19. Cain

Chapter nineteen

Cain

T his was a nightmare, one I couldn't wake up from, no matter how hard I tried. I heard Wyatt talking to someone, interrupting me before I could warn him. I was too late, and my failure echoed through the phone as I heard Wyatt shout, and then the horrible screech of tires.

"Wyatt! Wyatt, fucking answer me!" I yelled, raking my hand through my hair. I felt so useless, standing here holding my phone while I could hear shouting on the other end of the line.

Addy burst into the room, her eyes wide. Fuck, I'd been too loud, and she'd heard me. "What's wrong?!" she demanded, and I pulled her over, keeping my ear to the phone as I sat her down on my bed. "Cain!"

"Hello?" Someone - definitely not Wyatt - picked up the phone on the other end. "Is someone there?"

"Yes, I'm here dammit. Where's my friend?" I growled, and Addy sucked in a breath. Silence on the other end went on for what felt like forever, and then another person came on.

"Hello? My name is David. I'm an EMT with Station 213. Does this phone belong to a friend of yours?" My blood ran cold, and I clenched my fingers around the screen tightly, feeling Addy's gaze burning a hole into the side of my head.

"Yes, Wyatt Collins," I replied hoarsely. "He's my roommate." I heard some talking on the other end, and I waited, my heart pounding in my ears.

"Sir, I'm afraid your roommate was involved in an accident. It appears that he fell out and into the road and was struck by a car." I shook my head, wrenching my hair with my fingers as I resumed pacing my room.

"I heard him talking. Someone fucking pushed him!" I snapped.

"… alright sir, we will be sure to mention that to the police on scene. We're taking him to East Valley General. Do you know where that is, sir?" I gritted my teeth. It was the nearest hospital, so that was lucky, I guess.

"Yes, I know where that is," I replied, my teeth grinding as I paced. Addy was watching me, her eyes wide and her lips twisted with frustration.

"We'll bring him through the ER, so if you come to the main desk, they'll let you know where to go from there. Does he have next of kin, or an emergency contact that should be notified?" I wanted to sit down. I was exhausted but buzzing with anxiety at the same time, my body refusing to stop moving.

"No, just me," I said roughly. There was a grunt of response on the other end, and I hung up once he'd assured me that Wyatt's phone would be left with his other belongings.

"Cain. What the fuck is going on?" Addy asked, her voice breaking. I couldn't bear to look at her, feeling helpless that I couldn't shield her from this pain.

"We need to go, get your coat and get Austin, okay?" I murmured, running my hand over my face. Should I change my shirt? I was still wearing the same shirt I'd put on yesterday, or was that the day before? I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept.

"Where is Wyatt? What happened? Did he find Piper?" she pressed, standing and grabbing my arm. Fuck me, here it goes, just rip off the band-aid. The band-aid that was super-glued to her arm.

"No, he didn't… he… there was an accident," I explained, and Addy sucked in a sharp breath. "I need you to stay calm, okay?" Grabbing her shoulders, I steadied her as her eyes went a little unfocused, the color leaching from her face. "Wyatt was hurt. He's being taken to the hospital. We need to go and meet him there, okay?"

"How bad?" she murmured, and I felt her swaying in my hands. I wrapped my arms around her, bringing her close to my chest.

"I don't know," I replied, my heart sinking. He fell out onto the road and was struck by a car. I didn't even want to think about it. I gave her a gentle squeeze before pulling away, watching her closely to make sure she was sturdy enough to let go. "Go get Austin, alright? We'll go to the hospital together." She nodded tightly and wandered out of my room, leaving me to change into something clean. I left my laptop here, because fuck them. This was more important than the dumpster fire that I'd been trying to put out.

Austin and Addy met me at the door, and from the look of pain on Austin's face, she'd clearly filled him in on what just happened. I kept a sharp eye out as we headed to the car. Austin picked up on the vibe and stuck close to Addy's side, helping her into the car before hopping in the backseat. The drive to the hospital was silent, everyone tense and unwilling to voice what I knew we were all thinking. I parked near the ER and led our silent group inside, approaching the first desk I could find with a nurse behind it.

