Page 25 of Chained Fate
“We’re still waiting for the pathology results,” he informs me, taking back the cup I hand to him.“Hopefully, we’ll have them by?—”
The door opens, and Ingels walks in.“You’re awake.Good.”He approaches the monitors and checks everything, then takes my vitals before saying, “Everything’s looking good.How are you feeling?”
“Surprisingly okay,” I tell him, and he smiles widely.
“That’s our goal.As the sedation wears off, you may feel some soreness and discomfort, along with continued headaches.That’s absolutely normal and expected.If it gets to be too much, you can press this button”—he hands me a remote-like device attached to a small screen with lots of buttons—“and the PCA pump will dispense more pain medication.And, of course, don’t hesitate to let us know if anything is bothering you.Our team will do whatever we can to make you comfortable.”
I happen to glance at Alexei in that moment and catch him frowning at the device.
For a second, I’m confused, but then it dawns on me.
Is he afraid I’ll abuse this like I’ve done with pain pills in the past?
On impulse, I touch his hand to get his attention.“I won’t,” I say quietly in Russian when his eyes meet mine.“I won’t even push the button.You don’t have to worry.”
For some reason, despite the difficult road ahead, I don’t feel the same need to escape reality as I did in the past.I don’t know why that is, and I’m not ready to delve too deeply into it.
Alexei’s stare is piercing, even as his reply is soft.“Okay.I trust you.”
My breath escapes in a soft exhale, and I look away, not wanting to acknowledge how his words make me feel.
I trust you.
Why does he?He shouldn’t.We’re still enemies, or at the very least adversaries in this relationship he’s forced us into.But he said he trusts me, and for some reason, I believe him.Does that mean I trusthim?The man who puppet-mastered his way into my life using both violence and guile?
Once again, I don’t know, and I don’t want to think about it.The headache that I woke up with is getting worse, and I’m starting to feel mildly nauseated.
I close my eyes to combat the sensation, and when I open them next, my brothers are standing over me, with Alexei behind them, and it’s getting dark out.
I must’ve drifted off without realizing it.
“Hey,” Valery says softly.“You’re awake.How are you feeling?”
He’s speaking slowly, as if I’ve lost the ability to understand language.Which, I suppose, I could’ve.I mean, they cut into my freakingbrain.
I don’t know what prompts me to do it, but I make my face go slack and emit a zombie moan before growling in a mixture of Russian and English, “Brains,mozghee, brains…”
Valery sucks in a sharp breath, his face going a shade paler as he exchanges an alarmed look with Konstantin, but Alexei lets out a crack of laughter.
I grin, glad at least someone got the joke.
“Are you messing with us?”Valery asks incredulously, looking back at me, and I nod, laughing.
“Sorry.The opportunity was too good to miss.”
Konstantin cocks his head.“It was, wasn’t it?I take it you’re feeling okay.”
“I am.Definitely.”And it’s true.The headache is better, and I’m no longer nauseated.I’m also feeling a bit… euphoric.
Shit.Did they pump something into my IV while I was out?If so, I’ll have to tell them not to.I promised Alexei I wouldn’t abuse the pain meds, and I don’t want the doctors to make a liar out of me.
I’m not sure why it matters to me so much, that I don’t betray Alexei’s trust in this, but I gave my word and I intend to honor it… even if the way I’m currently feeling is nice.So nice that?—
“That’s it.You’ve seen for yourself that she’s fine, and now she needs to rest,” Alexei says, no longer laughing, and I blink, realizing I’ve closed my eyes again.“You can visit again tomorrow, and I’ll send you an update as soon as we get the pathology results back.”
I’m about to object, but he’s already herding my brothers out of the room, so I let my lids drift shut and enjoy the pleasant sensation of only a mild headache and no nausea.
A low murmur of voices and some beeping pulls me out of another inadvertent nap.
