“Jonah!”
I froze when I heard a familiar voice. It was only seconds before Vanya’s arms were around me, and he lifted me off the ground in his massive hug before setting me down, though he didn’t let go.
“Have you seen him?”
“No. Nurses not let anyone in,” he told me right as Tucker came back and said, “She said another forty-five minutes.”
Fuck.
“Come on. There’s seat here for you.” Vanya pulled me by the hand, and it was by some miracle I didn’t collapse before I got my ass in the uncomfortable chair. He had my hand tight in his,and I squeezed it as he sighed. “He’s awake now. Doctor come tell me.”
I swallowed heavily. “When did this happen?”
“Second period,” Vanya said. “I was watching from bench. See him go down. I try to get over there, but Sven hold me back. I punched him.”
I couldn’t help it. I burst into laughter. “Oh god.”
“Don’t worry, I buy flowers and some rum and chocolate. Last game over, he can eat whatever he want now.” Vanya gave my hand a pat.
“So did the, uh…did the doctor tell you what’s going on?”
“Mm, no. Nikos back with him.”
Nikos. Oh Jesus, how the fuck did I forget I could have called his brother? Not that Nikos would have answered, but sweet Christ, he must be losing his mind.
“Want me to send him a text and let him know you’re here? He know about you and Alexio, right?”
“Yeah, I…yeah.” Alexio had told him, but we hadn’t actually talked about it all. Fuck, what if Nikos was mad about it? What if he didn’t like me and was playing nice?
What if?—
“Jonah!”
Like I’d summoned him, Nikos’s voice sounded across the room, and I was on my feet by the time he reached me. He tugged me into a firm hug, and I took a breath, smelling that weird, sterile hospital smell clinging to him.
“How is he?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“Bad.”
My heart fell right into my butt.
“But he’s awake. The damage is…” Nikos went quiet.
“What?” I pressed when he didn’t elaborate.
His exhale was trembling, like he was trying not to cry. “He can’t, ah…he’s…”
Can’t what? Remember me? Remember his own name?
Walk? Talk? Was he locked in his own body?
“He can’t see,” Nikos said.
Everything in me froze. It took an eternity for me to swallow and muster up enough air to ask, “How? Why?”
“The blow was to the back of his head. There was swelling, some damage to—ah. Some nerve. I don’t remember the words the doctor said.”
I licked my lips. “Is it…will it get better?”
