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“Bed rest. No band stuff. Listen to your body. Drink lots of water. Take your pain medication. Don’t try to be a hero because, however much we all like you, we don’t want to see you back here again anytime soon.”
“Yes, doctor. I promise to behave and take it easy. And thank you all for taking care of me so well.”
He left a huge bag of medication and dressings on the bed along with instructions on how often she needed her dressings changed and what issues to look out for. A nurse wheeled in a chair for her, and we helped her step down from the bed and sit in it, tears welling in her eyes from the obvious pain it was causing her.
“You’ll be home in no time, Rogue. Just breathe for me. Ready to get out of here?”
She wiped her eyes and nodded. I made a call to Neo and Ed, who were waiting with the car before I grabbed her bags and pushed her to the elevator. She stayed silent as we descended to the ground floor. As soon as the doors opened and we were met with the insane noise from the waiting crowd outside, I noticed Frankie’s body stiffen.
“You okay there, Rogue?”
She shook her head, and I realized she was crying. Stopping, I dropped the bags to the floor, crouching down in front of her.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I wiped her tears away with my thumbs before running my knuckles against her jaw. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes wide, and her skin was pale again. “Rogue, talk to me.”
“Can’t breathe. I think it’s too soon. I need to go back upstairs.”
I pressed my hand over her heart. “Breathe, Rogue. They wouldn’t have let you leave if they were worried about you. You’re ready to go home and they're a phone call away if we need Dr. Vaughan to come, check on you. What’s really going on?”
“Matt, I’m scared. I’m really scared,” she sobbed.
I cupped her cheeks with my hands and lifted her head gently. Frankie had always been the strongest person in the room. Stronger than Tanner and her brothers. Stronger than Addi. She had balls of steel and nothing or no one ever seemed to shake her, but right now she looked broken and fragile, and I hated it. I hated that I couldn’t protect her. Couldn’t fix it. Couldn’t take her pain as my own so she didn’t have to suffer. “I’ve got you. I promise. Nothing will happen to you while I’m here.”
“She shot me. She nearly killed Tan. She was right under our noses. Who do I trust? How do I know who to trust? What if someone else comes after us… comes after me?”
Her breathing was erratic now, and I knew it must hurt like hell. I had no clue what to say to calm the panic attack she was obviously having, so instead, I kissed her. Long, slow, deep. Stealing her fear and trying to give her some of my strength. She grabbed onto my t-shirt, fisting it, deepening our connection. I kissed her until she pulled away, breathless.
“Matt…”
“Do you trust me, Rogue? Really? Do you trust me?”
“With my life.”
“Then let me keep you safe.”
“I can’t go out there like this. I feel so exposed and weak. That’s what the world will see.”
“Then let’s go out another way. Give me a sec.”
I typed out a quick text and seconds later, Neo walked toward us.
“Hey, Frankie. Glad you’re coming home. The place hasn’t been the same without you.”
Frankie offered him a small smile as he picked up her bags. “Your chariot awaits, and your brothers and Addi are desperate to see you.”
Reaching down, I scooped Frankie up in my arms. She felt so light it broke my heart. “You need to eat more, Rogue. You’re too thin. Now, hold on tight. I’ve got you and you’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you. Better?”
“Better, but there will be photos of us. Won’t your wife mind?”
“I think my wife would have wanted me to take care of you,” I replied honestly.
I carried her down the corridor and around the corner to the entrance, stepping out of the hospital as she buried her face in my chest, hiding from the glare of the cameras. The crowd screamed her name and reporters yelled out questions loudly. I pressed her tighter to me and we ignored them all. Ed opened the passenger door, waiting for us to step into the car where I kept Frankie on my lap, not wanting to hurt her but also desperate to keep her feeling safe after everything she’d been through. Neo and Ed got in and Len drove us away.
“I need to put my seatbelt on. My bodyguard gets really annoyed when I don’t.” She let out the smallest laugh.
“This is the one and only time I won’t tell you off for not wearing it. Now get comfy and close your eyes because you must be exhausted.” I looked down and her eyes were already closed.
“You’re safe, Rogue. I’ve got you.” I ignore Neo’s grin as he looked over at us both, trying to pretend this was all part of my job, but knowing this stopped being my job months ago. She was my life. I just didn’t know how to tell her that.
