AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bones grumbles in discontent and disengages her from himself with a not-so-gentle nudge. She sets off like someone set her heels on fire. I look at Bones’ and Hex’s apprehensive faces, and I’m struck by their loyalty. Just hours ago, these men were ready to condemn Seer, but now that he’s in real, external danger, his wellbeing is the only thing on their minds. They’re good men.
They must have ridden in at top speed to make it here as quickly as they did, but I’m sure their safety wasn’t on their minds as they rushed down to the hospital for Seer. I had to force my men to stay in the reception room at the attending doctor’s insistence, but there was no keeping Bones and Hex out. Hex blames himself for the accident. I can feel his guilt, so similar to mine, eating him up. I wish I could drown out the “what-ifs” in my head, but I can’t stop thinking about the one thousand and one ways I could have prevented this all from happening.
“Prez?”
Hex’s solemn voice pulls me out of my depressing thoughts. I turn to look at him with raised brows. “Huh?”
Hex shrugs reluctantly. “It’s just… I’ve been thinking,” he looks at Seer and quickly returns his attention to me. “Do you think Seer saw his accident in a vision? I mean… he seemed kinda off even before the mission.”
I don’t get the chance to respond as the attending doctor, a tall man with a dignified aura, walks in with Graveyard. The doctor stops by Seer’s bed, glances at the beeping monitor and down at the notepad in his hand. He inclines his head a little, a slight frown deepening his perfectly arched brows. I wait patiently at first, but the moment drags on too long, and so I grab the doctor by the collar of his white coat, jerking him forward until his face is just a few inches away from mine.
“Can you quit the fucking theatrics and tell me what the fuck is going on now?”
Graveyard steps forward and places a hand on my left shoulder, keeping his gaze steady on mine. “You need to calm down, Prez.”
I let go of the doctor’s coat and run my fingers through my hair again. “I’m sorry, Doc,” I say, trying for a calmer approach. “Can you tell us why he isn’t in the intensive care unit or the operating room yet?”
The doctor moves back, clearing his throat loudly. He’s clearly flustered, but he’s doing a good job of keeping calm. “You’ll be pleased to hear your friend has no serious physical injuries. We’ve run scans, and they’ve all come back clean. He’s physically fine, just a little banged up on the exterior.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Hex asks, his voice laced with confusion and anger. “He hasn’t as much as lifted a finger in the past hour, and you say he’s fine?”
I look toward Graveyard quizzically. “What’s going on, man? What’s the doctor talking about?”
Graveyard shakes his head, and my stomach sinks deeper at the reluctance in his disposition. “I’m sorry, Pocus,” Graveyard says solemnly, like whatever he’s about to say next is his fault. “I made sure they ran every test I could think of, but nothing came up.”
I shake my head slowly in confusion. “But… but how’s that possible? Even now, I can feel him weaken. He’s going to fucking die at this rate!”
The doctor turns toward me with a reassuring smile. “I can assure you that’s not going to happen, sir. Unfortunately, accident victims can slip into a coma without sustaining physical injury. The non-physical trauma of the situation can be part of the cause. Mr. Abner should be awake in a few days at most. We’ll move him into a room in the recovery unit. We’ll keep a close eye on him, but I’m afraid there’s not much we can do.” He looks politely at everyone in the room and gives me a curt nod. “Have a good day.” With that said, he turns around and walks away.
I glance down at Seer and back up at my men’s desolate faces. Then, for the first time since I saw Seer’s bike roll down that cliff on the highway, I let myself feel the panic clawing at my insides all day. I hope to God the doctor was right when he said Seer would be fine…Because that’s the only option I’m willing to consider.
* * *
Iwatch my wife stir in bed, hoping she settles back into a restful sleep. But her eyelids flutter open, revealing those mesmerizing hazel eyes that never cease to amaze me.
My wife. There’s something to be grateful for, at least.
“Pocus?” Her voice is husky with sleep–sexy.
My heart clenches with guilt at the thought, but she reaches out and grabs my hand. The touch helps quiet the turmoil that’s been raging inside me. She must have felt my restlessness even in her deep sleep. We both share a special bond that connects our very souls. I feel more guilt, guilt for waking her up. I stroke my palm over her glossy brown hair and lean over to kiss her forehead softly.
“I’m sorry, mon Coeur,” I mutter against her hair. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Abigail shakes her head and sits up slowly, her hand placed protectively over her stomach. “No, honey, it’s okay. Can’t you sleep? Is it Seer?”
I drop my head on her shoulder. “I just can’t stop thinking I could have averted the crash if I’d paid more attention to Seer.”
“You put way too much pressure on yourself, Pocus. Surely, you can’t prevent every misfortune from happening.”
“I know,” I reply with a shrug. “It’s just… Hex said something that stuck earlier. He suggested that Seer might have seen his accident in a vision. Hex suggested maybe that’s why he’s been distant. He seemed disturbed, but I brushed it off. I knew something was wrong, but I sent him on a mission, anyway. He lied at the meeting and I accepted it. I even laid him off. I knew something big must have happened for Seer to leave his post that day, but I thought we could talk about it after the dust settled, you know? I should have handled things better. I feel so disappointed in myself right now.”
Abigail moves back a little, raising her eyes to mine. She cups my face in her palms and leans forward to plant her lips on mine. We stay that way, neither of us making any move to deepen the kiss, just sharing and taking strength.
Abigail pulls back after a while and smiles into my eyes. “Everything will be fine, my love.” Her eyes twinkle beautifully in the dim lighting of our room. “I think your daughter agrees with that, too.”
I drop my gaze to the lovely curve of her stomach, my heart speeding up in excitement. “She kicked?”
Abigail nods gently. She takes my hand in hers and guides it over her stomach. My lurches are in tune with my baby’s kick, and I can’t help the instant joy that bubbles in the very depth of my soul.
