Page 60 of Simply Perfection
He looked up through the snow. Trevor now saw that the men thundering in his direction were Matt and Niall. He’d done it. He’d survived.
Matt lifted Trevor’s body up against his chest. His body jolted as Matt ran down the street. Someone wrapped something warm around Trevor's feet.
“Open the doors!” Matt yelled.
Trevor’s head rolled against Matt’s chest. He closed his eyes and let his body go lax, moving with Matt’s strides.
When he opened them again, Matt was placing him on a gurney inside an ambulance. A mask was placed over his face, and blankets were thrown over the top of him. He couldn’t prevent the tremors from taking over his body. His eyes watered.
“Bello? Can you hear me? Come on, baby, show us those beautiful sky-blue eyes.”
He opened them and saw both Matt and Niall sitting next to each other on one side of the gurney. They were both crying, their hands locked together and gently placed on top of him. Matt smoothed his hair back, and Niall rubbed his leg.
Trevor tried to take the mask away, but the EMT wouldn’t let him, kept telling Trevor to leave it on. The warm air would help combat the hypothermia. He looked into eyes of forest green and inky black, both brimming with fear, happiness and above all else, love.
“Take me home,” he whispered.
The edges of Trevor’s vision darkened, and he welcomed the oblivion.
Niall walked with Matt through the hospital corridors. They entered the waiting room and found all of their friends sitting in a circle of chairs in the corner. Each and every one of them had helped bring Trevor home, and Niall would be forever grateful. How could you repay someone for returning a part of your soul?
Calleigh stood. “How is he?”
She had Alannah braced on her hip. The identical blond heads and bright green eyes of Brandon and Michael looked at Niall with expectation. Unlike most kids their age, they sat silently in their fathers’ laps.
“He’s going to be fine.”
Seven chests let out a collective sigh.
Logan stood and came over to them. “Tell it to me straight.”
Niall took Matt and Logan’s hands. He walked over to the group and stood as they opened the circle. “He has moderate hypothermia, and they’ve got him on warm IV fluids and oxygen. At first they were worried about frostbite on his feet, but they seem to have responded to hot water treatment. The abrasions on his wrists and ankles are painful but superficial. Trevor had an allergic reaction to whatever Hampton used to bind him, and they’re treating him with a cocktail of steroids and asthma medication.”
Matt wrapped his arm around Niall’s waist. “They expect him to be ready for release in two to three days.”
Conor closed his eyes and whispered, “Gabhaigí buíochas le dia na bhflaitheas, óir maireann a bhuanghrá go brách. Gie thanks ter de god in 'eaven for 'is mercy endurs forever.”
Niall closed his eyes. “Amen.”
Hearing Conor speak Irish, reminded him of his grandmother and grandfather. They’d always supported the decision to raise Niall as part of the Mohegan tribe, but Niall knew that their heritage flowed richly through his veins. Maybe it was time to honor that part of him more.
Brandon tugged on his father’s pants leg. “Da?”
“Aye?”
“Are any more of your friends going to get hurt?”
“I pray not,mo grian.”
“Me too, we’ve been here way too much.”
Snickers filled the air, and Niall kneeled in front of both Brandon and Michael. “The two of you have been such good friends to Trevor. I know that when he gets better, he’ll want to thank you. How does a trip to the Children’s Museum sound?”
Michael put his fists on his hips. “Why do everybody bribe us? We’re five now and don’t fall for that nomore.”
Niall heard Matt laughing behind him and tried very hard to keep a straight face. “It’s not a bribe, Michael. It’s a reward. We can go have a day of fun. Evenfiveyear olds like to go out and have fun, right?”
Twin heads bobbed
