Hudson told me this morning before we left his dad’s house all about Connor’s injuries and it scared me. Even though he was alive, he wasn’t out of the woods, and he would have a long recovery ahead of him, together with lifelong potential health issues. Even if things hadn’t changed between Hudson and I, I would have stayed in Sussex. Because Connor needs all the help he can get.
We headed up and when we walked into the waiting area, Rosa leapt out of her seat and charged us. Hudson watched in amusement as she pulled me into a tight hug. Warren rolled his eyes and headed over to talk to the guys. Hudson followed, sure nothing was going to happen here. I doubted Danica even knew where Connor was. Or cared.
“So, you know the truth?” Rosa asked after she’d questioned me about whether I truly was okay. “About Delaney.”
“How did you…?” I trailed off. I hadn’t mentioned what dad told us on our call before.
“I called Randy to let him know you had all arrived safe.”
“Oh, good, thanks.”
“Fuck me am I glad you know. She didn’t deserve to be forgotten.”
“I don’t think dad ever forgot her,” I answered softly.
“No,” Rosa patted my arm. “He didn’t. But we can talk about that another time. Connor’s been in and out, still groggy and in some pain but he’s doing good. He’ll be thrilled to see you sweetheart. We didn’t tell him what happened, told him you hadn’t been hurt that night. He thinks you’re still on lockdown.”
“I’m going to go get coffee, anyone want anything?”
I looked up at Warren in surprise as he passed by where we sat.
“What?” he shrugged. “We all know he’ll want to see you first. I’ve already seen him, just go. I’ll go in after. If you want anything tell me now.”
Goldie and Jolene made their requests, Rosa tapped her lips with her finger as she eyed my brother. At least I wasn’t the only one who thought it was strange he didn’t want to go in first to see Connor, although as faras we were all aware, Rosa didn’t know about them. I was beginning to suspect she might do though.
Before I could question it further, a nurse approached asking if I was next to see him. I jumped up, the coffee forgotten. Hudson squeezed my hand as I passed, and I gave him a small smile.
The corridor leading to Connor’s room smelt like antiseptic and death and I was relieved when we finally got to his room. The nurse let me in with a gentle smile, reminding me he may be tired and not to cause him any undue stress, which I bristled a little at. What did she think I was going to do?
The room had the blinds drawn halfway closed over the windows and the lights were dim. His eyes were closed and for a heart stopping moment, I had a flashback to him lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor as I finally succumbed to the drug Lily injected into me.
Approaching the bed slowly, I took in all the wires and tubes around him, the needles in and out of his arms. My heart almost broke.
“Hey Wave,” his eyes had opened while I was staring at the monitors beside him. “You’ve come to see me on my death bed.”
“Death bed?” I half shrieked. “Stop saying things like that, Connor. You’re going to be fine.”
“Yeah, fine…” he stared at me in silence, and I just returned his gaze. “You okay kid? I know they never told me everything, for my own good, cos everyone always knows what’s best for me.”
“I’m fine, honestly. I’m more worried about you.”
“Swear it?” he held out his thumb, side on.
I kept my face as neutral as possible. Connor and I had always said this to one another when we were kids. Connor spent the majority of his childhood in foster homes and found it really hard to trust. I’d come up with the idea of locking thumbs and saying ‘swear it’ when I really meant every word I said and wasn’t lying to him. I reached out my hand, but it was hesitant enough for him to notice.
“Don’t worry about it, Curtsey,” he let his hand fall. “I’m used to being kept in the dark.”
“It isn’t that,” I stepped closer and took the hand he’d dropped, even though I didn’t lock his thumb with mine, I clutched his fingers tightly. “You have enough to worry about and getting yourself better.”
He nodded his head, a smile on his lips but his eyes were distant. I hated seeing that.
“I had a slight run in with the Kingsmen. Lily was working for them. Omen too,” the words just spilled out and his eyes widened. “But it’s all good. I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.”
“Pull up a pew,” he nodded at a chair.
I pulled it closer to the bed and sat down. My eyes again going to the wires and bags of fluid beside the bed.
“I’ve stopped asking what it all is,” he said. “They keep telling me I’m going to make a full recovery and all will be good. Even with all the empty slots, like that game from when we were kids, Operation? You remember it, you got any tweezers on you, you could poke around, pull out a few more organs before the alarms go off.”
