Confused. He came up here because he needed your advice and guidance. You need to wake up so you can talk some sense into that kid. How about you do that? Like now.” I turn around like he’ll miraculously be awake, but of course he’s not. He’s probably never going to wake up.
The chances are so slim, so fucking slim… he lost an insane amount of blood. His brain went without oxygen for too long. Even if he did wake up from the coma he’s in, he’ll never be the same.
One of the bullets shattered his knee and another took out a chunk of his cheek and the top of his ear. The one that did the most damage, though, went through his neck and nicked his spine. He’ll be lucky if he has feeling in his legs, let alone be able to ever walk again.
“I need to thank you for what you did, Brody. Need to tell you I owe you everything.” The familiar sting in my veins returns, and I pull up a chair and grasp his shoulder. I drop my head on my arm and just sit with him.
Listening to the machines breathe for him, the beeps monitoring his heart, IV fluid dripping rhythmically, giving him the nutrients he needs to stay the fuck alive. I want to yell at him, scream at him to come back to us, but he doesn’t deserve my anger, and I refuse to give it to him.
I’d like to say I’m giving him my strength, but I don’t have any. Not anymore.
“You been here long?” I shake my head without lifting it at the sound of Erik’s voice. “The rest of the guys are right behind me.”
Not giving the slightest fuck if anyone thinks I’m weak, I push to my feet and kick the chair aside in an uncontrollable display of anger. Erik’s eyes are glossy, too, and he stands across from me and grabs Brody’s hand, his other one a tight, frustrated, angry fist at his side.
The door whispers open and closed as Royce walks in. Carter comes in next, followed by Wes. Royce stands next to Erik, and he throws his arm over Royce’s shoulder. Carter does the same to Royce and Wes, offering support as much as he is taking it.
The heavy fall of Noble’s boots echoes in the hallway, and he enters as well. Q precedes him and he stands at the foot of the bed but can’t even bring himself to look down at his best friend’s lifeless body. He chokes on a strangled cry, and Noble grips the back of his neck, supporting him the only way he knows how. There are no words that can fix this. Nothing anybody says makes it better. We can’t do anything. The doctors can’t do anything else.
The only thing that will work, the only thing that will help Brody at this point is if he decides to wake up.
I pinch the bridge of my nose just as Gio slowly closes the door behind him. He takes the only space left, which is between me and Noble, and with no hesitation, I turn to him and hug him with one arm, refusing to let go of the hold I have on Brody. Gio slaps me on the back and keeps an arm around my neck while he faces the brave and selfless man we’re all here for.
Our friend.
Our brother.
And as I look around at the group, there isn’t a dry eye. I’ve never seen any of these guys this emotional, but that’s what happens when someone we love is hanging on by a thread, staying alive because of machines. We’re all hurting. Erik is the one who brought us all together, he taught me, taught us, what a real family is supposed to be. Each of us feels this to our core, and no matter what happens from here, we will never be the same.
It’s so quiet in the room, save for the beeping of the monitors, that it’s eerie. The silence is heavy and deafening and nothing but a reminder of the severity of the situation. Erik clears his throat. “I’ve already lost too much, man. I can’t lose you. We can’t lose you. Keep resting if that’s what you need, but whenever you decide to wake up, no matter how far away that is, know that we’ll be here waiting. But you know us, so you know we’re already impatient as hell.” He gives Brody’s hand a