"Wyatt Collins? He was brought by ambulance," I announced, and the nurse pursed her lips and began typing on her computer.

"Are you family?" she asked, and I bit back a snarl.

"Yes, we are!" Addy answered for me, stepping up to the desk. She nodded and continued typing for another minute.

"He's been taken directly to the ICU. You can head up there and wait. I think he's getting some scans right now," she told us. I nodded and tugged on Addy's elbow, dragging her gently away from the desk. We wandered around until we found the ICU waiting room and yet another desk to check in at. Wyatt was in fact getting scans done, as the nurse had mentioned, and we were instructed to wait here until he got back.

Addy slumped into one of the chairs, her head in her hands. Austin tried to comfort her as best he could, but I could tell he was uncomfortable being in the noisy and crowded hospital. His hood pulled low over his face as he took the seat next to Addy's, putting an arm around her. I couldn't bear to sit right now. All I wanted to do was move around, to do something . I paced, much to the irritation of the nurse at the desk, but I ignored the daggers she was throwing at me with her eyes. Making myself useful, I tracked down a vending machine and got a chocolate bar and a bottle of water for Addy, who was looking too pale for my liking. Her eyes briefly met mine as I handed her the treats, and the despair I saw in them froze me to my core. What I needed to do most is fix this, somehow. I couldn't let anything else hurt her. I would hunt down Piper myself if that was what it took.

We were waiting for hours in that cramped room, and I was slowly losing my mind. I probably called Piper's phone a hundred times, sending him angry messages about Wyatt because there was nothing else I could do right now. I was wearing a path on the hospital floor, pacing back and forth down the little hallway while Austin stayed close to Addy, encouraging her to sip her water and have bites of the chocolate bar. She was being obstinate, refusing to eat anything, and I was ready to fight her about it. Why wouldn't she eat something, god dammit! She had two tiny beings leeching all of her damn resources. She couldn't run on empty anymore.

"Collins' family?" someone called out, and my head whipped around, searching for the source of the announcement. I beelined for the doctor standing in front of the nurse's desk, and she met my eye, checking the clipboard in her hands. "Collins?" she asked as I approached, and I nodded quickly. "Mr. Collins, your…" She checked the clipboard again.

"Wyatt's my brother," I offered quickly, and she nodded, making a quick note. "Your brother is currently in serious, but stable, condition. He has a broken leg, a broken arm, several cracked ribs, and a concussion. He had a punctured lung at the scene, but paramedics were able to re-inflate it quickly. We did a CT scan and an MRI of his brain, and it looks like there is no significant brain damage or damage to his spine, but there is a fair amount of swelling in his lower vertebrae, so we will have to do a second scan to reassess once that goes down. There were also quite a number of cuts that needed to be stitched up. Two in particular were quite bad, one on his neck and another on his left temple." I nodded along, feeling Addy's presence at my side as they joined me.

"Did your brother have vision problems?" she asked cautiously, and I nodded, running my hand through my hair.

"He's blind, damage with his, uh…" I waved at my eyes vaguely. "I'm sorry. I don't know what it's called. His pupils aren't right," I sighed, and she nodded, making a note on her chart.

"That's reassuring then. We weren't sure if that was a by-product of the accident, so we did the extra scan to make sure there was no damage or bleeding in his occipital region," she explained.

"Can we see him?" Addy interjected, her face tight with worry. The doctor nodded quickly, her sharp eyes scanning over Addy with a hint of concern. She gestured for us to follow her down the hall, scribbling notes on her chart as she walked.

"He will be asleep for a while, and he will probably be groggy when he does wake up. We had to sedate him. He needed pins in his leg to set the break in his femur." Addy made a small noise, but when I glanced over, her lips were pinched together, forming a thin line. We walked into a small room, and I spotted Wyatt in the far bed, his leg propped up, a giant cast running down the length of it. "At least he should have the room to himself for a while, unless we get busy," the doctor offered.

