Patting him down, I find the one thing that wasn’t taken from him. Holding Carter’s wedding band between us, I let him struggle and try to kick out at me.
“You have no fucking right,” he spits.
“No, Cris. You have no right to this. It would have been better had Carter removed it and thrown it away. Giving it back…it gives you power over him, and you don’t deserve that.”
Slipping the ring into my pocket, I go over to the crank and lift him up until he can barely hold his weight up on his feet. Soon enough, even alternating between hanging from his arms or trying to hold himself up on the balls of his feet will be difficult, and it'll cause pain to shoot through his body.
“I’ll give you some more time to think things over. Who knows, maybe this can end sooner than I thought it would—one way or the other.”
“Fuck you, Ten. You won’t break me.”
I shrug and head for the door.
“Wait!” he calls out. I stop and look at him over my shoulder, finding him turning his head enough to meet my gaze. “Carter? Is he…what’s going on with him?”
Letting out a harsh laugh, I shake my head. “No, you have to earn that knowledge. Goodnight.”
I leave him, though I’m magnanimous enough to keep the lights on.
Staring at my “breakfast”, I turn my head away in disgust. Fucking hell. If Cristian didn’t succeed in killing me, this new diet might. A shake. For breakfast. That’s it. Fucking ridiculous. And not even a good type of shake, just the chalky, plain protein shit. I miss the Martelli Chef. I’m sure he’d be able to whip me up something that tastes good.
“Well, I was going to let you leave the medical wing today, but if you can’t follow orders…”
I yank my attention to Dr. Ranlen, who strolls in, giving me a hard stare. I hold back a sharp retort, not wanting to piss her off and have her take away even the smallest taste of freedom. Having Leandro come here again in the middle of the night? Pass. Getting my own room with a hopefully more comfortable bed is my goal. Why the hell do they make hospital beds so fucking miserable?
I pick up the glass and take a gulp and swallow. It’s not even through a straw because of air bubbles or some shit. Shuddering at the taste, I set it down and say, “Yum. Delicious. I’m following instructions.”
Dr. Ranlen snorts and shakes her head. “I’m surrounded by idiots. Yet I’m responsible for keeping you all alive.”
“Some of us are loveable, at least. Like me. Who you want to let out of this room, because I promise to be good.”
“I want you out of here, if for no other reason than you’re a pain in the ass. But whatever. You can transition to a bedroom of your own, but there are strict rules. One, you’ll continue your diet. Soft, bland food. Second, PT. You have a long way to go. Finally, you must take it easy. Don’t push yourself.”
“I’m sure Benjamin won’t let me push myself. And fine, I’ll live off this crappy diet.” I force down another mouthful of the shake, for her.
She makes a note on the chart she brought in, and then sets it aside. “Let me do some checks on you in a moment, and then I’ll have someone bring in a wheelchair. I’ll let Jayden know you’re ready for him.”
“Jayden?”
She laughs at my horrified expression. “That’s right. He’s going to be doing your PT. I suggest not fucking with him.”
“But why won’t it be Benjamin?” My jaw drops, even as she moves my still mostly uneaten breakfast aside to start checking my reflexes, and whatever other fucking torture she has planned.
She rolls her eyes at me. “Because Jayden has time. Benjamin is busy as a Second.”
I grit my teeth against the flash of pain. It wouldn’t have mattered in the past. Benjamin would have insisted on being the one to do my physical therapy. I guess Leandro was right. Tennant really did ask Benjamin not to marry me.
I know him. Tennant may not have asked Benjamin to limit his time with me, but that’s what he would have heard. I rub my chest, trying to shake off the knowledge that he’s completely gone now. He didn’t even bother to talk with me about it.
“Are you having pain?”
I snap back to reality, meeting Dr. Ranlen’s concerned gaze. I shake my head, clearing my throat to reiterate, “No. It’s fine.”
Her concern morphs into suspicion, but finally she sighs and waves me off. “Fine. Remember the rules. You just went through major surgery, and you’re lucky you managed to live through it. Not to mention, we were able to save all your organs as well. Don’t fuck up the work we did.”
She turns sharply and leaves the room without another word. I’m beginning to think she’s been hanging out with Doc a little too much.Fucking hell. I struggle to get out of the bed, but I desperately want to get ready to leave. I manage to stand up, but my legs immediately buckle. I grasp the bed and just barely keep myself upright, swearing as I try to fight against the dizziness and weakness.
“Oh joy. Another idiot.”
