Page 22 of Protecting his Secrets

Was that what Malachi meant when he’d implied he wasn’t doing the job he wanted to do? Did he not want to be writing all that? If that was true, then why was he, and why didn’t he stop?

They were all questions Nick couldn’t answer, and neither could Malachi at that point.

“We’re here,” Brandon said, the car lurching to a stop hard enough that Nick had to stop Malachi from sliding off the seat.

“Malachi? Can you hear me?”

Malachi mumbled something Nick didn’t understand but didn’t open his eyes.

“Looks like I’m carrying you then,” Nick muttered to himself.

He climbed out of the car, went around to Malachi’s side and moved the bin, reaching in and slipping his hands beneath andaround him as best as he could. He wasn’t a light man, but he wasn’t heavy either. His head lolled back as Nick lifted him out of the car, and Brandon helped by leading the way and getting a doctor as soon as they entered. Nick eased Malachi onto a gurney but couldn’t find the energy to move away. When they started wheeling him down the corridor, he kept pace.

“Name?”

Nick blinked and then came to his senses. “Malachi Sanders. He had a reaction to peanuts and took his EpiPen around half an hour ago. He was coherent for all of it until around ten minutes ago, when he appeared to fall asleep. His pulse was fast, but I don’t know if that’s usual for him or not. He never stopped breathing at any point. He was mumbling when I got him out of the car but wouldn’t open his eyes.”

“Some people who use an EpiPen get really tired afterwards and fall into a deep sleep, almost coma-like, but it’s not one,” a doctor said. “He’ll be fine and will wake up soon.” The doctor focused on a nurse. “Fluids and get another adrenaline shot just in case he has a relapse.”

“Will he?” Nick asked. “Have a relapse?” he added when the doctor frowned at him.

“It’s hard to tell. Some patients do, some don’t. It’s best to have one on hand, just in case.”

The doctor shone a light into Malachi’s eyes, and he grumbled and turned his face, which settled Nick’s concerns a little. If he was complaining, he couldn’t be too bad. At least, he hoped.

Nick’s phone kept ringing, but he ignored it. Until he had something more concrete to go on, he wasn’t going to answer anyone’s questions. He leaned against the wall, keeping out of the way of the doctors and nurses dealing with Malachi, but his gaze stayed on him. Every inhale the reporter took helped Nick to breathe easier.

They needed to figure out how he had been given peanuts. He knew he was allergic, so he wouldn’t have chosen a meal that had it in. So, either the restaurant made a mistake and gave him the wrong option, or Malachi chose the wrong option, not realising it had peanuts in it, or something else sinister. Was this related to the event? Nick frowned. Why would it be? He tried to follow his train of thought, but there was a ruckus outside the room, and Andrew came barging in.

“Nick, update me as you haven’t been answering your phone,” Andrew said, and Nick immediately straightened from the wall.

“I apologise, Your Majesty. I was waiting for an update from the doctor before I answered to ensure I could give anyone an answer.”

Andrew’s stern expression eased, and he nodded. “Understandable. I was, however, concerned when Malachi left the dinner and never returned, and when Colt told me what happened, I wanted to make sure he was well cared for.” Andrew’s mouth curved. “At the hospital, not with you, Nick. I know you would take care of him.”

Nick nodded, and his gaze found Malachi again. This time, his bright blue eyes gazed back at him, glazed though they were.

“You’re big,” Malachi whispered, ending in a loppy smile, and Nick’s mouth twitched.

“There you are, Mr Sanders. I’m glad to finally meet you,” the doctor said, gaining Malachi’s attention. “Do you know where you are, Mr Sanders?”

Malachi’s head swivelled around, his eyes widening slowly. “Hospital?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, Mr Sanders. I’m Dr Livingstone. Can you remember what happened?”

Malachi stared at Nick again, and the loopiness in his eyes visibly eased. “Peanuts. I had a reaction.”

“You did. You seem to be on the mend, and you’re in good hands. You’re hooked up to some fluids now, and we’ll keep monitoring you for a few hours to make sure everything is on the up and up, but you should make a full recovery.”

“Happened before,” Malachi muttered, his eyelids blinking slower.

“You’re an old hat at this, then.” The doctor chuckled. “Get some rest, Mr Sanders. We’ll keep you safe.”

Nick would keep him safe. He had to.

****

Chapter 8

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