Page 105 of Enraged

“Lena is family,” he explained calmly. “We won’t visit him long.”

He pulled open the heavy door and held it there, allowing me to walk in the room first.

Dakota was lying there shirtless, with a brace on his left arm. He had stitches and gauze, just above his left eye, and some bandages covering a part of his neck. His tattooed chest seemed to be the least damaged of all, pumping up and down as it should, but as I noticed the hose that was attached to his mouth, I realized it wasn’t pumping up and down on its own.

“He’s on a ventilator.” Chief Hennessy explained. “It’s takin’ over breathing for him for a bit so he can rest. They’ve also mentioned doing a medically induced coma due to the degree of smoke inhalation and burns inside of his lungs.”

As I stared in disbelief, a lump formed in the back of my throat.

“I’ll give y’all a minute, Lee Lee, but remember, he needs to rest.”

I nodded tearfully. “Thanks, Chief.”

“He obviously can’t speak but he might be able to hear you so give him a good ass chewin’ for me, will ya?” he asked right before leaving the room.

I walked a little closer to his bedside, hating how small he looked in the giant ass bed.

“Okay, you’ve made your point. You’re great at your job,” I teased him softly as I picked up his large, dirty hand.

The tube down his throat looked more hazardous than helpful. “I feel like this would be the perfect time to use that thing you say about how you look cuter with something in your mouth so I’m goin’ to need you to wake up so I can say it to you.”

The ventilator whooshed, the quiet sound screaming at me louder than anything I’d ever heard.

Squeezing his hand, I started to cry. “I changed my mind about the hot tub… but you can’t get in there with all this shit on so you gotta get better, okay?”

I silently begged for him to open his eyes, for him to give me any sign that he was actually alive.

“Chief said you saved some kids and then ran back in after Jace… if I’ve never told you before…”

And in case I never get the chance to again.

“I’m proud of you. I’m proud to call you my friend.”

There was a gentle knock at the door and a middle-aged man stuck his head inside. “Hi, I’m Dr Bowers,” he stepped inside. “Are you his spouse?”

“No,” I sighed. “But I can call her.”

After promising Dakota I’d be back with some whiskey, I kissed his head before leaving the room.

Chief Hennessy was waiting for me down the hall.

“The doctor asked me if I was his wife,” I informed him. “I told him I would call her.”

Neither of us said a word as we rode the elevator downstairs because neither of us knew what to say.

We were back on the first floor, easing our way towards the trauma unit, when he finally figured out what to say. “I make it my business to mind my own business… but are you sure he would want you to call Cassie?

I mean, yes, but also maybe, no?

“I don’t know,” I admitted. He nodded. “I called Jake. He’s on the way.”

“Okay.”

We rounded the nurse’s station.

“Listen, Lena, I know it’s not the best timing, but you are Jace’s power of attorney. The doctor would like to speak with you.”

“I don’t want to be his power of attorney,” I spoke firmly.

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