I doubted real zombies would attack, but if they did? I could do fuck all about it.
Vail stroked my hair back from my forehead, and he was so loving and kind, but Aspen was stability. He fucked like a whirlwind; Vail welcomed me with such enthusiasm. I needed them both in my life to be happy, and even though they were right here, and I wanted them... the fear wouldn’t fade.
Being in the hospital had turned me into a fucking sap.
There was a laugh that sounded like it was just outside the door, and then all at once a nurse was beside Vail. She must have walked there, but I was feeling so weird after the dream that I flinched. She had one of those round, friendly faces, and her cheeks were red, making her seem like she was always blushing. Aspen brought my hand up and kissed it, effectively distracting me from her, and then a doctor in a white coat came to stand near her. I felt like I should know him, but his name wasn’t in my head.
“Hey, Fallon,” he said with a wide grin. He reminded me a lot of Aspen and I relaxed. Aspen nodded, and I knew what he looked like when he was comfortable, so I tried not to stress. For a few minutes the doctor talked to Vail and Aspen, and I didn’t pay much attention to the rapid conversation. I drifted and my eyes slid shut, but then I flinched—after the dream I’d had, I didn’t want to be asleep.
Vail squeezed my hand and I tuned into reality again, forcing my eyes open, and the man in the white coat stepped closer. He seemed so familiar I began to feel embarrassed because I was certain I should know him.
“We’re going to help you sit up,” he said, glancing at Aspen with a smile.
I gave him as much of a nod as I could.
“Do you remember me? I’m Dr. Berry. I’m Aspen’s cousin, Nick.” He didn’t seem concerned, and since I honestly didn’t remember him, I shrugged.
“That’s okay.” His eyebrows quirked. “Sometimes with medically induced comas you lose the memories of the things that happen directly prior to them. It’ll come back, or maybe it won’t, but either way I want you to know you met me, and you consented to your treatment.”
I gave him a thumbs-up, and he chuckled. Aspen and Vail carefully lifted me with their arms behind my back, and between the three of them, pillows were moved around and the head of the bed was raised. When it was over I was sitting upright at a slant.
“Okay.” Nick held up a little thing that reminded me of the suction tool at a dentist’s office, and then it whirred to life, making a similar sound. He waved the tool around. “I’m going to pop this in your mouth. It’ll feel weird as hell, but it won’t hurt. Do you understand?”
I gave him another thumbs-up, and he did what he needed to do. I hated it but doubted there was any use fighting the process. The tickly suction seemed to go on for a thousand years, and I felt like I should be gagging as he eased it down my throat a bit. I patted his arm, and he pulled it back.
“Good. It’s good. Okay, buddy.” His friendly smile was starting to annoy me. I really wanted to ask him how he’d like it, but that wasn’t an option yet. “This is also going to feel bizarre, and there’s not much I can do about it.” He nodded at someone I couldn’t see, and then something inside my throat loosened. It was the strangest sensation. “Okay,” he said quickly, “I need you to exhale. Do you understand?”
Aspen rested his hand on my shoulder, and I tried to do what the doctor had told me. He kept up a stream of encouraging words as he began to tug the tube out. I felt like I was going to throw up and gasped, coughing when the tube was finally free of my mouth. Aspen hugged me, and I melted against his hold.
“Love you,” I rasped in his ear.
He groaned, then chuckled, and I realized why when Vail wriggled between us and threw his arms around me. He pressed kisses all over my face while Aspen wrapped his arms around Vail’s waist.
“I’m so happy. I hated you that way. I can’t imagine how terrible it was to not be able to talk.” He went back to kissing my face and finally pressed his mouth to mine before wincing. “Hmm, maybe some brushing is needed.” He shrugged and kissed my temple instead, and I laughed.
“He was knocked out for most of it,” Aspen said, voice cool and calm. Something about the nonchalant way he said that pissed me off, but it was also comforting because he was always so level-headed.
“Either way—”
“I love you, too,” I whispered to Vail and coughed again. I felt lightheaded and gagged as I tried to swallow the spit in my mouth.
Nick tapped Vail’s shoulder, and he stepped away from me.
“Okay, Fallon, take it easy.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “You’ll be in here a while longer, and you might need to learn how to swallow again. You’re not very old, and that’s usually a problem for our elderly patients, but it isn’t unusual for muscles to atrophy and sort of forget their job when they’re out of order for a bit. It might be scary, but I have confidence in your success rate.” He gave me a wink. “We’ll see how it goes and get the feeding tube out as soon as we get one solid meal into you.”
“Feeding tube?” I was horrified when I reached up and touched the tube in my nose; I’d forgotten it was there. “Oh God. What the fuck? Why am I so tired?” I asked as I leaned back, exhausted from doing nothing at all.
Nick rested his hand on my knee. “The sedatives are still leaving your system, also the less you move, the less your body wants to. You’re going to feel slow for a few days, and it could linger for a week or more. You’ll do some physical therapy before you leave the hospital.”
I groaned, tried to smile, and failed. I hated weakness in myself. I’d worked so hard to get my body in fighting form. It was fucking insulting to be taken out by some stupid thugs who thought they were pimps. I moved my legs around and hissed, shocked at how sore they were.
“You’ll be going slowly for a bit,” Nick said, with a hint of steel in his tone. “I have some other patients to see, but sit tight, okay?” He gave me another smile, leaned close to Aspen and whispered something I couldn’t make out, and then with a final wave, he left.
The nurse who had been with him wheeled the machine out that I assumed had been keeping track of my breathing. My chest hurt—it definitely wasn’t all healed—but the dull ache was nothing like it had been when I arrived.
Aspen and Vail stared at me, and I felt awkward as the center of their attention. “Everyone missed me, huh? I am pretty amazing.” I tried my best to smile, and Vail chuckled. Aspen shot forward, gave me another hug, and held on for a long time. I didn’t mind, hell, I never wanted him to let me go. The fear of losing him that I’d had in my dream wouldn’t leave, an irrational terror sinking its hooks into me, and I clung to him.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I murmured.
