1. Bjorn

1

Bjorn

With a disgusted grunt, I poke at the congealed mass the hospital’s trying to pass off as oatmeal. Tossing my spoon onto the tray, I shove the entire table away and stare out the window. As views go, I’ve seen worse. At least today the sky’s a bright blue, and the sunlight streaming into the room mellows the stark white of the overhead lighting. But if I were home, I could lie in my own bed, stare out at Elliott Bay, and eat something that doesn’t taste like glue. Not that I have any idea what glue tastes like. I wasn’t that kid.

The knock at my door makes me jump, and I gasp as pain shoots up my side. By the time I catch my breath, my brother, Gunnar, is peering into the room. Once he sees I’m awake, he steps the rest of the way in. “Good morning. I come bearing gifts.”

He lifts a drink carrier and a brown paper bag, and my heart soars. The heavenly scent of freshly brewed coffee and sugary baked goods drifts my way, and I eagerly wave him over. “Quick, before a nurse catches you.”

Gunnar snorts and sets the drink carrier on the table, wheeling it back beside the bed. “Not happening. Jules is out there, giving everyone puppy eyes, making sure you have time to inhale some sugar and caffeine.”

“Wait, why is Jules running interference? Where’s Erik? Shouldn’t you be out there?” Worry has my heart racing. My brother Erik’s fiancé has massive anxiety issues, especially around people he doesn’t know well.

Gunnar shakes his head. “Erik had to lead a hike today, and Jules insisted on coming. But don’t worry, there are a few nurses who’ve adopted him this week, and he must feel comfortable enough with them to volunteer as a distraction.”

I’m skeptical, but Jules is an adult and can speak up for himself. Maybe he’s trying to stretch his comfort zone. In any case, I’m grateful and ready for whatever’s in that bag that smells so damned good. “Bless you and Jules.” I snatch the to-go cup from the carrier, and carefully pry open the lid, inhaling the intoxicating aroma of unburned, full roast coffee. “Mmmm. Black.”

“Just like your soul. And here. I got you a cinnamon roll.”

He digs in the paper bag and pulls out a cardboard box with a huge mound of doughy goodness inside. It’s slathered with cream cheese frosting so thick that I can barely see the pastry under it. “You are my favorite brother.”

“Maybe right now I am. But we’re all aware that you’d trade every one of us in if Jules asked.”

I shrug. “True.” That earns a chuckle and eases some of my worry. “How are you ?“ My first few days in the hospital, I wasn’t too aware of things happening around me. Between the emergency surgery for the stab wound to my side and the pain meds, I was pretty out of it. But I recognized that Gunnar was missing for part of the time and what that meant.

“Okay.” He looks everywhere but at me. “Joce still won’t talk to me.”

Shit. Gunnar had been a dumbass by running, but I’d hoped he and his boyfriend would work things out quickly. “You want me to try talking to him?”

Gunnar whips his head around, wide-eyed. “No!” He takes a moment to calm himself, pulling his shoulders out of his ears. “No. Thanks though. Astrid says he needs time, so I’m giving him that.”

Dammit, he looks like a kicked puppy, and it’s killing me. My mind takes off in several directions, trying to come up with a solution for him.

“Besides, I’m the one who fucked up. This is the result.” We’re silent for a long moment before he gestures at my cinnamon roll. “You better eat that before it gets confiscated.”

“Shit, you’re right.” I grab the plastic fork and knife from the bag and attack the innocent mound of sugar. The first taste is heaven, and I moan around the massive bite. “Fuck, that’s good.”

Gunnar chuckles. “That’s what he said.”

I grin around my mouthful and shovel another bite in, washing it down with the now perfect temperature coffee. “Oh my god.” I close my eyes and savor my first taste of decent coffee in days. Sighing happily, I take another sip. “I owe you for this.” I can tell he’s about to argue, but a knock on the door interrupts him.

My sister, Astrid, pokes her head in the room. She sees Gunnar first and smiles. “Hey you. I didn’t expect you here this early on a Monday.” She steps into the room and gives him a hug before coming over to me, taking one look at my mostly demolished cinnamon roll and shaking her head. “I’d give you a hug, but I’m worried I’ll end up wearing that. Plus, I don’t want to hurt you. How’s your side?” Her eyes narrow assessingly, and I’m not sure if she’s trying to judge for herself how I’m feeling, or if she’s scanning my face for a clean spot to kiss. “Good god, Bjorn, there’s enough frosting on your face to glue us together.” She hands me a napkin then carefully kisses my forehead, bypassing the sticky spots completely. I lean into her as I brush the napkin over my mustache and beard, dislodging a few clumps of frosting. “You better hurry up and eat that. I’m assuming the reason Jules is at the desk is to run interference for you?” Gunnar and I give her our best wide-eyed innocent look which only makes her snort. “Yeah, well, I heard the doctor down the hall so you don’t have a ton of time.”

