Page 77 of Doc

“I just stitched him up,” Doc bitches. “I’d rather not do it again so soon.”

Hollis ignores him and says to Jude, “You fuckingbastard.”

“Hol,” Roman tries to cut in. “Not now.”

I can’t see Hollis’s face from where I’m standing, but whatever look he throws at Roman, it has the young heir backing down, his head bowing a little.

“I’m sorry,” Jude says. “I…I’m sorry for leaving and not telling you. I just… I couldn’t do nothing. Not after everything you’ve done for me.”

Hollis raises his hand and smoothes it over Jude’s cheek for a moment before lifting it away so he can sign. I can’t make out his words from this angle, but Jude’s look of confusion comes seconds before Hollis pulls his hand back and hits him again, making his cheek redden further.

“Don’t make me kick you out of here,” Doc reprimands.

“Hush, boy,” I say, reaching for him and pulling him closer. “Mind your business.”

Because while I can agree that Hollis probably shouldn’t be hitting our patient, I understand where he is coming from.

It’s not out of malice or abuse, but out of care for someone he loves, for who he considers his.

“Until I release him, Jude is my business, Soren,” Doc argues.

“Don’t get smart with me. You’re already in trouble from this morning.”

He deflates. “Yes, Daddy.”

Lowering my voice, I say, “I would never strike you while emotional, but I can’t tell you how I would respond if we were in their position. So long as things don’t get out of hand, we’re not to interfere, understand?”

“Yes, Daddy. I’m sorry. I know it’s not what it looks like, that he’s putting him in his place, it’s just different from how you treat me.”

“That’s right, baby.”

“And that’s why I had to do it,” Jude says in response to whatever Hollis told him. “Nobody else has ever cared for me before.” He reaches out for Hollis, but ends up wincing in pain as he moves his injured arm.

Doc pulls away from me and stomps back over to the bed. “Don’t fucking move,” he growls. He signs something that has Jude nodding and wincing, and Doc turns to Hollis. “You really know how to pick them, Hollis.”

“A–Doc…” I warn.

He ignores me—though we both know he’s just earned himself more marks for both his rudeness and disrespect—and checks Jude over to make sure he didn’t pull anything, before making his way back to me.

“How about we give them some space,” I suggest. “Let’s step out for a moment.”

Gently, I nudge Doc out the door, but don’t close it behind us, in case we’re needed in a hurry.

Surprisingly, Cristian and Carter are waiting in the hall.

“How’s it going in there?” Cristian asks.

Doc snorts. “Well, Hollis has hit him twice, so there’s that. I can’t say I’m happy about his expression of feelings, but Jude’s good. Jayden needs to do his own evaluation, of course, and make an assessment on how much PT he’ll need. I’m more worried about his hip. I had to dig the bullet out, and I’m not a fucking surgeon.”

“We’ve addressed that already, but unless you have a solution, there’s nothing I can do about it right now.”

I speak up. “I might, have a solution, that is. It’ll take some convincing, but I know a surgical hopeful in medical school rightnow, who, with some stipulations, might be willing to take the job.”

“I’m listening.”

“My best friends, they grew up much like I did; in the Bratva, but not really part of it. I was able to get out because of who my uncle is, they don’t have that luxury. All of them are outstanding people, a little weird, but they’re Russian, so we can forgive them.

“Anyway, Donovan is the one in med school. And I know he’ll be expected to work for the Bratva doctors, but all of them are strict, ‘follow the old ways’ type of men. My uncle is working hard to change that, but it’s not going to help the three of them now.”

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