Page 44 of Caffeine & Chaos

Mandy: Sort of, and not really. A gentlemen came in early this morning to speak with us. One of Ryan’s men, I guess. He strongly encouraged us to tell the truth, but limit details and speak with discretion.

Nadia let out a sigh of relief. Of course, Ryan had sent someone to get ahead of anything that might crop up.

Nadia: Thanks Mandy. Whatever you do, don’t mention the bathroom thing.

Mandy: What am I an idiot? I know not to say anything. We’re your friends Nadia. There’s a new story that’s just been published. Looks like Ryan has put out a statement.

As Nadia read the article from the link Mandy sent, a whirlwind of emotions flooded her. He had cleared up that she wasn’t an escort, and confirmed they were exclusive, but his description of their relationship was far more casual than he had led her to believe. What happened to the passion and commitment he had conveyed to her in private? She gave Ryan a weary sidelong glance. Was he playing games? She suddenly felt tense and unsure.

The surgeon entered the room and all three men stood up at once, looking hopefully at her.

“Mr. McKellen,” she addressed Daniel only, “Clara is doing well. As you know she has been resting in the ICU for the past several hours. She is awake, and the news is positive,” she paused while everyone took a collective sigh of relief. “She appears to have a full understanding of verbal communication and is able to put together coherent sentences. She is tired and weak, but her mental faculties appear to be in the best condition we could hope for. She has significant weakness on her right side, which will likely rebound a bit over the next few weeks, but it is unlikely that she will experience a full recovery of that weakness even with the substantial follow-up treatment that will be required. She will be in hospital for another 5 days at minimum to monitor her condition, and then she will need to be transferred to a rehab facility” the doctor said.

Justin seemed to forget his feud with Ryan for a moment as he clapped his brother on the shoulder triumphantly, and they smiled at each other with relief. Ryan put his arm around his brother’s shoulders briefly, before returning his attention to his father.

Daniel took in a shuddering breath, his emotions overwhelming him as he staggered to his chair. Ryan sat beside him, offering an awkward but heartfelt gesture by rubbing his father’s shoulder. As Daniel broke down, it was as if all the pent-up emotion of the past twenty-four hours was washing over him in a tidal wave.

Witnessing Ryan’s heartbreak and tenderness towards his father moved Nadia deeply. In that moment, all the distrust and uncertainty stirred up by the news article faded into the background.

“Can I see her?” Daniel asked as he stood up from his chair.

“She is very weak and needs to rest as much as possible. We can allow for five minutes, but no more,” The doctor turned on her heel as she spoke to the group, “follow me.”

Ryan grasped Nadia’s hand to go in and Justin jutted his arm out in front of her, growling at Ryan, “family only.”

Daniel turned to his eldest son with a stern look, “Don’t stir up a bunch of shit again Justin. I thought I was clear about this.”

Justin withdrew his hand angrily and strode ahead of Ryan and Nadia to be next to his father. He was only a couple of years older than Ryan, yet he looked like he could be a full decade older. He was built similar to Ryan, tall and well-muscled. Nadia surmised he was likely nearly as handsome when he wasn’t snarling and scowling.

The room was darkened by the drawn curtains, and it took Nadia’s eyes a few minutes to adjust. Ryan’s father and brother were already by the bedside, holding the hands of the slight form under the blankets and speaking in soft tones.

Feeling uncomfortable and like a foreign interloper, Nadia moved off to the side and nodded at Ryan to continue towards the bed without her. She watched as he hesitantly shuffled towards the bed.

“Mom, Ryan is here,” Justin said warmly. Apparently, he was at least considerate enough to keep the fighting away from his mother in this fragile state.

Justin moved aside and relinquished his mother’s hand to Ryan as he approached. Nadia watched out of her peripheral vision while Justin turned away, appearing to wipe tears from under his eyes. He seemed to be a conflicted man, very tough, yet clearly capable of great love. Even if that love didn’t extend to his own brother.

“Ryan,” her excitement to see her son was apparent in her sing-song voice even in her weakened state, “I’m… so happy to see you.” She breathed heavily in between words.

“Mom,” Ryan’s voice broke, “Mom, I love you and I am so happy you’re okay. I’m sorry, I…” He trailed off, but his mother quickly filled the gap.

“Don’t be sorry dear, you are here. Please… introduce me to that lovely girl you brought with you,” she said.

The whole family appeared surprised that she had even noticed Nadia across the darkened room. Nadia approached the bed, keenly aware of Justin’s hateful eyes attempting to pierce a hole through her.

“Mom, this is Nadia, my girlfriend.” The words reverberated through Nadia like a sudden jolt. She stood there, stunned by the declaration, the weight of it settling heavily in her chest. Yet, she didn’t have time to grapple with her new-found label.

Clara released her hand from Ryan’s and clutched Nadia’s. She leaned in to allow Clara to see her face.

“Nadia…What a lovely name, and such… a… lovely… girl…” Clara’s eyes drifted closed and her hand slowly went slack in Nadia’s, indicating she had fallen into a deep sleep.

“I think that’s enough excitement for now,” the doctor said. “She will be moved onto the recovery ward when we are certain she is stable enough and then we can see about visiting times based upon her energy levels and recovery needs.”

As the family solemnly exited the room and made their way back to the waiting area, Nadia found herself lost in introspection, barely registering the doctor’s words. What struck her most was Mrs. McKellen’s keen interest in meeting her, especially amidst the family’s concern for her own health. Mrs. McKellen’s gaze had been strikingly similar to Ryan’s penetrating eyes. It was as if she had seen Ryan’s own eyes reflected in his mother’s, the warm intensity suggested genuine affection. But of course, it couldn’t be, they had only just met.

“Justin, I need you to get back to the ranch. I’m going to stay here with your mother,” Daniel decreed, waving off a protest from him. “Ryan, I want you and Nadia to head to the ranch with Justin. He’s gonna need some help. I’ll be in and out to shower and get your mother some things over the next couple of days, but other than that I’m not leaving here until your mother does.”

“Dammit Dad, I don’t need his help!” Justin blustered.

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