I formed the words in my mouth, but before I could say them, she waved her hand.
“Don’t apologize. He’s not the first one who’s woken scared and confused. The drugs can do that to someone.” She brushed her blonde hair back, and Constance Haggerty, CCRN, stood out in bold black letters on the name badge hanging from a lanyard clipped to her lapel.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks.” I shot Fallon and Vail a look and smiled when Fallon’s relaxed body melded against Vail’s. Cillian and Rowen had moved over to two seats in the corner, and while Cillian’s arms were crossed, his mouth twitched in concern—a telltale sign. Rowen was more open, the worry lit up on his face.
“Can you tell me when he’ll be getting his insulin next?” I yanked out my phone from my pocket and checked the time: 10:00 p.m. “He needs insulin morning, lunchtime, and night. And the nurses before you took his insulin pump.”
She frowned and grabbed an iPad from the cart she had with her. She clicked a few buttons and shook her head. “It doesn’t say anything about insulin here.”
I frowned. “That’s wrong, then. He’s a diabetic and needs it. He hasn’t eaten yet, either.”
“Dinnertime is six,” she said, tapping a few more buttons. “We’ll have to clear letting him eat with a doctor. I’ll try to find something from the kitchen, but it’s late.”
“Even if I have to get him food, I will, but he still needs his insulin,” I grumbled, my anger rising slightly. It wasn’t this nurse’s fault, but mistakes caused people like Fallon to die. “Can you call the doctor or something? Heneedsit.”
She didn’t hesitate like I’d expected. “I’ll see what I can do. Keep him calm. I can’t have him trying to leave the hospital. Bruised lungs are serious.”
When I gave her a nod, she left the room in a rush. I walked back over to Fallon and Vail and smoothed my hand down Fallon’s arm.
“Come on, boy, get into bed,” I grumped.
Fallon let go of Vail and went like I’d told him to, taking his time to slowly shift his ass back onto the bed. He whimpered when he moved the wrong way and pain twisted his face, so I wrapped my arms around his waist, helping him until he was back beneath the blankets with his head on the pillows. I took a seat on the bed, and Vail went around to the other side to grab Fallon’s hand.
“You’re okay,” Vail whispered as he sat down.
Fallon gave us a brave smile, but it wasn’t his usual flirty one. “Yeah. I just don’t want all these nurses to jump me because I’m so good-looking, you know?”
Vail laughed, and I shook my head.
“Is that one of yer wet dreams, mate?” Cillian asked, and Rowen nudged him with a pointed stare.
“Maybe we can get Vail in a nurses’ uniform,” Fallon whispered, his smile faltering when he winced and touched his chest.
“Okay, enough of this,” I growled out. Four sets of eyes spun to me, and I raised my chin. “Fallon, nap until we get your insulin here.”
“I don’t need to,” he said, but his voice wavered and instinct told me he was worried about something. I wasn’t stupid enough to ask him what the problem was in front of Cillian, Rowen, and Vail—he’d make more jokes. I also didn’t know if he’d tell me the truth if they weren’t here. I couldn’t say we were terribly close. We never went out of our way to get to know each other, or maybeIdidn’t. Before Vail, Fallon had tried to make friends with us, but we’d never given him a chance. That had all been part of the learning curve, and now I regretted it. Fallon wasn’t me or Cillian, and he didn’t function like us.
“Sleep.” I said the word in my commanding voice. “Now. You need it.”
He blinked at me and sighed, closing his eyes. “Okay, for a little while. I’m hungry, though.”
“Cillian, can you and Rowen go find him food?” Vail asked sweetly, brushing his fingers down his neck as though promising them something delicious if they complied.
Cillian grunted and stood. “Fine. Come on, ye twat.” He grabbed Rowen’s elbow and yanked him up, and they left the room.
Fallon chuckled, and even though his eyes were still closed, he flexed his fingers between mine. “I know you have work early tomorrow morning, so I won’t ask you—” He pointed his big blue eyes at me. “—But Aspen... stay?” He stared at me pleadingly. “Please stay the night with me.”
I swallowed around a lump that lodged itself in my throat and nodded. “Yeah, as long as you’re in here.”
He smiled. “Thank you.”
As he closed his eyes to sleep again, an uneasy concern that had me questioning every single fucking thing I was doing got stuck in my chest. I felt things I shouldn’t—jealousy, worry, possessiveness—and it was for Fallon. My affection for Vail I could understand, but Fallon? Fuck. It was dangerous. Two men to worry about? Worst idea ever. And then Fallon was in the Company like us. I’d be more concerned with him than the job.
I was in trouble, and if the look Vail was giving me said anything, it was obvious, at least to him, how I felt about Fallon.Shit.
* * *
The next morningFallon was groaning louder than he had before, his forehead and cheeks coated with sweat. It wasn’t hot enough in here for his skin to be soaked like that, and my concern transformed into outright worry.