Addy jogged over to the bed and I hurried to catch up to her, Austin at my side. I've seen Wyatt in the hospital a few times now, normally covered in blood and bandages. This… this was different. His pale skin was a patchwork of black and blue, and his face looked like he'd gone twelve rounds with a UFC world champion but had been tied to a chair for it. Fresh stitches ran along his forehead and down his temple, and there was a shaved patch in his hair where they had to continue with his stitches. It looked like his left side had taken the brunt of the damage, his arm and leg both in casts. We'd need to block off the stairs, maybe get him a wheelchair, or crutches or something.

As if she heard my thoughts, Addy turned to the doctor. "When can we bring him home?" she asked, her voice shaking.

The doctor gave her a sympathetic look and walked over to check a few of the machines Wyatt was hooked up to. "If his stats come up a bit, and the second scan is clear, he could be discharged in a couple of days." Addy bit her lip, and I could see her fighting back tears.

"Oh, the paramedics said he had some things on him. Apparently, he refused to let them go even when his lung collapsed," the doctor announced, walking over to one of the cabinets beside the bed. She pulled out a ragged-looking plastic bag and a cellphone that looked a little worse for wear. I frowned as Addy reached out to take the bag, a choked sob working its way out of her throat as she pulled out a stuffed purple elephant.

Austin was faster than I was. He saw her legs buckle and caught her before she could hit the floor. The doctor reacted just as fast. The chart was on the table and she was at Addy's side before I could stop her. "Wait!" I shouted, and the doctor turned to glare at me.

"She's got a… germ issue. She doesn't like to be touched by strangers!" I explained quickly, and she pursed her lips, but moved to the doorway where a box of gloves was available.

"Lay her down on the floor on her side," the doctor ordered, and I helped Austin lower Addy down carefully. Her eyelids fluttered, and she groaned, already coming back around.

"Does she faint a lot?" she asked, taking my place, her hands gloved as she pulled her stethoscope out of her pocket, quickly checking her heart.

"No - I mean, not before. She's done this a couple of times now. She's uh, she's pregnant. Twins," I told her quickly, running a hand through my hair. My brain was short circuiting and I couldn't fucking handle much more.

"I'd like to get some blood from her, just to be safe," the doctor said. "And get her some fluids. Can you hear me, hun?" she asked Addy, rubbing her gloved thumb over Addy's wrist. "I'll order an ultrasound too, just to be safe. Does she have an OB-GYN? How far along is she?" I scrambled to think, pulling out my phone quickly.

"Her doctor… she's on Russo street, at the women's health clinic." I frowned, trying to find the name. I know I had the name. Damnit! I nearly cracked my phone, gripping it so hard. "She's uh, nine… no, it would be ten now? Ten weeks?" I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Which one of you is the father?" she asked, a hint of amusement playing on her lips. I opened my mouth at the same time as Austin, but the words didn't come out. "Relax guys, I'm no stranger to the ways of the world." She shook her head, and Addy groaned again, trying to get up.

"Ah, not so fast. When was the last time you ate, hun?" she asked, and Addy grimaced. "Mhmm, alright. Boys, let's get her over to that bed there, okay?" she ordered, pointing to the bed opposite Wyatt.

"I'm fine," Addy mumbled, and I growled at her softly as Austin scooped her up in his arms, carrying her toward the bed.

"I'm sure you are, hun, but we're just going to get some proof that you're as fine as you say so your boys here can relax a bit." The doctor smiled, grabbing a tray with tubes from a nearby cabinet and bringing them over to the bed. "Roll your sleeve up for me, okay? We're going to get a little blood so I can see what's making you so light-headed."

Austin was a statue next to the bed, his hand gripping Addy's as he watched the doctor from under his hood. I knew how he felt. Watching a stranger stick a needle into Addy's arm made my blood boil. I took a few deep breaths, distracting myself by checking out the discarded bag that Wyatt had come in with. Two stuffed animals, one of which was the creepiest little bunny I'd ever fucking seen. Of course, I bet he'd gotten these for Addy to cheer her up since he hadn't found Piper. My heart twinged, and I brought them over to the bed, setting them on Addy's lap. Her skin was still too pale, and the doctor finished up, labeling the two vials of blood and setting them on the tray, pressing a button next to the bed. Like magic, a nurse appeared in the room, and the doctor handed her the tray.

