Page 40 of Capturing Perfection

Trevor looked over his shoulder at Fredrick. “Get him some water, please.” He pulled his chair from beneath the desk and placed it behind Logan. “He went to get your water. Sit down, buddy.”

Logan followed Trevor’s orders as if he were the senior drill sergeant at boot camp. Trevor crouched down in front of him and placed his hands on the arm of the chair. A bottle of water appeared in front of him, and he accepted it with thanks from the unknown source.

“Logan, are you with us?”

He nodded but didn’t speak.

“Drink your water, give yourself a few moments then I’ll take you to Clay.”

Clay!

Logan sprang from the chair and headed towards the door to the lab, but a set of powerful arms wrapped around his waist stopped him.

“Let me go!” he shouted. “I have to leave. I have to get to Clay.”

“Time out, Logan.”

The fight left his body, and the buzzing in his brain went silent. He turned his head and realized Matt was the one restraining him. ‘Time out’ was their phrase. The one used in sessions when things were getting too intense and he needed a break. His conditioning to those words and the comfort they offered was bizarre.

“Good. Now, turn around and look at me,” Matt ordered.

He did and saw Trevor standing a few feet behind them. He stared at Matt, jaw hanging open. Amid his own personal crisis, Logan almost let out a chuckle.

“Clay is on his way to Boston Medical Center. We’ll take you in a matter of minutes, but I need to make sure you’re stable.”

“I’m good, Matt. It worked. I left for awhile, but I’m back.”

“Okay, then let’s go.”

“Can I come with you?” Trevor asked quietly.

Matt turned; Logan was supremely pleased as the large man froze at the sight of Trevor's small frame in the doorway. Logan nodded, but noticed that Trevor only had eyes for Matt and hadn’t seen his assent.

“Who are you?” Matt asked.

Logan moved away from Matt and stood between his two friends. “Matt Lincoln, this is Trevor Mitchell. Trevor is a friend of mine here at the lab. He helped me find my ground during the flashback.”

Logan watched as the two men shook hands, their touch lingering beyond politeness.

“I’ll be in the car, waiting.” He turned and made his way down the hall towards the exit.

Logan paced inside the surgical waiting room. The carpet was worn in tracks from thousands of loved ones doing the same. A pair of hands pressed on his shoulders, halting his progress. He knew they were Ryan’s because the man’s distinctive woodsy aftershave drifted from behind him. Ethan appeared, holding out a steaming cup.

“Caffeine is probably the last thing you need right now, but…”

Logan accepted the gift. “Thank you. Believe it or not, if I wasn’t moving, I’d probably collapse. So this caffeine may be the only other thing keeping me upright.” The three of them joined Matt and Trevor in the chairs lining the far wall.

Vic and Chase had left a moment ago to see if they could use their pull as doctors to ferret some information out of the staff on Clay's condition. Logan didn't think it would work with the privacy laws, but if it made his friends feel helpful and on the slim chance they came back with some information, then Logan was all for it.

“How are you doing, Logan?” Matt asked.

Logan knew he wasn’t asking about the tension from waiting on the news about Clay’s surgery in progress. Matt was referring to the aftereffects of Logan’s flashback.

“I’m tired and my head hurts as usual, but it’s bearable.”

“Did you take anything? Do we need to talk about it?”

Logan shook his head. “Not now. Maybe … maybe, later? After we know everything.”

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