"What? How do you know?" Gretta looked confused.
"He's freaky that way," Franks told her. "We ignore it."
Lance started to pace, his eyes glued to the hallway and door the doctor would come out of. He just needed to be with Angus. He needed to see that he was alive and okay.
"Relax. It could be a bit. The doctor just spent hours in surgery. Give them time to grab a drink and get cleaned up." Jackson was at Lance's side. "Don't hurt yourself worse."
"I need to see him." Lance glared at his brother.
"And you will once they move him out of recovery. You know how this works. They aren't going to let you go back there. Besides, I'm guessing he'll be moved to I.C.U. and you know what kind of visiting rules they can have." Jackson put his hand on Lance's elbow. "Come sit down."
"Leave me alone." Lance pulled away. "You don't understand." It was then that Lance realized Kel wasn't with them. He turned and stared at his brother. "Where's Kel?"
Ray spoke up. "He didn't want to be in the way. He stayed back at the house. I got the feeling he didn't like hospitals much. Once he heard Jackson was okay, he calmed down and said he'd stay with Haunt."
"Shit, Haunt. Someone needs to go let her out." Lance took a deep breath.
"Lance?" Jackson took his elbow again. "I don't know where Kel is. You know I can't…" Jackson's voice trailed off as he glanced toward Gretta.
"I know. Sorry. Ray told me he's home. Don't worry about it." Lance didn't care if his secret came out tonight and Gretta thought he was nuts. He had bigger things to worry about.
"Don't worry about Haunt. I already told you that I'll head over there as soon as I know Angus is okay. I'll stay there and catch a nap, then come back and relieve you so you can go change and get a nap," Jackson told him.
Lance shook his head. "Bring me clothes. I'm not leaving his side."
"Lance, you need—" Jackson started to argue.
"No, I'm not leaving. Leave it at that. Don't push me tonight, Jackson. I can't deal with you right now." Tears stung Lance's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. "Just bring me clothes later today." He saw Jackson and Franks exchange worried looks, but it didn't matter what they thought. He was staying by Angus'sside, or at least as close as he could until they both went home together.
"Alright. We'll discuss all this later." Jackson sighed.
"We'll take care of things at the house. We'll also be taking care of Martin and Lizzy while they heal." Megan was now by Jackson's side. "There's no reason to argue. We're all stressed and tired. We can figure out logistics later. Right now, let's just focus on keeping positive for Angus."
Lance nodded.
"Okay." Jackson rested his arm around her waist.
"Doctor's right behind us." Jeremy came into view, followed by Isaac.
"Thank God." Lance took a step toward the ghosts.
"Lance, you have to wait." Jackson reached out to stop him just as the surgeon walked out.
"Young family?" The surgeon looked at the people around the room.
"Here." Lance hurried to her. "How is he?"
"He's stable right now, but it was touch and go for a while there. I swear that man is determined to live. There were several times through the operation I thought we'd lose him. The glass cut deeply into his neck, causing severe damage. I was able to remove the glass and repair the damage, but honestly, I can't tell you he's out of the woods." She went on to explain in more detail the repairs she had to make.
Lance nodded, imagining the process. He was aware how complex the neck and throat were. The more she talked, the more he realized that it was a miracle Angus was still alive. "Next steps?"
"We've induced a coma to keep him from moving around much. He needs time to heal. He'll be in I.C.U. for a few days, then we'll see where we stand. It's going to be a long process, but hopefully he's determined to make it. The next few hours will becritical. I'll be by in a few hours to check on him, but right now, rest is the best thing for him." She nodded to the group behind Lance. "It's the best thing for all of you. I suggest you go home, get some sleep, and come back in shifts tomorrow. We limit visitors to three in I.C.U., so keep that in mind."
"His mother is upstairs recovering from leg surgery and her father suffered a broken ankle in the explosion. They'll both want to see him as soon as it's possible, but I'll be staying with him." Lance ignored the small shake of her head. "I'm not leaving him."
She sighed. "You need to take care of yourself. He's going to need you once he wakes up. Not only does he have to heal from a very serious injury, but I don't need to tell you what weeks in bed will do to someone. I understand your need to be with him, but I can tell you were injured tonight as well." She gestured to his face and the cuts that covered him. "The last thing you need is to get sick so you can't be there for him."
Every word was true, but Lance didn't care. He could eat, shower, and sleep here at the hospital. He would manage. "I hear you." Lance just wanted to see Angus. "How long before I can see him?"
