Why the fuck did they all have to be so damned nice? It was the reason he would take down anyone who hurt one of them, but he didnotneed them going into protective-mother-hen mode withhim.
Thankfully, Gio was there, and he murmured something to Colton, who nodded and corralled the other Boyfriends, ushering them away from Joker. That gave Joker an idea. He could teach Chip to wrangle them. His dog was great at herding!
Fitz somehow escaped and floated over like the Disney princess he was. He threw his arms around Joker’s neck and hugged him.
“Don’t worry, sweetie. We’re going to take good care of you. Whatever you need.”
“I need to go to Urgent Care,” Joker muttered, his voice muffled by Fitz’s fluffy white sweater.
“Oh, sorry! Of course.” Fitz turned to Red. “You should carry him to the car.”
Red glanced at Joker, who narrowed his eyes.
Don’t you fucking dare, Russell.
“I think it’s better we not jostle his leg,” Red replied.
Nice save.
Fitz nodded and joined the others, leaving Red and Gio to help Joker hop outside. The cold air felt good.
“Do you think they’ll knock me out?” Joker asked Red as he helped him into the back of the SUV.
“For a fracture?”
“No, for my sanity.”
“Oh.” Red shrugged and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, buddy. I don’t think so.”
Gio climbed into the backseat next to Joker, the dogs jumping in after him. Chip didn’t know what to do with himself. He whined and leaned against the seat, his head resting on Joker’s thigh. Chip might be expertly trained, but when his person was injured, his best boy fretted. He also stuck to Joker like Velcro, more so than usual.
“How are you holding up, sweetheart?”
“I’ll live,” Joker grumbled because he’d been through worse. “Fucking hurts, though.” Didn’t mean he didn’t reserve the right to bitch about it.
“My poor Sacha.” Gio wrapped his arms around Joker and cradled his head on his shoulder. Joker buried his face in Gio’s neck and let out a sigh. This was nice. Mm, his man smelled good. He was one of those guys who everyone loved how he smelled, and he smelled good all the damn time because of some magical combination of moisturizer, subtle cologne, and who the hell knew what else.
Usually, Joker was the one fussing over Gio, making sure he took care of himself, that he hydrated and ate when he should. Gio took better care of himself these days, but that hadn’t stopped Joker from looking out for him, making sure Gio wasn’t getting up too quickly or showering alone.
Even with Gio’s medication, his condition was serious. Joker wasn’t fucking around. Gio was the man he loved, and he wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Fuck, the pain was making him sappy.
“We’re here.” Red climbed out, and between him and Gio, they got Joker inside the Urgent Care building.
Winterhaven was a small town, with the nearest hospital one town over, so their Urgent Care was amazingly equipped. The wait time was also better than any emergency facility he’d ever been to. He’d barely sat down before one of the nurses brought out a wheelchair to take him to radiology. They took X-rays of his leg, wheeled him into one of the curtained-off areas, and helped him get into the pristine hospital bed. They gave him ibuprofen, and Gio was there with him a short time later.
“I’m sorry,” Joker muttered.
“For what?”
“They’re going to put a cast on, which means getting around is going to be a pain in the ass. This is our Christmas vacation. I wanted you to enjoy it.”
“And who says I can’t continue to enjoy it?” Gio stood next to Joker’s bed and ran his fingers through Joker’s hair, knowing how much Joker loved it. “As long as I’m with you, I’m happy. You don’t need to worry about that, sweetheart. Let’s get you on the road to healing. That’s what matters.”
Joker let out a low groan.
“Have the painkillers not kicked in yet?” Gio asked.
“I’m groaning because King will give me desk duty when we get back. Ihatedesk duty. Whoever gets desk duty ends up having to do all the paperwork, and paperwork makes me rage-y. Do you have any idea what Ace’s paperwork looks like? It’s like deciphering a code no one has the key to.”
