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We go through more basic questions as she checks my reflexes and reactions. After all of the tests say I’m fine, she asks more questions about tonight to get a better idea of what happened. Dr. Corbin steps away for a moment, ordering some tests with the nurses before stepping back and asking if there’s anything else I need right now.
“A-are there three men waiting for me? Riggs, Rhys, and Adam?” I ask hesitantly, chewing my lip with uncertainty.
What if they didn't come? What if they felt that the shit falling all around me is just too much?
"A really big man with blonde hair and blue eyes came in the ambulance with you," one nurse says, an appreciative smirk on her face. "I put him in the private waiting room, down the hall from triage."
"That's Riggs," I sigh with relief, pushing down the tears threatening to fall. I’m vulnerable enough laying in this bed, they don’t need to see my tears as well.
The doctor nods in confirmation towards the nurse then turns to me, placing a hand on my arm. "I'll go grab your men for you. You rest up a bit, and someone will be in shortly to do blood work."
Laying my head back down, the nurse that spoke of Riggs comes up to the side, adjusting my bed to a more inclined position.
"These buttons here will raise and lower the top and bottom parts of the bed. This little remote hanging off this side with the red button is to call any of us at the nursing station," she speaks softly, demonstrating everything on the bed for me. "My name is Hannah, please ask for me if it would make you more comfortable. I'm going to run and grab some water for you to sip on."
"Thank you. Would you be able to turn the lights down a bit? It's just hurting my head a lot."
Hannah flicks a couple switches as she leaves, leaving only the lights at the end of my room on. Squeezing my eyes shut to try and dull the throbbing on the left side of my head, I wince at the feeling. It's like a second heartbeat developed in my head, and it's pounding away at near deafening levels. Passing out from fear is not new to me, it’s a survival instinct I developed, according to my therapist, to save me from remembering some of the torture. Every time it happens, I wake up with a terrible migraine and feel out of it for the next twenty four hours.
The hospital is duty bound to make sure I’m okay, running tests and checking me over, but I know it will all come back normal. This is because of him and the other monsters parading as foster parents that took my childhood innocence and ripped it away from me. It was a defense mechanism that I never should have needed to have. Now, just hearing his name, knowing he’s somehow stalking me, is enough to trigger it all over again.
“Thank god.” Riggs’ voice rumbles throughout the small room, bringing a watery smile to my face.
Opening my eyes to see the three of them surrounding my hospital bed is enough to break the wall surrounding my emotions. It’s like a switch flips, and all my fear, worry, pain, and relief comes pouring out. The sobs that wrack my body make my head throb even harder, but none of that matters as the three men I trust more than anyone else comfort me.
“We’ve got you, Lay. You’re safe with us,” Rhys whispers, kissing the top of my head.
Riggs grabs my hand, kissing the knuckles and silently comforting me. Adam stands at the bottom of my bed, holding my feet under the blankets and looking upset and uncomfortable. Without thinking, I reach out my hand, beckoning him forward to squeeze in up here with the other two. I haven’t had the time to explore my relationship with him as much as I have the other two, but I want him here with me just as much.
“Thank you. For being here. When I woke up, I was worried you wouldn’t come. I know me being in your life is a huge burden, with shit going wrong every second. I’ve brought more than enough grief and drama onto your doorstep already.” Sucking in a breath and holding it, I pull my shoulders back and get ready to lay my heart out there. “But having the three of you still here with me means more than you will ever know. The three of you have come to mean so much to me in such a short time, something that isn’t an easy feat when I push everyone away.”
“You don’t have to thank us,” Adam scoffs, shaking his head at me. “There is no way in hell that we would leave you now. We are in this with you, every single step of the way whether you want us there or not. You didn’t bring us anything we can’t handle.”
“He’s right,” Riggs mumbles, brushing a stray tear from my cheek. “You’re stuck with us. There’s no way to get rid of us now. We will protect you and love you the way you should have been loved and protected your entire life. You are not alone anymore.”
Rhys hums his agreement, his cheek pressed to the top of my head. Soft tears fall at their declarations, the broken child inside of me overjoyed and terrified all at the same time. Others have said sweet words and made hollow promises to me, each one letting me down and hurting me. These three are different though. All three of them have already proven to me time and time again that they are good people. Adam came off badly at the beginning, but it was from a place of trauma which is something I fully understand. People would say I’m a bitch too, which I am, but it comes from trying to avoid people who could hurt me.
“I’m so tired of being a victim,” I confide, twisting my fingers together in my lap. “I told myself it would stop happening. I’m an adult, I should be able to protect myself. Why?” I break, my voice shaking as the tears overwhelm me. “Why me?”
“No one can really answer why bad things happen to some people more than others,” Adam answers, his eyes holding my own with sympathy. “Some people believe you only get dealt what you can handle, I personally think that’s bullshit. Look at Declan, he couldn’t handle everything that came at him. That said, you have a strength in you that I’ve never seen in anyone else. You’re a fucking hellcat, baby, and even the depths of hell can’t hold you.”
“Plus, you have us. This isn’t all sitting on your shoulders,” Rhys chimes in, lifting my chin to look at him. “We’ve got you, Lay. We will also protect you, with everything we have in us. We’re all broken souls, but we fit together pretty damn perfectly. Each of us has dealt with our fair share of bad shit, that doesn’t mean it will always be this way. Our happy ending is coming, I can feel it.”
“Always the optimist,” I half-heartedly tease as my heart soars in my chest. It feels like there isn’t much room left in my chest with how much my heart is flying all over the place. This is too much, these guys are too good to me. Something will fuck it all up, it always does.
“Oh, busy room.” Hannah steps into the room, a cheeky smile and a wink sent in my direction. “Here’s your water, sweetheart. Let me know if you need anything else. Bloodwork will be here in about five minutes.”
“Thanks, Hannah,” I murmur, taking a sip from the water and sighing in relief.
Riggs is staring at the nurse as she leaves, making me a bit uncomfortable until he turns to me, his face drained of all colour. Adam reaches across me, his arms out and ready to grab Riggs if he starts to faint or fall.
“Dude, wh—” Rhys starts then stops, looking to the door then back to Riggs with understanding shining in his eyes. “Hannah. The nurse’s name was Hannah—”
“Like your sister,” I gasp, the story Riggs told me the night of my bar fire coming back to me. “Riggs, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—” I stop, unsure what to even say here. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“I’m okay,” he whispers, his voice so quiet and fragile it breaks my heart with every word spoken. “It was just a shock; the last time I was in a hospital was after Hannah’s accident. You did nothing wrong, Lay. Don’t apologize.”
“It’s kinda freaky,” Adam blurts out, his filter so badly broken it’s almost funny. “Dude, I’ve got goose pimples.”
