His throat was bandaged.That caught my attention immediately.
Not because I wanted to stare, but because I couldn’t not notice.
There were monitors beside the bed, an IV pole, and the slow, steady beep of machines doing their job.His eyes were open, but hazy.Sedated, Push had said quietly before we came in.Awake enough to know people were there, but not awake enough to really be with it.
And he couldn’t speak with his injury.
My stomach tightened.Whatever had happened to him hadn’t been small.
Anchor moved to the side of the bed first.“Hey, brother.”
Bob’s eyes shifted toward him.Slow and heavy, but aware.
Pearl moved to the other side of Anchor and smiled softly.“Hi, Bob.”
Bob blinked at her.
It wasn’t much, but something in his expression changed.Not a smile exactly.More like relief that tried to surface through medication and pain.
Push stepped closer to the foot of the bed, and I stayed beside him because apparently that was my new place now.
Beside Push.
Which was a thought I was not ready to examine while standing in a hospital room with an injured biker.
Anchor rested one hand lightly on the bed rail.“Skull’s gonna be back this afternoon to sit with you.Cross was here earlier, but we sent him to get some sleep before he drops.”
Bob’s eyes moved slowly.
I wasn’t sure if he understood every word, but he understood enough.
“You’re not getting rid of us,” Pearl added softly.“Sorry.”
Bob blinked again.
Push crossed his arms, but his voice was quieter than I’d heard it before.“You look like shit, brother.”
My eyes snapped to him.
Pearl sighed.“Push.”
“What?He does.”
Anchor looked at Bob.“He’s not wrong.”
And there it was, a tiny movement at the corner of Bob’s mouth.
Not a full smile.Barely even a twitch, but it was there.
It made my throat tighten in a way I didn’t like.Because I’d seen people visit hospitals out of obligation and this wasn’t that.This was men showing up because one of theirs was down and they weren’t going to let him wake up alone in a room full of machines and strangers.
Push shifted slightly closer to me.“This is McKayla.”
Bob’s eyes dragged toward me.
I lifted my hand awkwardly.“Hi.”Great.Very smooth.Introduce yourself to the sedated injured biker like you’re greeting someone at a PTA meeting.I cleared my throat.“I’d say nice to meet you, but this feels like one of those situations where that sounds kind of dumb.”
Bob blinked.
