“Bones in my fingers are cracked.” He scowled at his hand. “And my shoulder's dislocated. Getting my pants on is going to be a bitch.”
I didn't bother to add that he probably wouldn't be able to crack a can of beer either. His words were blunted, and a quick glance at his chart told me that he'd just been given some painkillers. I was surprised he was coherent at all.
“What happened, Dad?” I asked. I knew what Tanner said, but I wanted to hear it from my father.
His account was pretty much what Tanner had guessed. Dad had gotten fall-down drunk, and the bartender actually called my mother because Dad refused to get into the cab the bartender called. Mom had gone down to the bar, picked Dad up, and they'd been on their way back to the apartment when they were hit.
“I'm done,” he said. “No more drinking. I can't lose anyone else.” The last sentence dropped off as he fell asleep.
I was too jaded and tired to be hopeful. I'd believe his sobriety when I actually saw it. Maybe the lack of mobility would help on that count.
“Do you want to see if we can get in to see your mom?” Tanner asked softly. “Or do you want to go to the cafeteria to get something to eat?”
I rubbed at my eyes. I wasn't sure I could handle any actual food right now, but I needed to get some caffeine in my system or I was going to pass out.
“Would you get me some coffee while I go see my mom?” I asked.
He nodded and we went our separate ways.
I knew the nurse on duty so getting into the recovery room wasn't difficult. I pulled up a chair and waited. I felt myself dozing, but as soon as I heard my mom make a noise, I jerked awake. Tanner was sitting next to me, two cups in his hands. He handed me one, and it was still hot, so I assumed I hadn't been out long. I took a gulp that scalded my tongue and moved closer to my mom.
“Looks like she's almost awake.” A doctor I didn't recognize approached. He was probably one of the surgeons. I hadn't seen them much when I worked here. “Are you her daughter?”
I nodded. “What are her injuries?”
He flipped through her chart. “Multiple contusions and minor lacerations. She has a couple cracked ribs, a broken left wrist, and her left leg has several breaks. That's what we needed the surgery for. We had to set the bones and put in a few screws.” He glanced at her. “She'll be in a lot of pain, and there's going to be some serious recovery time for that leg, but she should be fine. With good physical therapy, she might not even have a noticeable limp.”
My mind automatically went to Kipp...and then straight to X. I pushed thoughts of my life in Philadelphia to the back of my mind. I had to focus on now and here. My parents needed me.
When the doctor left, I returned to my seat. Mom was just starting to stir and I knew that meant she'd be waking up soon. Once they were ready to move her, I'd talk to someone about getting her and Dad in the same room. They'd behave themselves while they were here, and it'd make visiting a lot easier. I had no idea how long they were going to be kept. I hadn't even thought to ask. With injuries like theirs, it could be just a day or two, or much longer.
“Nori.”
Tanner saying my name pulled my thoughts back. I looked over at him.
“Is there anything you need me to do?” He reached over and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Do you want me to call X and let him know you got here safely?”
I gave Tanner a blank look. Why would I need to let X know?
“Won't he be worried about you?”
I shrugged. “I didn't tell him I was leaving, but I don't think that'll really matter.” The words were flat. “He's got a lot to do.” I felt a twinge of guilt. X was going through so much and I just left him.
No, I reminded myself. After the way he behaved, he had no right to have expected me to stay, especially not when my family was at risk.
Tanner looked confused. “I thought the two of you...”
I shook my head. “You thought wrong.”
He leaned forward, a concerned expression on his face. “I don't know him,” he said. “But I've heard the way you talked about him, read your body language. You care about him.”
“It doesn't matter,” I said a little more sharply than I'd intended. “X doesn't know how to do anything but push people away.”
There was a moment of silence, and then Tanner spoke again. “If he lets you go, he's not half the man I thought he was.”
My heart twisted in my chest. No, I thought. It wasn't that X wasn't the man I thought he was. He was exactly that man, but only if he wanted to be.
I just wasn't enough to make him want to be that man.
Chapter Three
Xavier
Most of my life, I'd considered myself to be unflappable, the sort of person who could take anything life threw at him and not get rattled. It was one of the qualities that served me well in the army. I could be in the middle of a fire-fight and not twitch.