Page 12 of Stockman's Stormcloud

Four

Dexslowly woke to the repeated sounds ofclick-clack. Click-clack.His head groggy like he’d come out of a week-long bourbon bender, with a sore throat, a furry tongue and gritty eyes. But there was something plastic covering his mouth that was annoying him. He went to push it off, when a warm hand stopped him.

‘Don’t, darling.’

He opened his eyes, recognising the voice straight away, and knew what the click-clacking noise was. ‘Mum?’

‘There’s my boy.’ Cammie Riggs softly smiled, putting down her knitting needles, to tenderly stroke his hair like he was still that small boy.

‘What are you doing here, Mum?’

‘Your cousin Monet picked us up in her plane.’

‘Us? Did Dad come with you?’

‘He did. He’s just gone to hassle the nurse about something. And your sisters called, hoping you’ll get better soon.’

He struggled to keep up. ‘Why are you here, Mum?’

‘Your brothers called.’ His mother nodded across his bed to the other side of the room where all his brothers sat, lined up against the wall, starting with the oldest, Ryder, then Cap, Ash, and their baby brother Jonathan.

‘What’s going on?’ It must be big, especially for his parents to visit, because they rarely left home.

‘Your lungs are cactus, mate.’ Ash gave a casual shrug, only to cop a backhanded slap from Jonathan.

‘Not true.’ Dex tried to get out of bed. ‘Flip it.’ He’d forgotten about the rib. Its heated stabbing pain was the wake-up call he needed, clearing his brain of the medicated fog. ‘Where’s Bree and Charlie?’

‘Home.’ Ryder gave a brief nod. ‘I sent them back yesterday.’

Yesterday?

He rubbed his dry eyes. The air conditioning was cold against his skin, and all he could smell was plastic from the mask he was made to wear. The gassy oxygen partly filled his lungs with a sharp tang of medical antiseptics that was cold and metallic against his tongue, it was like licking a freshly polished piece of silver.

He wanted water. He wanted outside air, not this artificial air that was drying out his skin, his throat, and his lips. He wanted out and now. ‘How long have I been here?’

‘A few days, brother.’ Cap tapped Dex’s shoulder, pushing him back onto the bed. ‘Bree rang us as soon as they had to knock you out to help you breathe.’

‘I like Bree and Charlie. Your father’s quite taken with Charlie. Those two talk like old friends.’ Cammie smiled as the knitting needles click-clacked in her nimble fingers as she worked away on some blue wool. ‘And I absolutely adore Mason. Now, boys, when can I expect more grandchildren?’

The brothers coughed while shuffling in their seats.

‘I’m knitting my grandson a beanie for winter, and then some jumpers. Harper is so good with your boy, Ash. I hope you tell your lovely lady that.’

‘I do, Mum. But I’ll tell her you said that, it’ll make her day.’ Ash began tapping out a message on his phone. ‘Harper said she’ll pop in after work later.’

‘And we’ve left Mia at home to man the fort.’ Cap looked wistfully out the window, obviously missing his partner, who rarely left the station, like his parents, who never left home, but here they were.

‘Oh, I adore Mia, too. She’s perfect for you, Cap.’ Cammie paused from her knitting to give one of those deep smileysighs, the ones she always gave after watching one of her feel-good mushy Hallmark Christmas movies with their sappy happy endings.

‘I know…’ Yep, Cap was just as love-sick sappy as a Hallmark movie, too.

‘Don’t worry, Cap, Bree and Charlie are there, doing what caretakers do,’ said Ryder in that deep voice that cut through any conversation.

‘When can I leave?’

‘Tomorrow, if you behave,’ answered Ryder, bluntly. ‘But first, you need to choose where you’re staying?’

‘That’s easy. My place.’

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