Page 17 of Denial

I’ve got Killer and Gwen on one side of me and King and Fox on the other. The four of us are sitting in the hard as fuck plastic chairs like we were instructed to do after rushing in the hospital and Killer demanding information about his daughter. All we know right now is that Hope’s in surgery and they don’t know what exactly is wrong with her. From what we’ve been told, they literally brought her into the hospital and she was rushed straight into surgery to remove the bullet if it’s still in her before correcting any damage that’s been done to her. We were directed straight up to the surgical waiting room and there’s no one else in here with us. After all the trips to the hospital we’ve made over the years for one family member or another, I have no clue if Hope being rushed into surgery without any testing or anything is a good sign or telling us that she’s worse than any of us are thinking.

Raptor is the first person we saw when we got to the hospital since he rode in the ambulance with her. He’s covered in Hope’s blood and that’s the only thing I can focus on when I get a few seconds to do so. Yes, I’ve seen someone covered in blood that isn’t theirs before. Knowing that this time it’s Hope’s blood makes my stomach clench and the need to be sick overwhelms me. Her blood should be in her body and nowhere else. Killer and Vault are trying to get him to change his clothes, but he refuses to leave the waiting room for any reason. Raptor’s not talking to anyone and he’s got his body closed off with his head hanging down toward his chest. He’s got his eyes closed to keep everyone away from him despite my brother remaining at his side and not leaving him alone as the guilt threatens to consume him from the inside out. I’ve seen it a few times before and I hate that Raptor is feeling this shit now. He doesn’t deserve to go through this for any reason.

My brother is trying his hardest to get his best friend to change or at least clean the blood from his skin so we’re not all reminded of what the hell happened at Phantom Auto today. Honestly, it’s not like any of us are going to forget the fact that Hope has been shot when she was at work. I don’t know the details of what happened or why she was left alone. Vault doesn’t want to go over anything until we know Hope’s okay and will recover from the attack on her today. I can’t blame him because I’m not going to pay attention to anything around me until I lay eyes on my girl. The last thing our President wants to have King or Fox doing right now is going over the camera footage showing whatever happened in the auto store. They don’t need to watch that while we have no clue what’s going on with her.

Hope has no clue how I feel about her. That everything she thinks is true about me is nothing but what I wanted everyone to believe over the years. I love Hope with my entire heart and she’s the only woman I’ll ever want. If I was given only one day to talk about what an amazing woman she is and why I started to fall in love with her years ago, it wouldn’t be nearly enough time. Hope has so many good qualities and I’ve got so many memories of even the smallest moments spent with her that made falling in love with her so easy. More than anything, I want her to know that she’s the love of my life and that I will spend the rest of my days making everything up to her. I won’t ever treat her like she’s only a friend or someone I see as family because that’s just not the truth. I’m done denying how I feel about Hope and today has only proven that we never know what’s going to happen and that no one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow. I won’t be wasting any more time with her and the second Hope’s awake, I’ll tell her how I feel and what I want moving forward.

When we all showed up at the hospital earlier, Officer Monroe pulled Vault aside to talk to him about a different situation that’s been brought to his attention. I don’t know everything that’s been discussed, but I’ve gotten a few words and I’m putting things together on my own when I can think of something other than Hope and what’s going on with her. Essentially what’s going on 0pright now is that date rape drugs are being sold in large quantities in Pine View. We have no clue who’s selling them or the individuals buying them, but there’s been a significant increase in the number of women reporting that they’ve been assaulted by men or that they were able to get away but still end up in the hospital because they had a drink laced with something. Officer Monroe wants us to figure out who’s behind this shit and we would usually have no problem doing that if Hope weren’t currently in surgery and fighting for her life.

Instead of making anyone leave the hospital, Vault called the Wild Kings MC in Cedar Bay. We all grew up together and have helped them out. Well, I know the club has before we got down here. So, Vault called in a favor and Venom is gonna send his guys out in search of any sign of the drugs being sold and who’s buying them. They don’t want any of us to leave the hospital and their ol’ ladies are on their way here to spend time with us because they do know Hope. Well, some of them do. Personally, I appreciate the fact that the Wild Kings are willing to help us on this because there’s no way I’m leaving this hospital for any reason until we know what’s going on with Hope. Even then, I more than likely won’t leave her side. I’ve left her alone way too often and I’m over it. I will be in this hospital for as long as she is and no one will tell me any different.

