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Choruses of, “Yes, ma'am,” ring out from the burley men as I push past them into the corridor. I have work to do. I need to get things ready to take him home.
“Stand down. Black King, that is an order.”
“Respectfully, sir, we have new orders, and our team has been transferred to the command of Black Queen, who has requested no one other than herself and the medical staff to enter the room.”
“Ray…Ray…! Ray! Do not make me kill my men to get to you.”
I can hear the commotion in the hall, but the guys are standing their ground. Pa is losing his shit, and I can hear Dad pacing, well, more like stomping as we do when we are thinking.
“Squirt, please?” Dad asks much gentler than Pa’s methods, but still, I crack the door and glare through it.
“Save your breath, Dad. I’m not going, I… I’m not going.”
“Please, you'll regret it if you don’t. You need closure, you ne—”
“Let me stop you there. What I need is in this room. What I need is to concentrate on getting him home. I’m not trying to be difficult, but I know what I need, and this is it. Give my best to everyone there, but I won't be leaving this room.” I step back, closing the door, and I can hear mumbled whispers before a loud crash. That will be Pa. He’s either punched the wall or lobbed a chair. Either way, not my problem.
The next few days are uneventful. Dad and Pa stay away. Ma has been by, but I explained that I needed to be here, and she understood. She didn't like it, but she understood.
So Hades knows how many days later there's a twitch in his fingers when I'm pinching and pulling at them. My eyes flick to his face. His eyes start to flutter, and his fingers twitch again. Leaning closer to him, I say, “I’m here, it’s Ray, I'm here, come back to me.”
His eyes continue to flutter before opening and resting on mine. He tries to talk, but I shake my head. “Don't, you're okay, you're in the hospital. Don't try and talk just yet. Let me get the doctor.”
As I go to move, he grabs my hand, grips gently, and shakes his head. “I'm not going anywhere. I'm just gonna press the button, okay?” He nods again, and I press the call button.
The doctors enter the room, and I step to the other side of the bed and hold his hand. It seems like the right thing to do. He's confused; that much is clear, but the doctors check him over and say they'll monitor things to keep him calm and let him rest.
A few more days, and he's more coherent, starting to talk and ask questions. He wants to come home with me, so they're trying to make that happen. I assure them I have all the care he needs sorted, and then I can take him home in a few days. They don't want me to; they want him to stay here, but when you own the place, they really have to do what you say.
“Black Queen, I strongly implore you to revise your decision. I don’t think it's wise for him to leave. He should be here with the medical staff.”
“I don't need him fully fixed, Doc. I just need him well enough to go home. He will get all the care he needs there. I have everything in place now. You just need to say the word so we can leave.”
“I don't like this, Black Queen. He's still not out of the woods. We still need to run more tests to see if there's any lasting damage.”
“Is he well enough to travel?”
“In an ambulance, yes!”
“Is he well enough to be looked after at home? He's not gonna die if we move him?”
“No, he's not gonna die if you move him. We just nee—”
“You need to get him ready to leave. Give me a day and a time to arrange the fucking ambulance, then we will go. I have everything he's ever gonna need, so you just worry about making sure he's strong enough to make the trip home. Then, you're done. We don't need anything else. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Black Queen. Friday… We will arrange the transport, and I will send a nurse back with you for a home visit to make sure you have everything in place that you need.”
“Won't be necessary, just arrange the transport. I have everything else under control.”
“Black Que—-”
I step forward. “Doctor!” I square him a look as I cross my arms over my chest. I’m nowhere near as intimidating now with my bump protruding out from me, and my arms just kinda rest on my stomach rather than against my ribs, but I suppose that's the joy of being pregnant, something I’ve not really had the time to enjoy. I need to get him home before I get much bigger, before I’m useless.
“Friday.” He nods, then scurries back down the corridor.
“Black Queen?”
I turn to see Black Rook standing there, not my brother, the one under my command. When The Armoury was set up, the initial group of my dad and pas were Alpha 1 and named after the white chess pieces as white always goes first. They were White King, White Queen, White Bishop, White Knight, White Rook and White Pawn. From there, every team was given a name: Bravo, Charlie, Delta, etc, and a number between one and nine. Me and my brothers are Delta 1, and these guys are Foxtrot 5. Then, there are three to six members in each team. Black King, usually the leader, Black Queen, some forgo this if they're an all male crew and there are less than six of them, sexist bastards, they can pick which name they have from those confines. My dad well, my pa Daniel—he was White Queen and rocked it. These five guys kept the Queen, and I respect that. They split into two shifts, three in the day and two for the night shift. Black Rook is here now, along with Black Bishop and Black Queen.
