Page 8 of Enzo
“Papa,” I gasp.
Papa walks into the waiting room, and I barely have time to set my cup on the floor before he sweeps me up in his arms.
“I’m here, figlio. Sono qui. Non sei solo.”
My eyes sting as I cry more. I’m honestly surprised I have any tears left. “Who…”
“James called us,” my oldest brother, Vic, says.
Blinking the tears from my eyes, I focus on him and…all of my siblings.
“What are you guys doing here?” I ask in a watery voice.
“Enzo is one of us,” my sister says. “Like hell were we just going to stay home and worry about the two of you.”
I let out a sob, grateful for my family who would drop everything to be here, not only for me, but for Enzo.
Papa holds me by the shoulders. “It’s okay, figlio. Whatever happens, I’m here for you both.”
I nod, but before I can respond, Doc steps into the waiting room. I wipe my eyes and straighten up as I eye the dark circles under my friend’s eyes.
“He’s stable,” Doc says in a wrecked voice. James moves to his charge and wraps his arms around him, holding him close. “He should be coming out of the anesthesia soon, and then he’ll be moved to his own room. I got you permission to sit with him, Kail, so I can take you back there when you’re ready.”
My knees give out and Vic rushes forward to hold me up. “Thank you.” My voice wobbles and I hope he can hear the gratitude in it. There aren’t any words to describe the relief I feel.
I know it’s going to be a long road, but fuck, as long as he’s alive we can handle anything.
“He’s not out of the woods yet,” Doc cautions. “The next twenty-four hours are critical, you know that. They’re pushing everything they can at him, not only to keep him comfortable, but to hopefully stave off an infection. Enzo’s a fighter, though. He’ll recover from this.”
I nod. He will. I believe that deep in my bones. Wiping my eyes, I straighten from where I’m leaning on Vic, and he makes sure I’m steady on my feet before letting go completely.
“I’m ready,” I tell Doc.
“You sure? It’s okay if you need to take a few hours to get some sleep. Enzo isn’t going anywhere.”
I shake my head. “Neither am I.”
“We’re not either,” Papa says.
“You’re not going to be able to see him until we get him out of here,” Doc cautions.
“That doesn’t matter,” my second-eldest brother, Micah, says. “Enzo is family, and he needs us. We don’t leave family behind.”
Doc snorts. “Okay, well, it’s getting way tooLilo & Stitchin here, so let’s go, if you’re sure, Kail.”
I hug my father then all my siblings, soaking up their love and strength so I can pass it along to Enzo. Because they’re right, heistheir family, and I know even though they’re all being strong for me, this has rocked them to their cores.
James presses a soft kiss to the corner of Doc’s mouth and whispers something to him before letting him go.
I follow Doc out of the waiting room and to the elevator. We go up a floor and sign in to the nurse’s desk before he leads me to a recovery room.
Swiping my fingers under my eyes, I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I’m about to see.
As a nurse for the Amato Family, I’ve seen a lot of injuries over the years. I’ve witnessed the worst of what this life can do to a person, but never before have I cared about my patients. At least not on the level I do for Enzo. Swallowing, I push my personal feelings away, knowing he needs me to be at my best while he’s at his worst.
Walking into the room, I bite back my gasp at seeing my love covered in IVs, his face bruised and cut, monitors stuck to his chest…but the most damning thing of all is where his right leg used to be.
Forcing myself not to think about it now, even as tears prick the back of my eyes, I pull a chair up to Enzo’s bedside and take his hand in mine.
