Page 32 of Sweethearts and Savages
He carried me like a child, past X informing her mom about her condition, past Carmen’s mates. I wanted to tell Bohdie that humans weren’t scent-based creatures, but as he slid me into her bed, her pillows smelling like the floral shampoo she loved, I hypothesized I might be wrong. I drifted off to sleep in the comfort of that scent.
15
Bohdie
Aweek had passed. Days where she lay there like she was dead, only the small line on her monitors telling me she wasn’t gone. I sat by her bedside, ignoring school and my friends and phone calls from my family.
Cara would come in and bring me a sandwich, kissing my head, but that was it. The only times I cleared out and slept were when her parents arrived to sit by her. They all watched me closely, but didn’t ask questions about why I was there all the time.
Stace worked herself to the bone, and I’m pretty sure she was doing it to avoid thinking about the great love of her life lying in a hospital bed, so close to death. I’d collect her late at night to take her up to Enit’s room so we could sleep. Enit would want me to take care of her. I made sure Doc ate, slept, did all those things because if our situations were reversed, Enit would do the same thing.
How I fucking wished our situations were reversed.
Finally, they were ready to wake her up, or at least lower the medication keeping her in her coma. Everyone was here, and I hovered in the back corner, unable to leave. I looked at my hands, unable to watch. What if she didn’t wake up?
I breathed in and out slowly, and an arm brushing mine had me looking over. I didn’t know any of Enit’s parents, and they didn’t know me. But this one was young, tall and covered in tattoos, looking at the bed butnotlooking. This must be Tex, Enit’s dad who was a blind python shifter.
“You’re the boyfriend?” he asked softly.
I nodded, and then mentally slapped my forehead. “Yes,” I murmured softly.
“We appreciate you making sure she isn’t alone. Enit would hate being alone.”
I swallowed the huge lump in my throat. “I couldn’t be anywhere else.”
Tex nodded, reaching down to grab my hand. He held it firmly, giving me an anchor. I swallowed hard, squeezing it as we both waited.
There was a relieved whoosh of exhaled breaths, and I let my own escape.
“Hey Enit,” came Stacey’s soft voice. I was glad she’d be the first face she’d see. “I’m just going to check your eyes.”
There was more shifting around in the bed, and I caught a glimpse of her. Her body had healed well, supernatural abilities aiding her recovery. She’d be even better after she shifted to her wolf a couple of times. But they were waiting until her brain recovered. Her head was shaved, and she looked even more elfin than normal. Her eyes searched the crowd of faces, her body tense and her anxiety ratcheted high until she spotted Mouse and Christopher, and she let out a little whimper. My heart cracked. I wanted to push through all these people, gather her in my arms and promise no one would ever hurt her again.
Her eyes met mine, and the look she gave me nearly broke my heart. My knees went weak, and Tex stepped closer, letting me hold myself up and not lose any face.
I walked through the crowd around her bed. I leaned down and put my head on the pillow beside her face. “Omega,” I whispered in her ear reverently. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see your baby blues again.” I nuzzled her cheek, and Stacey tutted softly so I didn’t nuzzle too hard. “God, I love you. You scared the hell out of me.”
She didn’t smile, just blinking at me slowly. I pulled back and frowned down at her.
“Boh—” She grimaced and shook her head. “Boh—” Her eyes went wide with panic.
Stacey crowded beside me. “Hey, shh. It’s okay. You suffered some damage to your brain in the accident.”
Enit blinked wildly, her eyes looking at her parents, tears welling up.
“M—” she growled in her throat. “Mo—” She let out a soul-wrenching wail as her mom jumped forward on her other side.
“Baby, I’m here.”
Stacey grabbed Enit’s chin, holding her face so she had to concentrate. “Enit, given the location of swelling on your brain, I was concerned this might happen. I’ll have to run some tests, but I think you have Broca’s aphasia. The part of your brain that processes speech, and tells your brain to move your mouth to speak, was damaged. Do you understand? Squeeze my fingers once for yes and twice for no.”
Stacey smiled when Enit squeezed her fingers. “That’s good. This will get better, I promise. It isn’t permanent. I refuse to let it be.” She stood. “I’m just going to do a few more tests, okay? Simple yes or no questions. Let’s change it up—if something is yes, give me a thumbs up. If no, shake your fist. Do you understand?”
Enit gave her the thumbs up.
Stacey went through a bunch of physiological tests, and apart from her speech, she was happy with how Enit was progressing. I needed to process everything, but didn’t want her to think I was running away. When her family crowded around her bed, I snuck out of the room after Stace.
Stacey leaned back against the wall outside her room and huffed out a relieved sigh. I hugged her close, even though I knew she wasn’t a huge fan of touch. When she hugged me back, I knew she needed it.