"Can you get these processed for me, please? Put a rush on them. You can have the results brought here," she instructed, and the nurse nodded, disappearing with the tray. "You lay here. I'm going to get an ultrasound machine so we can get a quick scan of those babies, and you're going to rest and have some juice while we wait for the blood test, alright?" She smiled at Addy, who opened her mouth to argue, but Austin squeezed her hand to stop her.

"Thank you, Doc," I replied for her, watching as the doctor headed back out of the room.

"This is so stupid. I'm fine," Addy muttered, and I glared at her.

"How about you let the professional with the fancy coat tell us that?" I snapped, and I could see her temper flare, more than ready to bite my head off. Luckily for both of us, the doctor reappeared, holding a juice box and rolling an ultrasound machine beside her.

"Here we go. Let's get you hydrated, and we'll see what we're working with in there," she mused, pulling on a new pair of gloves. I took the juice box and opened it for Addy, ignoring her dirty look as I jabbed the straw in and passed it over. The doctor helped her lift her shirt up, exposing her lower abdomen, and squeezed some clear goo on her skin. The three of us held a collective breath as she pressed the wand into Addy's stomach and turned on the monitor, which started making creepy whooshing sounds and formed a grainy black-and-white picture.

"I like those heartbeats, nice and strong," the doctor murmured, and Addy visibly relaxed. "There's one there. They sort of look like peanuts at this stage." She pointed out a little blob on the screen, and then moved the wand around, shifting lower. "Here's the other one, hiding a little closer to your spine." She clicked a few times, taking measurements as we all stared at the screen, watching the little blob float in and out of view.

"Okay, so I'd say you're measuring around eleven weeks, so they are right on track. I'll wait for your bloodwork, but I'd hazard a guess that you're a little anemic. I'll get you a script for some iron supplements, but in the meantime, I'd suggest you take it easy, get lots of rest, and avoid stress." She glanced over at the bed where Wyatt's machines were beeping quietly, frowning a little. "I don't know what all your OB-GYN has explained, but twin pregnancies are a slightly higher risk for preterm labor. If you aren't able to manage your stress levels, you may be forced into bed rest so you don't go into labor." Addy grimaced, and the doctor handed her a paper towel to wipe off her stomach.

"I know, easier said than done, right?" She sighed, putting the wand back onto the trolley. "You seem to have a pretty good support system around you, so my advice is to take it easy and let them do some of the work for a change." She winked and rolled the trolley back out of the room, and Addy groaned and readjusted her shirt.

"Come on, I'm taking you home," I announced, reaching out for her hand. She swatted at me, her eyes blazing.

"Fuck you, I am not leaving," she snapped. "Not until Wyatt wakes up." Austin glanced at me, then over to Wyatt's bed. We had no idea when he'd wake up. It could be at least a day before that happens. She needed to rest, not to sleep in a chair in a cold hospital room.

"Okay, how about this? You either let me take you and Austin home, or I throw you over my shoulder, carry you home, and then chain you to the bed for the next seven months," I growled. "I will come back and stay with Wyatt, and send you regular updates, I promise. But you should be home in case Piper comes back." Her face fell, and I knew that had been a low blow, but I was desperate at this point.

Gathering up the stuffed animals, Addy gave Wyatt a gentle kiss, promising to come back soon, and we headed back out to the car. The drive home was once again silent, Addy petting the little blue bunny absently as she stared out the window. Austin took her inside once we reached the studio, promising to get her something to eat and get her into bed. I didn't even get out of the car. I just waited until they went inside and then headed straight back to the hospital.

There had been no visible change to Wyatt's condition in the past thirty minutes, which I took as a good sign. I grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the side of the bed, collapsing into it. Everything was so fucked up now, I didn't even know where to start. I needed to tell them about Jake, about all the shit I've been hiding from them to keep them safe from an enemy they thought was gone. Addy was going to kill me.

And I would happily let her.