JARED-1(Lane Brothers, Book 4)(12)
He’s so sweet and gentle, nothing like the man I saw at the hospital upon first awakening, that I feel a tear slip free and course into my hair. His lips move and I feel him kiss it away a moment later before the door opens again and I hear an irritated female voice.
“It’s okay, Cupcake. It will all be okay. You just rest, baby, and get better so we can talk properly. I won’t be angry this time. I promise.”
“That was not prescribed by Dr. Stevens.”
“You’re being paid very well, lady, double of what the going rate is. You’ll give her what you’re told to give her, or you can get your ass out of my house,” Jared says and I hear the nurse huff a minute before a cold hand touches mine, fiddling with the IV line in my left hand.
“This is not ethical.”
“I don’t give a shit, lady. This stuff is some of the best the US government has to offer its soldiers, and you’ll give it to her because it will speed up her recovery by weeks.”
Weeks?
What the hell is the government giving to its soldiers to speed up recovery?
I feel another, stronger languor settle over me minutes later. Whatever it is, this stuff is good, because no sooner do I feel the peaceful slide of a sedative than every ache deep in my bones disappears.
Nothing hurts anymore. Not one bruise, rib, or cut on me twinges in pain as the drugs start taking effect, and I fall asleep again with a smile I wish would reach my lips.
***
Jared
“She’s out.”
I turn to Nurse Betty and give her the chin, letting her know I want her out without saying a word as I continue to sit beside the bed, holding my baby’s hand.
The idiot leaves with a few muttered expletives beneath her breath and I make a mental note to have Ma talk to her before I let Trace ring her neck.
I’m about to turn to Miah and hash things out again when the door bursts open and my favourite little person comes barrelling towards me like hell on two stubby little legs. I’m barely able to turn properly before he’s launching himself at me and falling into my arms with a whoop! and a cheeky grin.
“You’s was ‘posed to wead me a stowy lass nights Unca Jawed.” Josh complains loudly.
Oh hell. This kid is the apple of my eye and smart enough to remember every promise made so I feel like all kinds of guilty when he widens his little eyes at me, waiting on an explanation.
“I’m so sorry little man. I was ganna but I had to go to the hospital because your Aunt Paulie was there.” I murmur, ruffling his hair before hugging him close and taking in the sweet baby scent that still lingers on his skin.
Pretty soon he’s going to be all grown up and too big for his boots to let me do this, but for just this minute I inhale his innocence and take comfort in the little arms that wrap around me and give me a semblance of peace.
“Whats happen to hew?” he asks in a whisper, pushing away to look at Paulie with big eyes and an expression of awe.
Josh is a typical little boy and he’s fascinated with injuries for some reason so I fully understand the look on his face when he gets a load of Paulie’s face and his mouth rounds in a big oh.
“She felled down and gots huwted?”
Miah’s scowling and shaking his head at me like a lunatic as Josh scrambles down from my arms and creeps closer to the bed, his chubby little hand poking at one of her fingers the way you’d hesitantly poke at a dead bug.
“Yeah little man, she uh, fell down and hurt herself and she had to go to the doctor to make it better.” I answer softly, going down on my knees beside him as he gently wraps his little fingers around one of her hands and inspects the bruise caused by the IV line.
Miah meanwhile is looking on in fascination as Josh picks up Paulie’s hand inspects it seriously, his little brow furrowed in concentration, and kisses it with a wet, slobbery smack before turning to grin at me.
“Dare! Ganny says kisses makes it aw bettew. I make Pawie aw bettew Unca Jawed.”
His innocent glee and the smile her throws me before abandoning me for Miah is all boyish charm and the knowledge that he just did something super nice. Even if it is for a girl, who isn’t his beloved grandma .
It makes my chest ache and I find myself wiping at my eyes before rising and giving him a smile of gratitude.
“Thanks little man, I’m sure that kiss is gonna make her all better.”
“Uhuh! And I have Spun Bob ban’aids too! That wow makes her bettew fastest Unca Jawed! Can we go gettem? Pwease?” he asks Miah, clapping his hands in glee at the thought of playing doctor with a real live patient as opposed to his old grandpa who moves around about as much as the kid does.
“Sure little guy. Why don’t you go see grandma and tell her that your Aunt Paulie needs your super healing Sponge Bob band aids. She’ll know just where they are.” Miah grins, stealing a kiss before the kid can wiggle free and start running for the door.