26. Derek

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Derek

W hat in the fuck is that annoying ass beeping?

I can feel air blowing up my nostrils, and I try to wave it away, only to hiss at a shooting pain from my arm and side. What the fuck happened? I remember Jensen getting the tractor stuck, and I tried to get it out, and then the slope… Fuck, I rolled the tractor.

I open my eyes, blinking as the blurry room comes into focus—a hospital room. Looking up, I see the source of the annoying beeping, a heart monitor. My heart monitor.

"Hey," a soft male voice grabs my attention.

"Fox?" I croak as the man gets up from the couch, where I see Janie sleeping. "What the fuck is happening?" I try to sit up, but not only does my side scream in protest, it's now I notice raven curls splayed across my chest and Indy's tiny hand gripping my hospital gown with such force her knuckles are white.

"Seriously," I state as I look at him. "What's happening? Am I dead? High? Nothing makes sense." Fox chuckles lightly as he sits down in the chair next to me.

"You remember rolling a tractor?" He asks, and I nod slowly.

"Vaguely."

"Well, you nearly died. I guess, technically, your heart stopped beating. Indy had to do CPR on you. You hit the artery in your leg and started bleeding out. Your arm was sliced open, and a piece of glass embedded in your side hit your intestines. Indy, she saved your life, dude." I look from him down to the sleeping girl. Why is she on top of me like this?

"She did?" I ask, and Fox nods.

"According to your brothers, she started barking orders like she was running a trauma room. She got a tourniquet around your thigh, stopped the bleeding on your arm, kept you awake as long as she could, performed CPR, and then climbed her ass in the ambulance and rode with them here. She sat in this chair, not moving to even clean your blood off her for two days, and has been making sure the staff is on time with your checks. She just showered yesterday when Torch and I got here. When we left to get her food and her medicine, we came back to find her, well," He gestures to her lying on me, and I glare at the heart monitor for ratting out my increasing heart rate.

"Three days?" I say in shock. "What about my mom and dad?"

"Ren sweet-talked the agency into sending out another nurse to your parents. Judith is sixty-five and a happily married lesbian. Your brother stands no chance."

I snort and shake my head. "I guess you're here to take her?" He shakes his head.

"Nah, man, we're here for you." I groan and shift uncomfortably. "Yeah, I know, feelings and shit. Look, you know you're going back to Hel's, right? Don't say something stupid." He warns as I open my mouth.

"Janie–"

"Loves you with every fiber of her psychotic being. And she's heartbroken over this. She wants you back at the shop." I stare over at the snoring redhead.

"She snores really loudly," I mutter as Fox sighs dramatically as he looks at Janie.

"I know. It's like sleeping next to a foghorn every night. But, she's my foghorn." He turns back to me. "She loves you, everyone at the shop cares about you, and despite you pretending to hate all of us, you and I both know that ain't true."

"I don't want to be close to people," I state quietly through my gritted teeth.

"Really? Well then, I'll just take Indy, and we'll go back to California." He goes to move, and I tighten my hand resting on her hip.

"Fuck you." I spit at his cocky grin.

"I understand why, Derek." Fox's voice takes on a heavy tone that makes me feel itchy. "What your ex did with your best friend was—"

"Stop," I state, not wanting to think about it.

"Derek—"

"I can't!" I whisper out harshly, desperate for him to shut up. My heart monitor beeps faster, and I watch as Indy stirs.

"Oh my god," she breathes as she looks at me, her eyes filling with tears. "You're awake!"

She wraps her arms around me while pressing her lips to mine. I have no time to react before she squeezes me again and sits up. "How are you? Do you need anything? I'll get the nurse. It's about time for your medication." I'm about to tell her to stop for a second, but she gets off the bed, and I see it. Her knee gives out, and she grabs the bed for support.

"Are you alright?" Fox asks, helping her sit on the foot of the bed.

"Yeah," she laughs lightly. "I think my leg's just asleep." Fox nods and volunteers to grab the nurse. "How are you?" Indy asks after a brief silence, and I shrug.

"I'm in pain and groggy." She nods slowly. "I hear I have you to thank for me still being alive." Pink rushes to her cheeks, and she shakes her head.

"Oh, no. The medics and the doctors did most of it, plus your brothers."

"Why'd you stay here?" Her cheeks become even more red.

"You asked me to." I blink my eyes in confusion. I thought I had been out this whole time.

"I asked you?" She nods, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"Before the ambulance arrived, you asked me not to leave you alone." I try to swallow, but my mouth has gone dry. I watch a nurse, and the doctor comes in, thankfully keeping me from any more talk about what I had said.