Page 8 of Saving Noah

With Zach’s nod, Melia took the ordered syringe from the other nurse and injected the sedative into John’s IV port and then stepped out of the way. Wayne struggled to keep John as immobile as possible and needed all the room he could get. Zach made a mental note to thank Wayne for sticking around and helping to keep John safe.

“He’s agoraphobic,” the man Zach tried to ignore said. “What did you give him? He’s already on medication. You damned well better not have given him something that might cause a negative interaction with his other medicine.” To Wayne, he said, “You shouldn’t have brought him to the hospital without permission. This is going to be devastating to John.”

Wayne glared and answered, “Not your call, buddy. He needed emergency medical attention and wasn’t conscious to say otherwise.”

Agoraphobic? Zach’s mind searched for everything he knew about the mental illness. Did they even refer to it as a mental illness? He knew it meant someone feared leaving their home. That didn’t make sense; John left his apartment all the time. They’d shared an elevator at least a half a dozen times. He’d seen him in the gym. Argued in the hallway. If John never left his apartment, Zach would have never seen him, and he wouldn’t be spending about eighty-five percent of his time lusting after him.

John’s body started to relax, and a few seconds later, he sucked in a giant gulp of air. The sedative worked its magic on John’s nervous system.

“It’s okay, baby. Just relax and let the medication help you. I’m right here. You’re going to be fine,” he promised. John’s body might be drifting off into sleepy land, but the grip on Zach’s hand remained tight. Zach knew he said words, likebaby, which he had no business saying, and he every eye in the room remained on him, some curious and some angry. He hadn’t been working with this hospital staff very long and wasn’t completely sure they were aware he was gay—he also didn’t care if they found out. He doubted they cared one way or the other, but from the hostility rolling off John’sfriend, he definitely cared. Asshole.

John’s eyes finally drifted closed, and the grip on Zach’s hand loosened and then fell away completely. Zach missed the connection immediately. He was in some serious trouble where John was concerned. Some crazy alpha protect-what-is-mine reaction kicked in the second he’d recognized his neighbor on the gurney.

“Have you taken care of his injury?” his nemesis demanded. “If you haven’t, get it completed so I can get him back to his apartment. I don’t want him waking up and facing this shitshow again. I feel quite certain any progress John’s made with his issues were clearly tossed out the fucking window today. He’s already a scaredy-cat as it is. I don’t need this bullshit added to his list ofI can’t.”

Zach’s feelings for the man in front of him went from intense dislike to pure hatred. The bastard might be pretending to be John’s friend, but the shit tumbling from his mouth proved otherwise. Zach wanted to literally pulverize him into the ground—somewhere besides the emergency room because he didn’t want to risk someone trying to bring him back after Zach destroyed him.

“Remember the time we ran into that huge asshole in the emergency room, Doc?” Wayne asked with a smirk and a shake of his head. “That dude was a real douche. Kinda made me want to kick his scrawny ass.” His eyes lasered in on the man Zach already envisioned being strapped to a medieval torture device.

Zach smiled. “I remember it like it just happened, man. Like it just happened.”

Melia choked back a laugh.

Bad guy didn’t seem to find their joke nearly as amusing as the rest of them. Tragic. Zach didn’t give a fuck about anything the asshole thought.

“I’m John’s court-appointed caregiver. Get him ready to go home. Now.”

Zach immediately started caring about what the asshole thought. The bastard might very well have the power to remove John from his life permanently. That wouldn’t do. He didn’t trust the man, confident he didn’t truly have John’s best interest at heart, but he recognized playing nice might be necessary for a while—just until he figured out what the hell was really going on. Agoraphobia didn’t make sense from everything Zach had seen regarding John. Of course, he wasn’t an expert on the subject…but he would be before the end of the day. He vowed to learn everything possible about agoraphobia. Never again did he want to see the terror he’d just witnessed in John’s beautiful eyes.

Plastering on a fake smile, Zach asked, “What’s your name again? I’ve seen you around the building, visiting John, but I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Zachary.” He stuck out his hand for a friendly handshake.

“Cameron. Cameron Maverick. You’re John’s neighbor, right?” Cameron’s dark eyes studied him closely, but he at least shook the hand Zach offered.

It didn’t take a medical degree to see Cameron didn’t trust Zach’s sudden attitude change. He’d have to try harder. “Yes, I just moved in several months ago,” he answered. “John may have a concussion, Cameron. He hit his head hard when he fell and needed several stitches. He really needs continued medical care until we know he’s completely safe.”

Cameron frowned. Zach couldn’t help but notice he hadn’t one time looked down at John, much less reached out to touch him or tried to comfort him when he’d been suffering through his panic attack. The man looked to be around John’s age, maybe a year or two older. Men using hair products didn’t bother him…except with Cameron. Zach didn’t like anything about him. Not the expensive suit tailored to fit his small frame. Not the impeccable hair, every hair in place and held prisoner with some ridiculous-looking gel. Definitely not the cold way he treated John.

“He isn’t staying in the hospital. He can’t handle being away from his safe zone. I want him back in his apartment before he wakes up. They should’ve never brought him here without my approval.”

Zach ignored Wayne’s disgusted snort, even if he agreed wholeheartedly. “I understand your worries. I believe it’s safe to say we’re all concerned about John’s welfare.” Zach looked down at a resting John. The gash had been tiny with no other discernable injuries. Zach’s mind whirled for a solution best for John. He’d prefer to have a CT scan since John hadn’t regained consciousness quickly. But if the original injury were due to a panic attack, it explained so much.

Getting him home before the sedative left his system might stave off another attack, which would be in John’s best interest overall. Zach never wanted to see that terror engulf John again. If they weren’t able to rule out a concussion, though, someone would need to stay with him to monitor his situation.

With limited options, Zach offered, “Why don’t you and I take John back to his apartment, and I’ll spend the rest of the evening monitoring his recovery and welfare? My shift was over anyway.”

Cameron frowned, but seemed to be pondering Zach’s solution. Finally, he said, “I guess that’s okay. The main thing is getting him back where he feels safe.”

Maybe Cameron wasn’t as bad as Zach pegged him for.

“He’s going to be very upset when he wakes up and realizes what happened today.” Cameron grinned like they were buddies. “He prefers to keep his crazy tucked away from prying eyes,” he added with a laugh.

Zach bristled again. No, Cameron was just as bad as Zach suspected—maybe worse.Keep his crazy tucked away? What the fuck kind of comment is that? Agoraphobia didn’t make John crazy; it made him a victim of a situation beyond his control. He was a hostage of his own mind. John needed support, not smartass comments from an asshole pretending to be his friend.

“I’ve got to fly, Doc,” Wayne growled in fury. “You finished with me? I think I’m about to be sick.”

Zach turned to Wayne and tried to send him a silent message with his eyes. “Sure, Wayne. Thanks for all your help. I’ll make sure John knows you treated him with respect and were concerned for him.”

Wayne raised his chin in acknowledgment and then made a hasty exit. The EMT was beyond pissed. Zach understood the sentiment. He was a couple of steps above pissed with Cameron, but he was going to have to keep ittucked away. He needed to use Cameron at the moment, so playing nice with the asshole topped his immediate agenda.

---