Glancing at the door, I quickly shovel the remaining pastry into my mouth, washing it down with big gulps of coffee. Barely a minute after I finish, we can hear the doctor outside my room. Astrid sweeps the napkin and flimsy cinnamon roll box into the paper bag, then shoves it into her monster-sized purse just as the door swings open. I brush my hand over my face one more time, hoping to dislodge any additional stray crumbs or globs of frosting, then relax against my pillow like I hadn’t just inhaled a year’s worth of calories.

“Morning, doc.” I flash him my most innocent grin. “Good to see you.” I’m not bullshitting either. Dr. John Morris is an incredibly handsome man in his late forties or early fifties, with wavy salt and pepper hair, and a matching, close-cropped beard and mustache. He’s around five feet ten, in decent shape, and has deep, warm brown eyes that twinkle when he smiles, like he’s doing right now.

He scans the room before his gaze lands on me, one dark eyebrow raised. “I have teenagers at home, and I know when they’ve been up to something.”

I meet his gaze. “And yet you’re so calm. You must have a lot of patients.”

It’s clear he’s fighting a grin, and Gunnar groans. “Bjorn, now isn’t the time for jokes.”

I gasp dramatically. “I beg to differ. Now is exactly the time for jokes. Humor’s the best medicine.”

Dr. Morris glances pointedly at my to-go cup. “I’m going to pretend that belongs to one of your siblings.”

Gunnar snatches the cup from the table. “Yep. Mine.”

To Doctor Morris’s credit, he doesn’t argue the point, glancing at his tablet as he steps closer to the bed. “So, are you ready to go home?”

My heart rate skyrockets. “Absolutely. Today?”

He shakes his head, and I sag, disappointed. “Afraid not. We have bloodwork to run tomorrow morning, to check for infection and your electrolyte levels. If we’re happy with the results, we’ll set you free.” He looks between Gunnar and Astrid. “I’m assuming you’ll have someone to drive you home?”

Gunnar raises a hand. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Thanks, man.” I can see he’s feeling guilty for disappearing and worrying everyone after I was rushed to the hospital. He’s trying to make up for it, and I appreciate the gesture. “That’s not gonna get you in trouble at work?”

There’s an awkward pause before he shakes his head, and I’m guessing he’s already in trouble since his boss is close friends with Jocelin. “It’ll be fine.” I’m about to argue, but he holds up a hand. “Don’t. I said it’ll be fine. I’ll be here.”

When I give in, he relaxes, though he’s still eyeing me a bit warily. Truth is, I’m not up for a fight, and even though Gunnar made us worry with his disappearing act, he doesn’t look up for one either. So I let it go. Guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Not that thirty-eight is ancient. Though today I feel like it is. I won’t mention that, though. Not when freedom is so close I can taste it. Maybe that’s just the cinnamon roll.

As if the universe hears my thoughts, Dr. Morris looks up from my chart and meets my gaze. “How are you feeling?”

Shit. “Good. I get tired easily, but I’m rarely using the pain meds now.”

His raised eyebrow conveys how unimpressed he is with my answer. “It’s good that you aren’t overusing them, but you don’t get extra points for endurance. Pain takes a toll on the body, and you need rest to heal. If taking some pain medication will allow you to do that, then take it.” He gives me a stern look. “Alright?”

I wipe my hand down my face. “Yeah. I don’t like how the drugs make me feel.” Gunnar’s snort isn’t subtle. I glare at him. “Shut it.”

He holds up both hands. “I didn’t say a word. But you really mean you don’t like how you can’t control everything when you take them.” I glare at him, and Astrid steps in.

“Boys, behave. Don’t make me go get Jules.”

We both stare at her, horrified, remembering the last time Jules had to intervene in one of our fights. He ended up having a massive anxiety attack and passed out from the strain on his body. Gunnar and I are still trying to make it up to him. I shake my head. “No need for that.”

Gunnar drops into one of the two chairs by the bed, face a bit ashen. “Yeah, we’re fine. Sorry, Bjorn.”

I wince as Dr. Morris chuckles. “Just like teenagers.” He takes a few minutes to check my pulse and listen to my lungs. Draping the stethoscope around his neck, he picks up his tablet. “You’re doing great, and I expect tomorrow morning’s test results to be well within the range to discharge you.”

“What about work?”

The look he levels at me is stern and leaves no room for argument. “You won’t be going back to the force until your primary care doctor releases you for duty. I know every police officer thinks they’re indispensable, but I have every confidence that your team can handle things while you take the time to fully recover from your near-death experience.” He emphasizes ‘near- death’ and holds out his hand. “Thank you for everything you do for our city.”

