Page 4 of Waggs

Waggs looked to Gunner for help even though it was his wedding. “Decker doesn’t drink. The health freak doesn’t like toxins in his body.”

“Can you get him for me?”

Gunner nodded and went to pull Lacey away, and she stopped him.

“I’ll stay and help Waggs. She looks ready to drop.”

Gunner nodded and hurried off to get back up.

“Give me the child, and you hold on to Willow.”

Waggs pulled his sleeping nephew from Willow’s weak arms, and the fact she let go so quickly told him how bad she felt because she was like a lioness with her son. Waggs checked his nephew for a fever and found his temperature was fine; he was just exhausted by the looks of it. He passed the boy to Lacey, who cuddled him into her side.

“I don’t want to die.”

Willow was slurring her words and obviously hallucinating, but the way she said the words struck him as real and made his gut clench. He held her tight and kissed her head. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Wills.”

Gunner came back with Decker, who quickly weighed the situation and took in every single mannerism, reading their body language, and most likely coming up with the exact right conclusion, knowing his luck.

“She sick?”

“Yeah, fever. I need to get them to my place so I can take care of them.”

“I’ll get the car.”

Waggs nodded and waited impatiently. He needed to get Willow and AJ safe so he could find out just what the fuck was going on. She sure as hell didn’t fly halfway around the world for help because she was sick. Or did she? Was Willow dying? Had she come because she was going to die and wanted his help with AJ?

“Don’t borrow trouble, brother.”

Waggs looked up at Gunner, who was watching and nodded briefly, not able to articulate his thoughts and fears and knowing his friend was right.

Decker came back and took AJ from Lacey as he carried Willow, who was almost out of it now, and got them in the back of the car. He climbed in after them, and after making sure they were secure, buckled in.

The drive home was less than twenty minutes, but in that time, Willow had got even hotter and was groaning. He managed to get her out of the car as she vomited all down his jacket. Ignoring the sour smell, he took her straight to the bathroom as Decker carried AJ through to Waggs spare bedroom and laid him on the bed.

Decker stuck his head in the bathroom. “Is it normal for him not to wake up when he’s moved around like that?”

“Yeah, his dad was exactly the same as a kid.”

“Do you want me to stay?”

Waggs shook his head. “No, thanks. I got it from here, and thanks, Deck.”

“Any time.” Decker paused, and Waggs looked up. “This the one who has you so fucked up?”

Waggs went silent, not able to admit it even to himself.

“I’m going to take that as a yes. Call if you need anything and when you find out what’s going on with her and why she flew around the world to see you suddenly, let us know. We have your back, Waggs.”

“Thanks, Deck.”

Decker left, and Waggs quickly stripped his ruined jacket and shirt off and took off Willow’s tee and jeans, tossing them in the laundry. With her wearing less, he checked her over, looking for any bruising or signs of infection or sepsis, and found none. He picked her up, noticing how light she was and how much weight she’d lost, and worry hit him anew.

Placing her in the middle of his bed, he got some fever reducer and lifted her head.

“Come on, Wills, drink this for me and it’ll make you feel better.” It took several attempts, but eventually, he got the medicine into her. Within half an hour, her fever was coming down, and she was sleeping soundly. Waggs checked on AJ and saw he was still sleeping, so he went to clean the bathroom.

As he picked up her clothes to put them in the wash, a thumb drive fell out of her pants pocket. He looked at it wondering what was on it that was so important she’d carry that and nothing else, not even luggage.