I said and slowly got to my feet, careful not to jostle Blue and wake her again. Placing her in the bassinet, I held my breath for a few seconds after I laid her down and hoped she stayed asleep. After a few beats of silence, I turned around and faced the doctor. “They’re my family. It’s fine for them to hear the results.”
He nodded curtly and looked at the tablet in his hand. “Bronze Black’s sample and Blue Black’s sample resulted in a 99.99% probability of paternity. Here is a sealed and certified copy for you to keep. I’ve already arranged for a courier to deliver a sealed and certified copy to your lawyer’s office, as well as the copy responding to the judge’s order, first thing this morning.”
I wasn’t hit with a flood of emotions like I expected. I remained calm and thanked him, extending my hand by muscle memory. Once he was gone, I inhaled deeply and turned around to face my brothers. I was fine. I smiled at Copper reassuringly, and everything went black.
“If you don’t stop shining that damn light in my eyes, I’m going to call Judge to come whoop your ass,” I grumbled.
“He’s awake!” River shouted.
“Shut the fuck up!” I groaned and slapped my hands over my head, immediately stiffening when they didn’t land on my hair. “Why does it feel like there are bandages on my head?” I asked, failing to hide the rising panic in my voice. Because the last time I had bandages on my head, I’d had brain surgery after someone tried to blow up our clubhouse with me and several others inside.
“Because you passed out, and the studs on Batta’s bracelet split your head open when he caught you,” River explained.
I glanced around the room. “Why isn’t anyone here?”
Copper and Judge stayed upstairs with Blue, and Batta went to the bathroom to wash your blood off his arms.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Who’s Blue?”
River blinked at me before her face paled, and she kicked the door open. “Dr. Alvarez! Room Four. Stat!” she shouted into the hallway.
“Damn it, River. I was just fucking with you,” I chuckled and held up a pillow to defend myself from her swats.
She glared at me for a brief moment before she went back to the door. “Cancel that, Dr. Alvarez. False alarm,” she called out, not bothering to hide the displeasure in her voice.
I cleared my throat. “So how bad is it?”
“Three staples about two inches above your left ear,” she snapped.
“Oh come on, River. I deserved to have a little bit of fun, didn’t I?” I said, putting on my best “forgive me” face.
She looked at me pointedly. “You will not succeed in manipulating me with your big, blue eyes or that fake little lip quiver you pull when you’re trying to get cookies. But you just wait, it won’t be long before you’ll know what it feels like to think something is seriously wrong with someone you care about.”
Fuck. She made me feel like an ass. “River, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She smiled, but something was off about it. “It’s okay. Let me check your wound. If everything looks good, we’ll see about getting you back upstairs to your girl.”
A few minutes later, a man came to the door with a wheelchair. “Mr. Black, I’m here to take you down to ultrasound.”
“Why?” I asked and sat up to face the man.
He shrugged. “You’d have to ask your nurse or doctor. I just respond to the transport requests they send me.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do,” I said and pressed the call button.
River appeared moments later with a bright smile on her face. “Did you need something?”
“Why is he here?” I pointed to the transport guy.
“When Copper checked you in, he signed the consent form allowing us to order any tests deemed medically necessary. After reviewing your chart, I noticed you were behind on your preventative healthcare, so I took the liberty of ordering a prostate ultrasound for you.”
“No one is sticking anything in my ass today or ever!” I roared and clutched the side of my head with one hand. “Now, my head’s starting to hurt again, but I’ll forgive you for five cookies.”
When I returned to Blue’s room over an hour later—while being pushed in a wheelchair against my will—I found her sound asleep in her plastic box while Copper sat stationed by her side. He got to his feet and let me take his seat. “That