Page 12 of Freeing Souls

“No. We need Grayson back,” another voice says, much louder, not soft and soothing. I fucking hate it. They need to shut up; my head hurts.

“I know,” the pleasant voice says, “as soon as Ry wakes up, it’ll be better.”

Since I can’t open my eyes, I listen to other sounds in the room, feet shuffling and annoying as hell beeps. The beeping picks up speed as pain races through my body, from my head to my shoulder and down to my ribs.

“Ryker?” the soft voice says.

“Can you open your eyes?” the other voice says, making me wish I could flip them off. Obviously, if I could, I would, but I just feel so tired, and I’m in so much pain.

“Hi, let me give him another dose of pain meds,” a new, kind voice says.

“Shouldn’t he fully wake up first?” the loud voice asks.

God, shut the fuck up,I think as I fall into a black abyss.

Fuck me, this shit hurts.

“I bet it does. It might hurt more when I slap you upside the head for telling me to shut the fuck up. Want to open your fucking eyes?”

“Noah! What the hell?”

“What, princess? Maybe if I annoy him enough, he will wake up just to give me shit. It’s better than this in and out state. I swear to fuck, if he is just doing it to fuck with us—”

“Oh my fucking God, you are driving me up a wall.” The voice gets closer, and I feel a feather light touch on my cheek. “Ryker? Can you open your eyes?”

This time when I try to blink them open, they actually open. “Ah, fuck,” I grumble as the light hits my eyes, my body so fucking heavy.

“Hey…” Hands cup my face, and I crack my eyes open again to meet the most beautiful hazel eyes I have ever seen in my life.

“Are you an angel?” I rasp. Seeing her terrified eyes makes something in my chest ache, and all I want to do is take away her pain.

“More like a demon,” another voice grunts as Harley chuckles softly and tears track down her cheeks.

“Would you go get a nurse?” Harley says to the other person before looking back down at me. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’m in heaven.”

“That’s probably the pain meds talking,” a deep voice says. Harley straightens but stays close, a hand on my shoulder. “Nice to see you awake. I’m Dr. Stewart. You’ve been through quite the ordeal, so don’t push trying to jump right back up.”

“What happened?” I ask, glancing at Noah standing at the foot of my head.

“You don’t remember?” Harley tilts her head at me, worried.

My head throbs as I try to remember everything, but it all feels fuzzy right now. I shake my head, and Noah explains, “You were in the garage shop with Axe, Sugar, and Atlas. There was an explosion.”

“It’s been about three days. You had to have emergency surgery, and then you’ve been out since,” Harley continues.

“Surgery?” I question, trying to remember anything, but everything just feels blank. I just remember being home and then now. I want to be angry, want to make myself try to remember, but the exhaustion I feel seems to weigh me down and keep me from reacting like I want.

“Yes,” the doctor says. “You came in with some cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and some shrapnel embedded in your skin. We got you all taken care of and were waiting to get you to CT when you crashed. You were rushed right up to surgery, where we discovered your spleen had ruptured. It was removed without complications, and you have been stable since just getting the rest your body needs.”

Well that fucking sucks. “You said others were in the shop?” I ask Noah.

“A nurse will be in shortly to check you over. I’ll give you some space,” the doctor says as he takes his leave.

“Axe, Sugar, and Atlas,” he tells me. “Axe is good. He had some bruised ribs, and it looks like he got the shit beat out of him, but he’s home and fine. Besides Presley, who is losing her shit.” He chuckles. “Sugar had to be brought in, but he is home already and doing better. Just resting. Atlas has been touch and go.” Noah hesitates.

When he doesn’t continue, I glance up at Harley, tears in her eyes. Moving my good arm takes a few seconds, but I manage to reach up and take her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

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