Page 107 of Reacher
“Stitch.”
He covered his face, taking a deep breath. None of this was Stitch behaviour. My normally calm, relaxed VP was terrified of something, and that meant there was no chance in hell that it wasn’t serious, and real as fuck.
“You’re scaring me, brother. What’s going on?”
He pushed up from the seat, walking to the window, then he turned again to look at me. He looked… I don’t know what the look on his face was, but it wasn’t good.
“There’s a chance that I won’t be around… uh… much longer, and I uh…”
“What the fuck does that mean?” I was standing too. “Are you leaving us?”
Thirty-Seven
ItoldReachertoleaveso I could sleep, but I couldn’t. As soon as I tried, I realised that I couldn’t sleep without him there beside me. Fucked up, right? Doc was mooching around, and ended up sitting with me for a while.
“I’m sorry if I’m keeping you awake in here. I have some prep to do before the next idiot comes in here with some dumb, avoidable problem.” He facepalmed. “Not that I mean you when I say that.”
I smiled as he rubbed at his greying hair.
“Jesus, this club is making me old before my time.”
I tried sitting up, and he moved instantly, to help prop me up on more pillows.
“Let’s not tear those stitches again, huh? That’s some of my best work right there.”
“So… while I have you to myself… about Reacher…”
He sighed. “Yeah, look, only a few of us know what actually happened, and how serious it is. No club needs a president who’s not healthy enough to run the club. Nor do we need anyone tothink that he’s not strong enough, because it puts him, and the whole club, at risk.”
“From other clubs?”
“Not like we have any other clubs actively interested in our little neck of the woods. The bigger issue would be from local dealers, or a larger organisation, like the uh… mafia.”
I frowned. “As in the same mafia who are currently allies of the club?”
He glanced at the door, then got up and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking every bit the biker he was, rather than a doctor.
“Yeah. If they think this club is a weak link, rather than an asset, then we become liability. No criminal organisation wants a liability in their midst.”
Oh god. I thought things would be okay now, but Reacher’s bad health might put him in danger from people I hadn’t even considered.
“Oh my god. What do we do?”
Doc sat down again. “First of all, we don’t panic, okay? The Pres will kick my ass if I upset you, and I kinda like my ass the shape it is now. I am fully up to date with his medical condition, and any precautionary measures he needs to take. The relevant team members are aware that coffee is out, and I pity the poor prospect when he has to serve decaf to his Club President, but they only know he’s having to cut it out, and not why.”
“Don’t they all know from his collapse?”
He shook his head. “Only a few people knew at the time, and it was explained away as him staying at the hospital with Ice, then with you. Other than me, and Stitch, only the few brothers who were at the hospital when it happened are aware, and they won’t tell.”
“What are the risks, though? Apart from caffeine. Diet? Exercise? Oh god… sex?”
Doc scratched his forehead, his eyes closing briefly.
“Jesus. Yes, there are diet advisories, and exercise isn’t an issue, I don’t think. He does work out regularly, or he was before all of this crap. I mean, you’ve seen the guy. Even when he doesn’t work out, he never sits for more than a few minutes unless he’s on the road. Staying active is good, and yeah… while I don’t want to even think about it… sex is exercise, and, you know… as long as you’re not uh… doing anything crazy dangerous, or whatever…”
I held up a hand. “I get it. Don’t worry about having to say more on that. As long as orgasms won’t stop his heart, I’m good.”
He grimaced again. “As far as you’re concerned, you need to stop trying to do anything until those stitches have done their job. Any vigorous movement, or sudden moves, could tear them again. We flex our stomachs for pretty much everything we do, especially sitting and standing up. So bed rest, and I do mean rest.”
