Page 61 of Blinded
We stood there in silence for several minutes. I focused on the feel of his hands on my back, the scratch of his beard against my cheek, the scent of him surrounding me. I could do this. No matter the outcome, I would manage. Bayne was with me, and because my mate stood by my side, I could do anything.
I took a deep breath. "Let's go do this." I brushed my cheek across his beard, then took his lips with mine for a long, deep kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too." Bayne stepped back. "I won't leave your side."
"I know." I smiled as we walked out of the bathroom, then out of the room.
I tried not to think too much as we made our way to the medical room. This wasn't some major surgery that could kill me. I'd be fine no matter what the outcome was. Hell, he wasn't even putting me under, so I'd be alert and awake through the whole thing.
I reached for my wolf, hoping for a response, but just like every other time over the last week, I felt his presence, but he didn't respond to me. He was aware what was going on, he hadn't shut me out completely, but I still had no idea if he would come forward when he needed to after surgery. It was the first time I'd ever felt anger at my other half.
All my life we had been a team, two parts of a whole that worked together through everything. Now, I was lost without him. I felt incomplete and empty without him by my side.
"Cohen's here," Bayne told me.
I nodded as he led me into the medical room.
"Afternoon," Cohen called. "Ready for this?"
I shook my head. "Cohen, I still can't shift. Are you sure we should do this?"
"He's still not showing any interest in anything?" Cohen asked.
"No. He knows what is going on, but he doesn't respond to any of it. I thought he'd react to seeing my parents, but he didn't even seem to lift his head to acknowledge they were here." I ran my fingers through my hair. "If he doesn't shift, then I can't heal."
"You can heal, but let's wait for Mike to get here. He'll know what the best option is. I say we go ahead and do the surgery. Who knows when we'll get another chance. Mike has to head home soon. It will complicate things. I can't do a surgery like this." Cohen gripped my arm. "The final choice is yours, Brett. If you don't feel right about this, we won't do it."
I bit my lip. He had the eyes, and if I didn't use them, they would go to waste. I was cheating someone else out of a chance to see possibly. I didn't have a choice. I had to try. "Let's do it." I sighed. "What do you need me to do?"
"Strip down to your underwear at least, naked if you want. That way, if you can shift, you can do it without having to worry about clothes. Then I'll have you get on the table. I'm going to hook up an IV and put some monitors on you to watch your vitals, but other than that, Mike will handle everything. This shouldn't be too traumatic of a surgery as far as pain. He'll numb you and that might sting for a minute, but after that, you shouldn't feel anything," Cohen explained.
"You promised you'd see your parents before it started," Bayne reminded me.
"Oh, are they here?" Cohen asked. "Good timing."
I nodded. "They've been here maybe an hour. I was hoping to have this done before they got here so I didn't worry them."
"Kurt and Josh will make sure they are okay." Cohen touched my arm. "Go see them. Mike should be here any minute."
Bayne gripped my elbow. "Let's go find them."
We didn't have to go far. We'd barely left the room when I heard my mother.
"Brett?" Her scent surrounded me as she came to my side.
"Get settled?" I asked.
"The room is more than we need. You were right. This place is nothing like Pete's pack. I think this will be a good change for us."
"I think so too. I hope you like it here. I'm glad you came. I hated being so far from you." I smiled.
"I called your sister. She wishes you all the luck in the world and says she loves you. She'll be here in a week or two to see you," my dad said.
"Thanks, if you talk to her, tell her I love her too. I'll call her in a couple of days once I know how the surgery went and everything." I leaned a bit into Bayne's arms, needing his comfort as my nervousness seemed to grow.
"We'll be out here waiting to find out. If you need anything—" my mom started.
"I'll be okay. I'll send Bayne out if there are any problems, but hopefully, by the time I come out, I'll be able to see and be healed enough to get around on my own." I hugged my mom, then my dad. "If you need anything, talk to Corta." I was sure my parents would be taken care of while I was in surgery.
