“He’ll be fine. Cars don’t usually blow up except in the movies,” Hunter explained. “I’m going to call your mom and the set to let them know what happened, okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” Payne echoed, waving one hand weakly. “Anyone else hurt?”
“We’re fine,” Hunter assured him. He put in calls to Chase’s mother — who was frantic until Hunter passed Chase the phone and Chase told her how Payne had saved his life by shielding Chase with his own body. By the time Hunter got his phone back and called the set to tell them what had occurred, he could hear the wailing of sirens in the distance.
The ambulance crew took several minutes to check out Payne and Chase, and then Payne was placed on a gurney and loaded in the back. Chase jumped up into the vehicle and asked the EMTs questions as fast as he could get them out. Hunter had only a moment to kiss Payne on the forehead before he was loaded in, since Hunter had to stay and answer questions for the police. It killed him to watch the ambulance carrying Payne away, but the EMTs had assured him it seemed to be only a concussion and maybe some bruises, and Payne would be fine.
Doing accident reconstruction in the rain wasn’t fun, but Hunter gave his statement as clearly and succinctly as he would have following a military operation. He presented his driver’s license and his Hercules Security credentials and finished up with the officers about the time the tow truck arrived.
Fortunately, the cops offered him a ride to the hospital, assuring him he wasn’t at fault for the accident. The truck driver had turned himself in, admitting he’d been drowsy and had fallen asleep, waking up only moments before the crash, but too late to stop it. Hunter thanked them for the ride and the information, then entered the hospital tired, damp, and bedraggled almost three hours after Payne had been taken away.
The nurse on duty at the ER was helpful, informing him Payne had been admitted and taken up to a room for observation. Hunter made his way to the right floor, then finally to Payne’s room. He stepped inside, stopping as he caught sight of Payne sitting up in the bed.
“Lying down on the job?” he asked, smiling in relief. “I never knew you were a slacker.”
“You caught me.” Payne’s answering smile was weak, and he still looked groggy, but he lifted his hand to Hunter.
Hunter didn’t hesitate to cross the room, taking Payne’s hand and lifting it to his lips. “You scared the shit out of me, you know,” he said softly. “Don’t do that again.”
“Sorry.” Payne turned wide eyes on him. “I’ll try not to.”
If Payne was trying to make Hunter melt, it worked. Hunter sighed, sinking down in the chair next to the bed. “I guess I’m going to have to stick around to make sure, right?” he asked. “They told me it was a concussion and a couple of bruises. How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay,” Payne said, squeezing Hunter’s fingers gently. “They want me to get a CT scan, of course, and the nurses have been in and out every two seconds to make sure I don’t go to sleep. So much fun.”
“Oh, yeah, I know the drill,” Hunter said. He brushed a lock of Payne’s hair back from his face. “You’re Chase’s hero, you know. He’s convinced he’d be road pizza if it weren’t for you.”
“It wasn’t just me.” Payne started to shake his head, but grimaced and stopped. “Movement is bad. Anyway, it was a team effort. Me shielding him and your driving. Your reflexes kept it from being a lot worse.”
“I wish they’d been better, so you wouldn’t have been hurt at all,” he said, his voice husky. “If I’d been going a little faster, I would have made it across before the truck got there. Time felt like it slowed down, you know? I’m sorry you ended up injured because of it.”
Payne raised one eyebrow at him. “Do I need to cane the what-ifs out of you again? What happened isn’t your fault. It’s that dumbass trucker’s fault. You and Chase are fine, and I’ll be fine. It’s not my first concussion.”
Payne’s words helped to soothe Hunter’s guilt, and he smiled crookedly. “No, sir, I won’t need another caning. And the trucker doesn’t know how lucky he is that you aren’t hurt worse. As it is, I could beat the shit out of him for ruining my rainy day plans. This is definitely not the bed I was hoping to get you into today!”
“It’s not the bed I wanted to be in either,” Payne said, chuckling. “I can’t even get any healing cuddles until I’m released.”
Hunter stroked the back of Payne’s hand with his thumb. It could have been a lot worse, but he wished he could take Payne back to their hotel room and give him all the cuddles he wanted. “As soon as you’re released, I’m yours to command. Cuddles, meals in bed, anything you want. I’ll even serve you naked if it will help you heal. I just want you back with me where you belong.”
Payne smiled, his eyes soft and warm with affection. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said, squeezing Hunter’s hand again. “Oh, have you reported to Herc yet?”
“Not yet. I wanted to make sure you were okay first.” Hunter pulled out his cell phone. “Want me to do it now? That way you can chime in if you want.”
“Sure, go ahead,” Payne said, releasing Hunter’s hand with obvious reluctance.
Hunter quickly dialed the Hercules security number, then put the call on speakerphone before reaching for Payne’s hand again. When Herc came on the line, Hunter gave a quick, succinct report of what happened.
“I’ll send a replacement team at once,” Herc said. “Pita, you’re on administrative leave for the next several weeks. You too, Hunter, because he’ll need someone to watch over him. You’ll both need a medical clearance before returning to active duty, but I don’t want you to rush it. Concussions are nothing to fool around with, and Hunter, I want you to get checked out too. You’re probably banged up and won’t realize it until tomorrow.”
“Understood, Herc,” Payne said, although he scrunched his nose to show his dislike of being sidelined for weeks.
“Good. Take care, you two. I’ll have the replacement team check in with you when they arrive.” With that, Herc ended the call.
“Well, what are we going to do with all that time off?” Hunter asked, giving Payne a slow, heated smile. “Do you have any ideas, sir?”
“It seems my options are awfully limited,” Payne said, widening his eyes as he gazed at Hunter. “You know how strict they are about what you can and can’t do when you’ve got a concussion. I can’t read or watch TV or go online. What does that leave?”
“No strenuous activity, either,” Hunter said thoughtfully. “Should I ask your doctor if paddling is too strenuous? I’d think caning would be right out, and the flogger… well, it could go either way. Or you could lie back and let me lavish you with attention and serve your every whim.” Actually, he rather liked the thought of taking care of all Payne’s needs, spoiling him and making him happy. It was a duty he thought he might never tire of.