“Son, why don’t you go for a walk with me?” my dad asks, walking up to stand in front of me.

“Not leavin’ here, Dad. I will be here when the doctor comes out to tell us what’s goin’ on with her. I know you’ve been makin’ calls back home and lettin’ everyone know what’s goin’ on so Killer and Gwen don’t have to worry about that shit. Well, I don’t want to worry about anythin’ either. I’ve wasted so much time with her and she doesn’t have any clue how I feel about her. As long as Hope is in this hospital, I will be here. Even if I can’t be in the room with her,” I tell him as King sits up straighter next to me and I turn to face the doors as a doctor makes his way through them.

Once again, someone is covered in Hope’s blood. The doctor might be wearing a lab coat, but his scrubs are covered in a deep, scarlet showing how much my girl was bleeding. We all stand as one and move closer to the man as I take in the lines on his face and the exhaustion filling his eyes. I can’t breathe as we wait for him to talk and I feel my dad rest his hand on my shoulder while Fox holds King and Killer holds Gwen in his arms, the tears already falling from her eyes.

“You’re all the family of Miss Long?” the doctor questions us with confusion filling his face.

“Yes. I’m her Dad and everyone in this room is family to her in one way or another. You’re free to speak in front of everyone here,” Killer states, his entire body tight with tension as the doctor looks from one person to the next.

“Okay. I’m Dr. Smythe and I’ll be the one taking care of Miss Long while she’s in the hospital. Miss Long is extremely lucky. The bullet missed hitting anything vital. It was a clean wound and exited on its own. Right now, our main concern is her having any spinal damage. She has significant swelling around her lower spine and we don’t know if she’ll have any damage or if she’ll be paralyzed once the swelling goes down. Time is the only thing that will answer that question. There are very few other injuries to Miss Long. The main two we were concerned about is the large gash on her head and another one on her side. Her head wound didn’t need stitches or anything. It’s not deep but there is a large bump surrounding the area. We had to clean her side wound out and that took about twenty stitches inside and out to close. Currently we’re going to keep her in a medically induced coma so that the area around her spine can heal before she wakes up and tries to move. The last thing we want is for more damage to occur because Miss Long can’t stay still,” the doctor informs us with a grim look on his face as Gwen practically falls to the floor in relief.

“When can we see her?” Killer demands to know as the doctor takes a deep breath.

“She’s currently in recovery. Since we’re going to keep her in a medically induced coma, all we’re waiting on right now is a room to become available. I don’t want to put her in the ICU at this point, but there is an open bed there and we might not have a choice in the matter. If that’s the case, only two of you can go in to see her at one time. I’m going to limit visits to ten minutes at a time as well. Make sure she knows you’re here for her, but ultimately, she needs to rest and heal as much as she can before we wake her up,” Dr. Smythe answers as we all slump in relief. “If she doesn’t get put in the ICU, I would still like to limit the number of visitors to two but the time can be longer.”

“I’d like to have three of us in there at a time. I know her mom and man will not be leavin’ Hope’s side for any reason. I’ll only be leavin’ to allow others in to see her. Can we make that happen?” Killer asks even though his voice is hard and we all know he’s not really asking for permission to have three people in Hope’s room.

“Of course. And I’m going to guess that there will be men stationed in the hallway as a form of security?” Dr. Smythe asks, already used to how clubs operate after all the times the Wild Kings have had people in the hospital.

“Yes. My daughter was shot while she was at work and the person who did this hasn’t been caught at this point. I’m not gonna give anyone a second chance to finish the job,” Killer growls out as Fox leaves King’s side and steps up to his brother-in-law.

“Okay. I’ll make sure the nursing staff knows to have a tray of coffee and snacks available to you all around the clock. We’ll also make the conference room available to you all when the cops come in to talk to anyone who might know what happened to Miss Long. If any of you need anything, just reach out to the staff and we’ll get it taken care of,” Dr. Smythe says before he turns to leave us in the waiting room until Hope has her room.

