I sigh with relief as settle down and shut the door. “Hey, Charlie. Thanks for this.”
“No problem,” he says and drives away.
Cradling Teo close, I stare out into the rain-slicked road and forbid myself to fear and wonder. We’ll find out what is wrong with him and fix it. No other alternative is acceptable.
We stop outside the ER, and I manage to get Miles out of the car and take his hand to lead him inside, all the while holding Teo, who’s slumped on my shoulder. Charlie honks, and I glance at him, hoping he can hear me telepathically saying thank you and goodbye.
He must, because he rolls away, and the car vanishes in the rain that’s now pouring. I stumble a little as we enter the familiar waiting room. Disoriented. Feels like yesterday we were here to have Teo checked. I head to the window to get a number and show my insurance card.
We take our seats, and I try to make Teo comfortable. He squirms and then starts to wail. Poor little guy is burning up, and I look around for a nurse, getting a bit desperate.
I chat up the first one I see, asking her if we can speed up the process, and she purses her lips.
“I don’t think we can change the procedure,” she says, “Mr.…?”
“Hayes. Dylan Hayes.”
“Mr. Hayes. Lots of people are waiting. You’re not the only one.”
Dammit.
Miles, who’s been trailing us, clings to my leg. I follow the nurse, dragging my leg with Miles attached to it like a monkey, and holding a sniffling Teo so close the heat of his fever is burning through my jacket.
My heart is hammering against my ribs. The nurse is talking to a young doctor, her back to us. I need to do something. I know I said I won’t allow myself to feel fear, but without any idea what is wrong with Teo, I can imagine any number of bad outcomes.
I’d do anything for my brothers. I’d crawl, I’d fight, I’d beg and I’d die in their place. What I can’t take is stand here helpless and watch them suffer.
I enter the room, dragging Miles along. “Sorry to interrupt,” I say, and both doctor and nurse look at me with matching frowns on their faces. “But he’s really sick and has been for a while. I think it’s serious.” And damn I hate it when my voice breaks, but hell, if that helps, then I’ll weep like a little girl to get their attention. “He’s been feeling unwell for weeks now, and he has a fever. Please.”
The doctor frowns. “For weeks?”
“Yeah.”
“What are the symptoms?”
“Fever, fatigue… He cries a lot.”
“Any skin rashes?”
I think about that. “He had one, but it’s faded now.” I lick my dry lips. “Why? What is it?”
“I can’t be sure before we do some analyses, but it could be Lyme disease. Do you have ticks at your house?”
Lyme disease. “What is that? Is it serious?” I know even before they answer that it is. “Can it be cured?”
“Yes, it is curable,” the nurse says. “Come, Mr. Hayes, why don’t you take a seat?”
She grabs my elbow and steers me—well, us—to a chair, and it’s a good thing, because my knees can’t hold me anymore, and I sink down, the air leaving my lungs.
Damn.
Miles presses himself to my side, and I gather him close distractedly. People move around us, more nurses and doctors, other technicians holding tablets and forms and various devices I don’t recognize.
I’m starting to hate the smell of antiseptic that permeates the halls. My arms are cramping from holding Teo, but the pain is nothing compared to the misery I feel when I think I might have failed him, not gotten him proper treatment in time, for whatever this disease is.
“Dylan.” Miles is tugging on my sleeve. “I’m hungry.”
I blink, coming out of my trance, and glance at my watch. Of course he’s hungry. It’s afternoon. I can’t leave here, not while waiting for the doctors to come back and examine Teo, tell me they’ll make him well.
Fuck. I can’t do this on my own. No matter how bad I feel for not being there for the guys, I need their help, and I hope they won’t mind.
“Just a minute, buddy.” I dig into my back pocket for my cell. “Gonna get some backup.”
“Can we get a burger?” Miles asks. “And soda?”
“I don’t know yet, buddy. We’ll find something. Hold on.”
I call Zane first. He’s my closest friend in the Brotherhood, and he’s already offered to help. But when he answers, out of breath—with laughter, I realize—he tells me he’s out of town, with Dakota’s folks. He asks if it’s important, if he should drop everything and drive here.