could just imagine the doctor in leathers and wielding a whip. It did nothing for Jensen though.
“How did you know I would insist he come home with me?” Because that had obviously been his intention if he had a spare room.
“You met Dash I believe five minutes before he nearly passed out on you. You’ve been to the nurse’s station seven times in three hours to enquire after him, and you’ve been clutching that like a mascot for every one of them.” Jensen followed Patrick’s gaze to his hands and groaned. The damn teddy bear.
“I was just holding it for Dash,” he protested. Hospitals were scary places.
“And if I didn’t know who you were, security would have escorted you from the waiting room at least two hours ago.” Patrick arched an eyebrow, and Jensen nodded in mild amusement. “Ellie talks about you a lot.” The doc pushed opened the door and pointed to the first cubicle. “I’ll get his discharge paperwork done, but I want to see him in clinic on Tuesday.” That was four days away. Jensen didn’t know if Dash would even agree to come home with him tonight, never mind still be there in four days.
He stepped forward and slipped in behind the curtain. Dash looked tiny. He was nearly buried up to his chin in blankets, and Jensen smiled at a nurse who was just entering some notes on an electronic tablet. “He’s had some orange juice and dextrose, but he needs a proper meal when you get home.”
“Thank you.”
Dash startled a little, and his head whipped toward Jensen. He stared for a full minute and didn’t even notice the nurse leaving. “Mr. Carmichael.”
“Jensen,” he prompted gently and ruefully handed over the teddy bear which he still seemed to be clutching.
“I-I can’t go home with you.” Dash was twisting the blanket he was holding like a pretzel, but he reached for the bear with a desperate intensity. Jensen wasn’t surprised he wasn’t relaxing though. And hospital blankets were like cardboard. He needed something super soft that wouldn’t scratch his delicate skin.
“You absolutely don’t have to,” Jensen said. “I understand you being concerned over someone you don’t know, but Dr. Rose is acquainted with my sister. I told him you were going home with me.”
Dash blinked his exhausted eyes up at Jensen for a full five seconds before he spoke. “But—”
Jensen lifted a finger to hush him. “If you have friends you can stay with, I will take you to them.” But the thought of Dash being somewhere he wasn’t safe filled him with horror. Dr. Rose came back and beamed at Dash.
“It just occurred to me that you might want some reassurance. While I am not personally acquainted with Mr. Carmichael, I know and I’m good friends with his sister. I know Mr. Carmichael by reputation of course.” Dr. Rose patted Dash’s arm, the same one he was clutching the bear with.
“Do you have anyone you would prefer I take you to?”
Dash lowered his head, shaking it, but not quickly enough Jensen didn’t see the extra moisture glistening in his eyes first.
“There’s just some paperwork to sign, but I want to see you on Tuesday at the clinic.”
Dash looked at the doctor like he’d just started speaking a foreign language. Jensen perched on the edge of the bed so they weren’t both looming over him. “He’ll be there.”
The nurse came back in with the discharge paperwork and helped Dash get back into his—totally inadequate—clothes. It was freezing outside, and the light woolen sweater wasn’t going to cut it. Jensen slipped out of his overcoat and hushing Dash’s protests, quickly wrapped him up.
The ride to his house seemed to take forever. It was actually just over twenty minutes to get to Matthews, just shy of Charlotte itself, and he never doubted the wisdom of taking Dash to the cottage. He had a luxury apartment in Atlanta, but he dismissed the thought of negotiating an airport with Dash, even if he had barely stayed more than a handful of nights in Mimi’s old house all year.
It would be well maintained of course. Jensen had a service that kept the inside and the outside immaculate and kept the fridge stocked with essentials. He had enough clothes with him for at least the weekend and could get Eric to pack him a case if need be.
Keeping his aunt’s house was an expensive extravagance when Jensen barely stayed there, and he’d bought Ellie’s share out quite a few years ago when