“I won’t be leavin’ her room. Don’t give a fuck what protocol is, but my woman will not be on her own for any reason,” I state, my voice hard and cold with the thought of Hope being alone for any reason as she sleeps and can’t protect herself.

“I’ll let the staff know. Someone will be in to get you once she’s been transferred to a room,” he says, finally walking out of the door and leaving us alone once more.

“Thank fuck!” Killer says, holding Gwen close and making sure she doesn’t hit the floor as we all relax a slight amount compared to how we were before the doctor walked in to talk to us. “I want this motherfucker found and I’m not gonna fuckin’ wait to get answers from him. The second he’s been captured, I’ll do the fuckin’ interrogation. Jinx, if you wanna help me, I’m good with that. I’m tellin’ ya right now that he’s mine and I’m not about to let anyone keep me from the room he’s held in.”

“No one will keep you away Killer. Hope is your daughter and we all know how you feel about protectin’ her. If you choose to leave the hospital, Jinx, you can be in the room with them. If anyone is willin’ to go out and search for any clues about what happened at Phantom Auto and who is behind the attack on Hope, you can leave now. I want the entire city combed for any sign of this fucker. Someone call Venom and let them know what’s been said,” Vault says, in full President mode as he issues commands and everyone in the room listens to him.

“I’m gonna call Slim and let him know what’s goin’ on. Shy and him are on their way with Kim and Faith. They weren’t about to let either one of them travel on their own. The rest of the club will be showin’ up as soon as they finish a few things. Everyone will be here for Hope and the rest of you. Jinx, I know you don’t want to leave her side, but maybe you should go take a shower and grab somethin’ to eat before you’re allowed in the room with her,” my dad informs us before turning his attention to me.

“Not leavin’ the hospital. The day Hope can go home is the day I’ll leave. I just took a shower this mornin’ and I don’t need another one right now. Not goin’ to the cafeteria either. I want to be in with Hope the second we’re allowed to see her,” I state, sitting down in the closest chair as King takes a seat with me and we wait for the news that we can go see Hope.

Hours have passed since the doctor came in to talk to us and no one’s still been allowed in to see Hope. Every time one of us asks about her, we’re told they haven’t been able to put her in a room yet. I call bullshit, but there’s no way I can prove that they’re lying to us. I’ve been pacing the waiting room because there’s nothing else for me to do. No one is talking to me because when someone does, I growl out one word answers or don’t bother to respond at all. Killer isn’t doing much better than I am as he paces a different section of the waiting room.

Slim and Shy just got here with Kim and Faith. Fox is holding his wife as she comforts her sister the best she can. Gwen hasn’t stopped crying since the doctor came in. I know she won’t stop until she’s allowed in to see her daughter. Faith is sitting in a chair all alone and won’t let anyone get close to her. Her eyes are red-rimmed from crying and she’s completely closed off from the world around her. She’s got her legs hugged up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Faith has her head buried in the top of her legs and no one can see her face at all. I want to go offer her comfort, but I can’t stop myself from pacing.

We’re all ready to snap and demand someone take us to see her even if she’s in the recovery suite still. Gwen and Killer need to see their baby girl. Faith needs to lay eyes on her sister. Everyone needs to see her for one reason or another. By the time I’m ready to go out to the nearest nurses’ station to tell someone we need to see Hope, the door opens once again and a young girl steps through holding a baby with tears filling her eyes. She quietly walks through the room, avoiding everyone as she takes a seat in the very back corner. Devil and Raptor are staring at her as if she’s the only person they can see and I know my brother and his best friend well enough to realize they’re going to make a play for her once they see Hope.

The girl is followed in by a nurse who stops and stares at the rest of us. Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of red as she stares from one man to the next. That’s not who has her cheeks turning red though. The women sitting among us are the reason for her blush.

“Um, family of Miss Long,” she says, her voice a breathy whisper as I stop pacing and give her my full attention.

“That’s us. Is she finally in a room?” Killer asks, his voice filled with emotion as he stops right in front of her.

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