call. I put my earpiece in my ear before answering his call. I couldn’t even bring myself to force a smile to my lips for his sake. Noah probably would’ve seen right through it anyway.
He was sitting between Thomas’s legs on the couch. Thomas leaned down, resting his chin on Noah’s shoulder. “He was unstoppable,” Thomas told me.
I bit back a sigh. I didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with Noah—not right now. But I would. Because I loved Noah as much as I loved Danny. I just wasn’t sure if I could handle being as tender as Noah needed me to be.
“Is he really going to be okay?” Noah asked me, worry shining in his eyes.
I nodded. “He’s going to be fine, baby. His burns are just really bad, and he needs a skin graft procedure. That’s all. He’ll be bedridden for a few days, and he and I will work from home for a couple of weeks until I think he’s okay to come back into the office, but he’s fine. I promise.”
Noah sighed. “I’m worried about him.”
I smiled softly—this smile actually real. Noah was just so damn sweet. It was impossible for this boy to not lighten my mood a little. “As soon as I’m able to see him, which should be soon, I’ll do a video chat so you can see him, okay? He may be really sleepy though. Just a warning.”
He nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Theo.”
“Eat dinner, baby,” I told him, knowing he hadn’t yet. He tended to not eat when he was stressed. “I’ll call you in a bit. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I ended the call and leaned back in my seat. Using my thumb and pointer finger, I rubbed at my tired eyes. The heavy metal door that led into the back of the hospital opened, and a nurse stepped through, heading straight for me. I stood to my feet.
“Mr. Fennigan?”
“That’s me,” I gruffly told her.
“The doctor would like to speak to you, and then you can take Danny home,” she told me. I followed her into the back, easily keeping pace with her quick steps. She knocked on a door and pushed it open. Danny was propped up against some pillows, and his eyes opened to slits when I walked into the room. He held his hand out to me, and I quickly took it, watching as his eyes slipped shut again, the drugs taking him back under.
The doctor smiled at me when I looked at him, waiting for an explanation. “Everything went well. He’s a bit sluggish and sleepy, but that’s to be expected.” He handed me two prescription papers. I slipped them into my pocket. “One is for pain and the other is an antibiotic. He can start the antibiotic in eight hours, and the pain medicine in four hours. I suggest he stay off his legs for a couple of days as much as possible. No strenuous activity until I clear him. I’d like to see him again in two weeks to see how he’s healing. You can bring him by my office.” The nurse handed me a small appointment card with Danny’s name and the appointment date and time on it.
“Of course.” I released Danny’s hand and ran my fingers through his hair. “And it’s okay for him to go home so soon after the procedure?”
The doctor nodded. “He’s just fine to go on home,” he assured me. “If you have any questions, just call my office. My number is on the card Shelly just gave you. His discharge paperwork is already signed in this bag,” he said, holding up a clear plastic bag that had Danny’s personal items in it—wallet, keys, etc.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the bag from him. “I’ll call if I have any questions. We’ll see you in two weeks.”
The nurse disappeared with the doctor, and a few minutes later, she came back in with a wheelchair. Silently, I lifted Danny from the bed. He groaned in protest and shot me a disapproving look when I settled him in the wheelchair. I carded my fingers through his hair. “We’re going home, baby boy.”
His tense expression settled. “Kay,” he mumbled.
“I’ll bring my car around to the front,” I told the nurse. I didn’t want to leave Danny. Really fucking didn’t. But I had to.
The security officer had brought me my keys and told me where he parked my car shortly after Danny went back for surgery. And he told me he’d be at Fennigan Tech in the morning, so I had a feeling he got fired.
I’d make sure he had a very good salary for helping me with Danny at the cost of his job.
It didn’t take me long to locate the car, and once I was parked in front of the hospital doors, I got out and helped Danny into the car. After I got into the driver’s seat, I called Noah as promised and set my phone on the dashboard so he could see Danny too. Once the call connected, I pulled off, heading home.
“Theo?” Noah asked. “Danny!” he exclaimed a split second later.
Danny cracked open his eyes. “Hey, baby,” he rasped, his eyes shutting again. “I’m really tired.” Even his words were a little slurred. I reached over and clasped his hand in mine, resting our joined hands on the middle console.
“Get some rest,” I told Danny. “Noah just wanted to see you.” I cut my eyes to Noah for a moment. “We’ll be at the house soon, baby. Can you make sure the blankets are pulled back on my bed so it’s easy for Danny to get in bed?”
