Page 33 of Primary Seduction
As he closed the doors, there was a knock at the front door.
“No idea who that will be at this time of night,” Trent murmured.
“Might be…for me,” Max said.
“Okay, if you say so.” Trent headed towards the front door and found a guy carrying a medic bag.
“Mr Walker?” he asked.
“Yes, can I help you?”
“I’m here to see Mr Hughes.”
Trent stared at the stranger, feeling that life was becoming a little surreal. “Sure. This way.” He led him to the bedroom. “Max, you have a visitor.”
The medic went right to work, checking Max over, asking questions, generally being a doctor. At the end of the examination, the medic insisted Max was to go to the hospital.
“Please remember the guidelines, Mr Hughes. Keep the location of the incident vague when you talk to the police, which you will undoubtedly have to do. The information I’ve gathered here and whatever you send through when you are feeling up to it, will be sent to the owners. They will find who did this and you’ll be notified. I would suggest someone stays with you for a short period of time during the investigation.” The medic talked quietly; Trent thought maybe he wasn’t supposed to hear.
The medic stood. “Mr Hughes, it’s been a pleasure. Remember the guidelines for talking to friends as well. Small non-descript ideas work best.” He looked at Trent. “Although, that might be impossible with this one.”
With that, he nodded and left. Trent heard the front door shut, and he stared at Max. “What the hell was that about?”
“My personal…medic,” Max joked.
“Fine, whatever. Sounds like you’re not allowed to tell me anyway. Let’s get you ready for hospital. I’ll carry you to the car.” Max didn’t argue, so Trent knew he was in pain. That’s when he realised the paracetamol were still on the bedside table. “Shit, Max, I didn’t give you the pain relief.”
“It’s okay…get some…at hospital.”
After struggling to get Max back into his sweater, Trent manoeuvred Max into the back of the car again and drove to the hospital. He abandoned his car in the middle of the road and got Max out, carrying him through the doors of A&E. A nurse saw him straight away and called for a gurney where Trent laid him out to more groans.
“What happened?” a doctor asked him.
“I…I don’t know exactly. He was at a club, and I got a phone call from him asking me to go get him. He sounded in pain. When I got there, he was in an alley. Like this.” Trent indicated Max’s body.
“What’s his name?”
“Max Hughes.”
“Are you family?”
“I’m…” Trent knew what would happen if he said no, “his boyfriend,” he finished quickly, trying not to blush or wince at the lie.
“Okay, head over to the reception desk so the nurse can fill in some details, and we’ll get you some information as soon as we can.” The doctor and nurses wheeled Max away from him, and Trent watched, his heart aching, though he didn’t know why.
As Trent sat waiting, after giving the nurse as much information as he could, he thought about who to call. Eventually, they’d figure out he wasn’t Max’s boyfriend, and they’d need someone else. With everything Max had said about his parents, he knew they were not worth a call but maybe his sisters? When he realised who he needed to call, Trent rolled his eyes and retrieved his phone.
“Hello?”
“Logan, I need your help.”
“Sure, Trent. What’s wrong?”
“I’m at the hospital with Max. He’s been beaten up outside some club.”
“Fuck. Is he okay?”
“I don’t know, Logan. We’ve not long been here. But he looked…a mess.”