I shake his hand. “You do just as much for the city’s people. So, thank you , doc. Especially for saving my life.”

He laughs sincerely. “You’re welcome. Try to stay out of trouble. Or, at least, out of my hospital.” He nods at Astrid and Gunnar. “Nice to meet you.”

Once he’s gone, Astrid raises her eyebrows, nodding appreciatively. “Good looking man. A doctor. And no ring.”

I shake my head. “That doesn’t mean he’s available. Or interested.”

She shrugs a shoulder. “Seemed like he might have been flirting.” She turns to Gunnar. “Was he flirting?”

“Might have been, now that you mention it.” His shit-eating grin is a giveaway that he’s only agreeing with her to yank my chain.

“Fuck off, both of you.” But I laugh, then inhale sharply when the movement jars my wound.

In an instant, Astrid’s right next to me. “You heard the doctor. There aren’t any awards for not taking the pain medication.” Why does talking about it increase the pain? A sharp spike drives into my side and I wince, gasping softly. “Bjorn.” There’s steel in her voice and she’s more than annoyed.

“Fine. I’ll take something. But it makes me sleepy, and I just woke up. I don’t want to waste the day being unconscious.”

Gunnar pokes me in the cheek. “Like you have somewhere to be?”

I flip him off, because swatting at his hand would only hurt me. There’s also no point fighting when the two of them gang up on me like this. “ Alright .”

Astrid kisses my temple then strides across the room and into the hall, presumably to ask the nurse for something to dull the throbbing in my side. Gunnar rests a hand on my shin. “You want anything? Magazine? A book?”

I shake my head. “Nah.” The one thing that would really make me feel better is a good snuggle, and I’m not doing that with any of my siblings. “Pita still with Erik and Jules?”

“Yeah. He loves being out there. They’ve been taking him on hikes, and I’ll bet Jules has convinced Erik to let Pita sleep on the bed with them.”

I roll my eyes like that’s ridiculous, and don’t mention that I always let my sixty-some pound Norwegian Elkhound baby boy sleep on the bed with me. I live by myself in an enormous house, I’m way too busy with my job for a relationship, and I like to snuggle. Some days it’s the only physical contact I get. I purposely ignore how unhealthy that sounds.

Astrid returns, followed by a nurse with a small medicine cup. I assume it contains the pain medication I agreed to take. “Hi there. Your sister tells me you’re ready for some pain relief.” When I nod, she sets the cup in front of me. “It should take the edge off, though it might make you drowsy.”

Instead of glaring at my siblings, I take the little cup and pop the pill into my mouth, washing it down with a swig of coffee. “Thanks.” She pats my shoulder, then puts the bed control with the call button near me and leaves.

Astrid squeezes my hand. “Okay, time for me to get to work. I’ll stop at the grocery tonight and restock your fridge for you. And before you ask, no, I’m not buying you ice cream or cookies. I will buy you fresh produce and lots of things you can grill, even if it’s forty degrees and raining outside.”

I sigh, resigned to eating healthy, at least until I can place a grocery order myself. “Thanks, Bean. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She leans down and kisses my cheek, squeezing my hand one more time before she leaves.

Gunnar shoves to his feet and props his hip against the bed. “I should probably get going, too. I’ll be here tomorrow morning to take you home.” He nudges my arm. “And I’ll stop at the store and pick up some snacks. I worked through most of your stash last week, anyway. There’s not much left for Astrid to find.”

I groan with relief. “Thanks. Will you get Pop-Tarts? Strawberry and the brown sugar ones with the frosting. And pudding? Plain chocolate. Oh, and some refrigerator chocolate chip cookie dough. Please. And thank you.”

Gunnar snorts. “Anything else?” I shake my head. “Alright.” He squeezes my shoulder and leans down to kiss my cheek. “I love you, Bjorn.”

With my eyes stinging, I put my hand over his. “I love you, too.”

We hold each other’s gaze for a moment, enjoying this new truce between us. It feels different this time. Like it might actually hold, and I hope it does. “See you in the morning.” His mischievous grin is back in an instant. “I’ll bring the snacks with me.”

“Good. I’m going to need a Pop-Tart first thing.” He laughs, and with a wave, he’s out the door.

Picking up the TV remote, I flip through the channels, scanning for anything even mildly interesting. The pain medication is beginning to kick in, easing the ache in my side, and things are becoming a little fuzzy, but it’s not too bad.

After flipping through the channels twice, I finally settle on a cooking show, but before I can relax into my pillow, there’s another knock on my door. With a sigh, I turn off the TV. “Come in.” A white-blond head pokes around the doorframe. Positive I’m hallucinating, I stare into emerald green eyes that still haunt my dreams.

“Hello, Bjorn. Mind if I come in?”