When they arrived, Steel was placing Jackson on the operating table. “Do you want me to undress him?”
“Yes,” Colton said, “but Steel, control your wolf or get out. We don’t have time to deal with your protection shit.”
Nodding, Steel carefully removed Jackson’s pajama pants leaving his huge belly exposed. “Will my mate be okay?”
“Don’t know yet. Ian has to get in there and stop the bleeding.”
Steel stared at the colorless face of the man who held his heart and he said in a low voice, “If a choice must be made, save Jackson.”
Ian, now washed and gowned up, nodded but added, “I intend to save both.”
“Steel, you need to leave. It’s not going to be pretty and your wolf is going to go crazy when he smells Jackson’s blood.”
“I can’t, don’t ask that of me.”
Logan came in, covered in a surgical gown, and said, “Steel, I will be here with Jackson, go please, you’re wasting time. I promise I will protect him.”
Maximus came in and grasped Steel’s arm. “Come on son, you need to let Ian start.”
“Okay, give me a second.” Bending down, Steel kissed his mate’s cold, pale lips and whispered, “You come back to me babe, you hear me. I’m ordering you not to leave me alone cause you know I’m not strong enough to live without you. I love you,mo chroí.” Straightening up, he followed his father out of the operating room, tears streaming down his face.
Steel saw his mother waiting for him with open arms and he moved into the comfort of her embrace. But he couldn’t bring himself to ask her the question foremost in his mind because he knew the wrong answer would kill him on the spot.
~/~/~/~/
With Steel gone, Ian quickly went to work. He surveyed the operating room and Jackson. Everything was in order—Colton had already draped and prepped Jackson’s belly for a Caesarian—along with setting up the operating instruments exactly the way Ian preferred them. Colton was standing next to Jackson monitoring his blood pressure and heart rate. Ian saw the saline solution dripping into Jackson’s arm to help keep his blood pressure up. Ian needed every advantage he could get. Picking up his scalpel he nodded to Colton.
~/~/~/~/~
Outside the operating room, the somber group held hands, praying to the gods to save Jackson and his pup. It seemed like hours to Steel before hearing the loudwailing of his pup. Feeling his mother squeezing his hand, he allowed himself a small smile before returning to his prayers. He couldn’t imagine a world without Jackson’s smile or laughter, a world without the love of his soul mate. Tears fell from his eyes onto the floor and, his head bent, he began to call on all the gods to save his mate.
He was startled when the operating room door opened and Logan came out. “The pup is healthy and doing fine. Ian and Colton are now working on Jackson, trying to stop the bleeding.” Then looking at Steel, he added, “I’m going back in to be with Jackson, but I want you to know they’re doing everything possible to save your mate.”
Cody, Carson, Dakota, and Zane formed a tight circle around Steel, holding him up and starting a new round of prayers—but now, loudly, as if daring the gods to ignore their pleas. Together their love and belief in Jackson’s recovery flowed over and through Steel helping him weather the turbulence consuming him. One by one the brothers spoke of their love for their brother and what he meant to them, concentrating on the positive and ignoring any other outcome other than a full recovery.
Suddenly, Steel heard Jackson’s voice in his head, “Babe, I love you. Please take care of my pup for me…” and then the voice faded. Steel fell to the ground, heavy with grief, positive his mate had died. He felt cold, alone and heartbroken.How can I go on? Why would my soul mate even expect me to live without the love my heart needs to keep beating?While struggling to find answers to those questions, Ian came out of the operating room. Only when his father lifted him up to face Ian did Steel rouse himself from the pool of despair he’d fallen into.
“Did Jackson… Is he…?” unable to give voice to his nightmare, Steel shook his head, unable to say any more.
Ian placed his hand on Steel’s shoulder. “No, Jackson is alive but in a coma due to a massive loss of blood. He was bleeding internally but we stopped the bleeding and he’s stable for the moment. The next 24 hours will tell more about his recovery and how long it will take.”
“Can I see him? I have to see him, Ian, Please, I just have to,” begged Steel.
“Of course. Colton is cleaning him up and he’ll be taken to the recovery room along with your pup. Once they’re settled, I’ll come and get you,” Ian said, holding his hand up to forestall requests from the others as he continued, “only two at a time can be in his room. Knowing Steel, he’ll be staying with Jackson so that means one at a time for the rest of you. I have to get back to help Colton so we’ll talk later.”
As Ian headed in, Logan came out and said, “It was touch and go for a while but eventually Ian and Colton got control of the bleeding, first slowing it down and then finally stopping it.” He paused, thinking about how his heart had stopped beating for a few moments until Ian called out that things were under control. At hearing those words, the air entered Logan’s lungs and the beating of his heart resumed—his twin was still with him. Focusing on the group again, he said, “I’ll answer any questions I can, but let’s go to the waiting area so I can sit down. I’m exhausted.”
Once there, he dropped into a chair, too tired to stand. After everyone had joined him, he began, “Jackson had something called a placental abruption. Ian can describe it better so I’ll leave it to him. But what I can tell you is it causes internal bleeding. That’s why he was unconscious. The pup is healthy and strong and has a good set of lungs on him. I think Ian is putting him in the incubator just as a precaution, not because he needs it.”Logan leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes, hoping his brothers wouldn’t ask for details. Living through it once was enough without having to retell it again and again. He hoped this memory was one that would fade fast.
Steel sat next to his father and mother, trying to reconcile the good-bye message from his mate with the statement from Ian and Logan that Jackson was still alive. Rolling his mate’s words around in his head, he reinterpreted their meaning. Jackson wanted him to take care of their pup until Jackson recovered—notthat he was dying. Finally, there was something he could do to fight his feeling of helplessness. Standing quickly, Steel moved toward the sound of his son’s cries, echoing down the hallway.
Stepping into the recovery room, he spied their pup in the incubator, a tiny bundle of his and Jackson’s love. He looked down at him, and it happened in a flash. He was forever and irrevocably in love with this pup. This was his son to love, protect, and guide in life and as Steel stood there he silently vowed to Jackson that he would do everything in his power to protect and take care of him.
~/~/~/~/~
Colton was watching Jackson’s stats come across the monitor and knew his brother was in trouble. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t figure it out. Everything was normal—blood pressure, heart rhythm, temperature, and respiration but Jackson still wasn’t out of his coma. Even though he could explain medically why Jackson wasn’t awake—each person heals differently, blah, blah, blah—that wasn’t the case here. Colton couldn’t put his finger on it but he knew his brother was going to die. He thought about waking Ian, but to say what? That he had a “feeling” Jackson was going to go south quickly? He snorted,Oh yeah, I can see trying to explain how I know that.But that thought led to his next question.How come I’m so sure my brother is about to die?
Colton walked over to Jackson’s bed, standing at the foot of it, watching him for a long time. He was waiting for something—that much he knew—but just what? That, he didn’t know. Eventually, he talked himself out of his feeling of impending doom and, after switching out the bag of intravenous fluids, he headed back to his desk. Before he’d taken ten steps he heard his brother gasping for air. Turning swiftly, his vision was filled with the sight of his brother’s face—white as new snow with lips blue as the sky.
