Page 23 of Never Give Up

Don’t fuck it up again.

8

MAYA

Seven daysof hell spent in a bed surrounded by nurses and doctors who tell me what to do and when to do it.

That’s what I’m in store for.

The misery, humiliation, and invasion from surgery and exams and questions are compounded by the fact that they won’t release me.

Not until they’re satisfied that my stomach isn’t going to take a turn.

Instead, my arm is in a cast, and I’m on bed rest because of my abdominal wound. The first twenty-four hours after I wake up are the worst. I’ve been photographed, questioned, and questioned again by doctors and nurses.

“Are you paying attention?” My head jerks up at the sudden intrusion into my thoughts.

“Absolutely not.” Unashamedly, I swat at the nurse who is currently trying to fluff my pillow. “I’m trying to forget the fact that I’m stuck here. Still.” But I don’t want to go home, either. Hell, I don’t know what I want to do.

“Dr. Masterson is coming to talk to you about what happens next.” Chris, the absolutely amazing nurse I’ve had since I woke up, smiles down at me. “So make sure to put your big girl panties on and listen to what he has to say. When he’s done, you’ll get the good drugs.”

“I don’t want to talk to anyone.” Admitting that is hard. “I just want to go to sleep and forget.”

Chris rubs a hand over his bald head and props his hip against my bed railing.

“I wish I could say it gets easier.” He fluffs my pillow unnecessarily. “But I’d be lying. You’ve gone through your own version of the worst day ever. Now you’re on the other side, and it’s all sunny skies ahead. You know.” He chuckles to himself. “Mixed in with hurricanes and storms and shit.”

“There she is.” Dr. Tyler Masterson is smiling as he walks in, and I want to punch him in the stupid smug face. “How are you doing today, Maya?”

“Like I want to sleep.” I snap. “But you already know that. Just like you knew sending Chris in before you would be your best bet at not having something thrown at you.”

Tyler, whose brother Travis I work with at the sheriff’s department, just smiles at me with an expression I’ve seen on his brother’s face a time or thirty.

“Fine.Doctor. Tell me. What news is there today?”

“Well.” He clears his throat and stares directly into my eyes. “You’re gonna have a hard time getting pregnant in the future, if you can get pregnant at all.” He doesn’t pull any punches, and I’m trying to fight the nausea in my stomach while he goes on.

Chris, the angel, slides his hand around mine and squeezes, giving me the silent support I need.

“The knife wound penetrated your lower abdomen, as you know. A result of your surgery was the removal of one of your fallopian tubes, and there’s some swelling and likely scarring that will happen around the other. If it’s something you want, we will move heaven and earth to help you conceive.”

“If I want?” My words leave my lips as nothing more than a whisper. “I’m not even twenty-four I don’t know what I want when it comes to kids.”

Liar. You want Brian and Jonathan and James. That’s what you want.

But that’s none of their business.

“We’ll talk about this later.” Tyler ends the conversation when the door to my room opens inward.

“I guess it’s a party now.”

Jake’s invading my hospital room… and I know he’s not coming just to ask how I’m doing.

When Chris offers to stay by squeezing my fingers, I shake my head. I don’t want any witnesses to the breakdown I know I’m gonna have.

“Maya, I know you don’t want to talk about this, but I have to ask you these questions.” Jake looks uncomfortable when he starts speaking again. “You should know some of the other guys are in the waiting room.” He clears his throat.

Brian.

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