Chapter TWENTY-FOUR
THE HOSPITALwas bloody awful. The cold, sterile waiting room brought back unwanted memories of the hours Finn had spent waiting to hear how his dad was after the accident that saw his bike wrapped around a tree. Then there was more time spent at the hospital praying for Carl to recover. And all he could think about was how both those times turned out.
Thankfully Petewas still fighting, but it looked like he had a long battle ahead of him.
The only thing that helped lighten the darkness in Finn’s heart—the darkness the memories and watching his friend nearly get killed had stirred up—was the sight of Mitch’s car in the driveway when he arrived home. Finn jumped from the Uber and nearly flew into the house.
He rushed through the house until he came acrossMitch in the kitchen. The sight nearly tore his already vulnerable heart apart. Mitch was standing in front of the kitchen sink, his palms on the benchtop, staring out the window into the backyard beyond.
Finn hesitated at the doorway, suddenly unsure how to approach. Their relationship was so complicated. Too bad they could never have a proper relationship—Rocky would kill both of them—and toobad Mitch wasn’t one of the good guys. Finn’s head warned him to keep his involvement with anyone even remotely attached to the Soldiers at a minimum, but it was too late for that. And the strange thing was, no matter how much Finn tried to apply reason and logic, his heart saw something in Mitch that represented goodness, caring, and security and drew Finn like a magnet. Finn just didn’t knowif he could trust those feelings.
All this rushed through his head in the few seconds he stood on the threshold to the room. His gaze moved from Mitch to the window. Mitch wasn’t gazing into the yard; it was dark outside, and with the light of the kitchen, Finn could see Mitch was actually watching him in the reflection. His brow was furrowed, his jaw tense, and it was then Finn could see theshaking in his shoulders, as if Mitch were gripping the benchtop for grim life.
Fuck it!
He needed Mitch. He needed to feel close to someone, to be held, and not feel so alone. More than that, he needed to reach out and give Mitch comfort. And if Mitch wasn’t going to come to him, then he was damn well going to Mitch, and fuck the consequences.
By the time he’d taken the five steps to reachMitch, Mitch swung around, and there was no hesitation in their coming together. They clung to each other, and Finn let the emotions wash over him. The hold was warm and strong, and for a moment, the rest of the world seemed so far away.
Finally they separated, and he looked into Mitch’s eyes. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay.” Mitch’s voice was shaky and his expression pinched. “I’m more worriedabout you. And Pete.”
Warmth flooded Finn at Mitch’s concern, and he smiled gently. “I’ve had better days, but Pete’s hanging on. There was nothing more I could do at the hospital, so I came home, and they’ll call me if there’s any change. His parents are there. Someone—the cops, maybe?—must have got in touch with them. Thank God, really, otherwise I don’t think I would have found out much abouthis condition.”
“What did the doctors say?”
Finn was aware Pete and Mitch had known each other for a while, ever since they worked together, but he wasn’t entirely sure of the level of their friendship. The fact he now knew they were both gay, and the looks Finn had noticed pass between them, indicated there’d perhaps been something more than friendship, but neither of them said anything. AlthoughFinn remembered Pete’s words about trusting Mitch:“You can trust him. The rest of them are arseholes, but not Mitch. Mitch, he’s one of the good guys. He’ll be on your side.”Finn bit back the jealousy at the thought of Mitch and Pete together and carefully considered how to pass on the information. Best to focus on the facts and be unemotional.
“He’s got a broken leg, but that’s easily fixed.The bleeding from his head was quickly stopped, and I think they gave him a transfusion to replace all the blood he lost. But they’re worried about his brain. He fractured his skull when he hit the road, so they’re monitoring him for swelling. They were going to take him into surgery and—I’m not sure of the official terms—drill a hole in his skull and insert a tube that connects to a computer.Supposedly it will detect changes in pressure in his head. If the pressure gets too much, then they’ll take him back to surgery and remove a part of his skull to give his brain room to expand.”
“Jesus.”
Mitch wobbled slightly, and Finn tugged him to him. “It sounds worse than it is,” he said, trying to keep his voice strong and even, hoping his words would calm Mitch. “By taking off some ofhis skull and giving his brain room, it stops the brain damage that would result from his brain being constricted. The doctors seem hopeful that Pete will make it.” He lowered his voice. “Although they can’t guarantee he’ll make a total recovery because they don’t know how much damage has already been done. They won’t know until he wakes up.”
“He’s been through so much already. His body’s prettyfucked-up from the drugs and his efforts to give them up. Fuck, the last time Pete was in rehab, it nearly killed him. I don’t know if he’s strong enough to get through this.”
The depth of Mitch’s concern and his knowledge of the personal stuff in Pete’s life reinforced in Finn’s mind what he had been thinking.Mitch and Peter are closer than I thought. More than just friends?
Pete’s words echoedagain:“There’s stuff you don’t know, stuff I want to tell you.”
Finn shook his head to clear his thoughts and met Mitch’s eyes.
“There’s no point worrying about it now, and nothing we can do. We need to trust he’ll be okay. The doctors are doing everything they can,” Finn said. “C’mon, let’s get ready for bed. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a long day, and I know I could use some sleep.”
Mitch pulled back slightly and met his eyes, a little of the lost look having disappeared. His lips turned up with a hint of a gentle smile. “You’ve had a shit day too. Sorry to be dumping my crap on you.”
“We all have pasts and the associated baggage. I’m just happy I can be here for you. I’m glad you got my message and agreed to come back here and wait for me.”
“Of course I’d wait for you.”
I wonder if it’s because it’s his job?Finn pushed the unwanted thought away. “Well, I appreciate you being here. I don’t want to be alone.”
Mitch pulled him in tight. Finn sank into the hug, melting into Mitch’s firm body. “You’re not alone. Not tonight,” Mitch whispered against his ear.
Finn wished that were the case all the time, not just tonight. At some point Mitch would move on, and wherewould that leave Finn? But he’d worry about that later. Right now he had Mitch, and he’d make the most of every moment. “C’mon. Let’s go.”
Mitch drew back and looked him in the eye. “To bed?”
