Page 69 of Fractured Constellations
“INFINITY - PIANO VERSION” BY JAMES YOUNG
LUNA
The next few days pass in the closest I’ve come to bliss in a long time. The Cottage may be small, but it still has quite a few rooms, including a music room where Thorn takes me to play the guitar or piano, something I’m ashamed to say I didn’t realize he could. When I asked him why I’d not heard him play before, he just shrugged and told me his dad wanted him to join the family business, but now that is no longer a pressure he has, so he’s letting himself do what he wants for once. I’m so fucking proud of him.
We’ve spoken about Chase’s revelations, and for now, we’re focusing on the next phase of my treatment, aka the transplant. Chase pointed out that Richard no longer has me to use as his test subject or success case, and with the threat of exposure, we have some time.
The guys are resolute in what they want to happen to their dad. They want him to answer for his crimes, mostly because heput me in danger, and I agree with them. I just don’t have the energy to face it right now, and they assure me that’s okay. It can wait a few weeks.
I’ve not heard from Mom, and I’m not even sure if she knows the extent of Richard’s deception. Then again, it’s not something I have the spoons for right now, so I’ve put it on my to-do list for after the transplant.
All three triplets take my care seriously, picking up where they left off and making sure I’m eating well, taking all my medications and supplements, plus doing all the other things they deem necessary for my recovery and to get me in, what Thorn calls, fighting shape for the transplant. Some might say it’s overbearing, but there’s a relief in just following instructions and not having to think about what I need to do next.
Time passes quickly, and before I know it, we’re heading back to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to start the BEAM Protocol. There’s an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach and my muscles feel twitchy, not letting me rest for the whole four-hour drive. We’ve all packed bags, enough for the near month that we’ll be staying at the Institute. Chase has organized a private room for us all, getting them to move two extra beds in so that the guys can properly rest too.
“It’ll be fine,” Blade assures me from beside me as we finally pull up outside the front of the medical facility. His hand has been clasped in mine the entire journey, and he squeezes it gently now. “We’ll be here with you the whole time. You’re not facing this alone.”
I give him a thin smile, trying to remain positive, but I’m fucking scared. This is going to suck, it’s going to hurt, not only me but them too, and that makes it somehow worse.
“I hate that you guys will be in pain,” I say quietly as he helps me out of the car. He pauses, his fingers gripping my chin and lifting it so I’m staring into his dark green eyes.
“Now you know how we feel every fucking day since we found out what you’re going through,” he tells me. “And I would take even that away from you if I could because you’ve suffered enough, Goldilocks.” He leans down, pressing a sweet kiss to my lips. “But know that we would rip every cell from our bodies if it would help you, and we’d do it with fucking smiles on our faces.”
“But then you wouldn’t be here and that would be terrible,” I state, the nerves making me tremble.
“Well, I guess we better get ourselves inside so we can help each other make it to the rest of our lives,” he tells me simply, placing a kiss on my lips again before taking my hand in his and leading me to the front doors. Thorn and Chase follow with our bags, and butterflies flutter in my stomach as we’re greeted by Nurse Susan.
“Good morning, Luna and tribe,” she says with a wink, and it eases some of the tension inside me. “I’m here to show you to your accommodation, help you settle in, and explain the next few days.”
“Thank you,” I whisper back, swallowing past the lump in my throat as she gives us a smile and leads us down the corridor and to a lift.
We’re taken to the fourth floor, and we walk down a clean, modern corridor, reaching a door with a small window in it.
“I hope it’s to your liking. You should find that we put everything in you requested,” Susan says, opening the door.
Again, I’m reminded of a posh hotel room as we step inside. The room’s cream walls with splashes of teal and gold are soothing. There’s a double bed on one side, and then two single beds opposite, with a table in the corner with four chairs. An open door is on the back wall, and I spot a bathroom and walk-in shower through it. There are even a couple of sets of drawers for our clothes. The large window lets in lots of light, and I’m kindof blown away by how luxurious it is. Also, how much space we have.
“It’s perfect, thank you,” I tell Susan, the guys agreeing with me as I head towards the window.
Parting the sheer drapes, I find that we’re looking out over a green valley, the trees ranging from dark green to reds and golds as fall settles over us.
“Okay, I’ll give you a few to settle in, then be back to take you through the next steps,” Susan informs us, and I turn back to her to give her a smile before she leaves the room.
“How about you rest up while we unpack?” Chase suggests, already putting his laptop bag on the table.
“I want to help,” I protest, even though my body already feels bone-weary, which is fucking ridiculous because I’ve just spent the past four hours resting in the car.
“Come snuggle with me, Moonbeam,” Thorn commands, taking my hand and toeing off his sneakers, pulling me towards the bed. “You can be my little spoon.”
“How can I resist such an offer?” I tease, taking my own shoes off and allowing him to help me into the bed. “Fuck, this is like a cloud.”
“Only the best for our sister,” Thorn whispers, pulling me into his body so that my back is to his front. I find my eyes closing, even though I could have sworn I was too amped up to sleep. “Rest, baby. We’ll wake you up when Susan returns.”
It feels like only minutes later when Thorn gently kisses me awake, and I open my eyes to find Susan sitting in the chairthat is next to the bed with a smile on her face, a clipboard in her lap.
“I’m glad to see you’ve rested, Luna,” she says. “Are you feeling up to me going through the next few days?”
“Sure,” I reply, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and sitting up. Thorn sits up too, wrapping me in his arms so that I’m leaning against him, and the skin around Susan’s eyes crinkles as she smiles at us.
