Page 1 of Blissful Devotion

1 Day without Kat

The ambulance arrived quickly, and while Desmond wanted them to pick us up, I’m glad he agreed to meet us at the hospital instead.

No doubt they're on edge; we all are.

How could this happen?

Why?

I shake off the thought as I hold Addison closer to my chest in a poor attempt to soothe her. She hasn’t stopped crying since I found her.

“I want Mommy!” Her hiccuping cries made my heart clench as I did the only thing I could: I attempted to soothe her, offering her quiet assurances that Mommy would be back soon.

Eventually, she fell asleep. I’m not sure if she believes me enough that it calms her or if she’s just exhausted, hopefully a mix of the two.

With her head on my shoulder, I move to sit on the bed, rubbing her back to keep her asleep as Nathan all but bursts into the room a moment before the others file in behind him.

All their attention zeros in on the tiny girl in my arms, and I see a bit of tension melt away as they see her with their own eyes.

“Doc said she looks fine, but they want to run a few tests to make sure. The worst of it appears to be the cut on her head.” I twist so they can see the bandage covering most of the left side of her forehead before I turn back. “But even that was small. She didn’t even need stitches, just bled a lot because it’s her head.”

Nathan nods, and I see his mind working overtime.

“Did they say what kind of tests?” Oliver asks, and I shake my head, my lips pulling down into a frown. “So much could have happened. She’ll need an X-ray, a CT scan, maybe an MRI, and an ultrasound…” he lists them off, looking at me like I might have some answers.

“Doc said they would order some tests and to sit tight until someone came for us,” I tell him with a shrug.

He purses his lips and huffs, then turns around and heads right back out the door.

Oliver isn’t usually the assertive type, but it’s good to know he can be if needed.

I wonder if this is a new development we can thank our beautiful girl for, or if he always had it in him.

Not that it really matters either way.

“What about you?” Desmond asks, pulling me from my thoughts and catching me off guard.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I’m fine, but judging by the way the three of them are glaring at me, I don’t think they would believe me.

“Sore, feel like I got run over by a fucking Mack truck, and my head feels like someone tried to pop it.” I hold up the hand not holding Addison and show them my last three fingers, which are a nasty shade of purple. “Pretty sure these are broken.” I adjust Addison and grimace. “And maybe a rib.”

“Did the doctor look at you?” Alex asks, cocking a brow in a way that tells me he already knows the answer.

“I’ll be alright. I'm just worried about her.”

“It’s a hospital, Vince. They have more than enough staff to treat you both,” Des says, giving me a disapproving look that makes me itch to flip him off, if only that finger weren't a throbbing bruise right now.

“I’ll be—”

“If Kat were here, she’d be losing her mind that you're sitting here battered and bruised and not giving a single fuck about yourself,” Alex says, cutting me off and making me snap my mouth closed.

Alex isn’t my biggest fan. I think he used to be jealous of my friendship with Nathan, worried I was trying to take his place. Now that we’re older and we’ve settled a bit, he’s less of an ass but still doesn’t pull punches.

And that one sure landed, hurt just like he intended, I’m sure.

Desmond’s face falls, and he looks like someone kicked his puppy before he mumbles out a quick, ‘I’ll get the doctor,’ and disappears out the door without a glance back.

To his credit, Alex doesn’t look much better. Kat being taken is hard on all of them.