“It’s okay. Driving helps clear my mind.”
“Or…” Bodie eased onto the floor and leaned against the bed. “We head to your place, grab enough stuff for a week, and you can stay in Raven’s Cliff. Avoid the drive in the morning.”
“At that fortress you call an office?”
“I didn’t say it was a fortress but yeah. Or you can hit up Foster. Like Chase said, that crew rarely sleeps.”
Rowan looked away for a moment, then nodded. “A fortress sounds kinda nice. All we need is for you to get into those sweats.”
“Working on it.”
She took a few more steps, stopped, then huffed. “This is ridiculous.”
She headed back to the bed, grabbed the pair of boxers, then crouched low. “Lift the bad one, first, then brace most of your weight against the bed.”
He arched a brow but followed along, taking ahold of the waistband once she’d eased them over the bandages on his thigh. Rowan let go, waited until he’d inched them up his hips, then helped him into the track pants.
She twirled her finger after she’d rolled on his socks and laced up his boots. “Spin.”
He frowned but turned until his back faced her.
She tugged at the ties, slipped the hospital gown off his shoulders before handing him a shirt.
Bodie shrugged it on, layering a hoodie overtop. “Thanks.”
She held up two fingers. “That’s two beers you owe me.”
“I’ll make it a six-pack.”
“Need a shoulder?”
“I’m good. Can we?—”
“Check up on Wade before we head out? I’ll grab a wheelchair. Make it a bit easier.”
“Rowan…”
She slapped the gym bag against his chest, mumbled, “Don’t lose that,” then darted out, returning a minute later, wheelchair in tow. She didn’t give him a choice, positioning the footrests, then taking him over to the ICU.
Dalton sat on a hard vinyl chair, back to a corner, gaze sweeping the area. He smiled ever so slightly as Rowan wheeled Bodie in, stopping next to him.
Bodie gave Dalton a clap on the back. “You been here the entire time?”
Dalton glanced at Rowan, then back to him. “I know what it’s like to wake up feeling lost. Thought he could use a friendly face. Buck’s gonna spell me off in a bit.”
“I can stay…”
“Unless it’s back in a room with monitors and nurses waking you up every hour, no way.” Dalton shoved the chair a bit. “Go home. Get some rest. We’ll be back once we know Wade’s out of the woods.”
“You mean after you get some rest, too.”
Dalton hesitated, his gaze finding Rowan, again, before he focused on Wade’s room. “I lost five years, brother. I’ve rested enough.”
Bodie clenched his jaw. Dalton didn’t talk about his time in captivity often, but there was no missing the shadows lining his eyes. Or how his mouth tightened at the corners. That despite how far he’d come, a part him remained in that hellhole.
Might never be free.
Bodie nodded. “I’ll have coffee on.”
