Chapter Twenty-Seven

Travis expected the tension would lessen when he pulled into the hospital's parking lot, but it stayed in his chest, pushing against his sanity, threatening to send him into a million pieces. Jaron and Bobby needed him to stay together.

He was out of his truck and at the emergency rooms entrance within seconds. A woman stood behind a counter messing with a file full of papers. "Jaron McAllister."

"Are you family?"

"I-I'm his partner. Husband." If Travis had his way, he'd have that title sooner rather than later, but that wasn't why he lied. They wouldn't let him inside Jaron's room otherwise.

She nodded and typed on her computer before coming around the counter. "Follow me."

"How's he doing?"

"He's currently in X-ray. Once he gets done there, you'll get a chance to see him."

"Thanks."

She led him to a waiting area.

Gloria and his mom sat next to each other. They both had the same worried expression on their faces. His mom gave him a relieved smile the second he stepped into the large room.

The nurse who had led him back disappeared.

Bobby sat on Gloria's lap but scrambled off as soon as he saw Travis. Travis knelt and opened his arms, scooping Bobby up the second he had his little body in his arms. Bobby wrapped his arms around Travis' neck, sniffling. "They took Papa."

"They have to do tests."

"Make them bring him back."

Travis rubbed circles across Bobby's back. "The nurse said we can have him back when they finish doing tests."

Bobby tried to shake his head, but the movement was awkward with his face pressed into Travis' neck.

"What if we hang together?"

Bobby lifted his head and moved so he could meet Travis' gaze. "You won't leave me?"

"Not ever."

"Like Papa doesn't. ‘cept when he's sick."

"He's not going to leave you, little man. The doctors need to make him feel better. That's all."

"And then I can have him back?"

"Yeah." Travis smiled, trying not to let the worry show. It hadn't lessened even inside the hospital. "Then we can have him back. We'll have to take care of him."

Bobby nodded. "We'll make him all better, huh?"

"We sure will."

Bobby lay his head on Travis's shoulder and sighed. "I still want Papa."

"Me too, little man. Me too." Travis walked across the room and sat next to his mom. He had to adjust Bobby on his lap before he settled.

When his mother spoke, it was in low whispers. "Jaron went out to wait for Bobby's bus. Next thing I know, Greg storms in the house asking for a gun. If it weren't for him, it would have been a lot worse."

"Did the cops get Brad?"

"The police chief came by about ten minutes ago and told us Brad turned himself in."

He knew the chief. He'd been in enough trouble during his high school years to annoy the poor guy. He had even taken Travis home a time or two. All of his troublemaking included Jackson and Brad. The chief would let Travis talk to Brad because he knew the three of them did bad shit together. Talking wasn't what Travis had in mind, though.

Travis pulled his phone out of his pocket with his free hand and flipped it open. He was about to use his thumb to text Jackson to meet him at the police station, but Bobby shifted on his lap. Travis gazed down at those big blue eyes staring at the phone screen. Bobby couldn't read. He knew that, but it didn't matter.

Instead, he looked around his mother to Gloria. "Is there anyone Jaron would want us to call?"

"I've called Brian and his friend from the city. Both are on their way." Gloria gave him a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes.

Travis nodded and dialed Jackson's number with his thumb. It took Jackson one ring to answer. "I just heard. I hope to fuck you're in town."

"Just got here."

"Don't do anything stupid. You have the kid to think of." Jackson knew him well.

"I know."

"Good. I'm on my way."

Bobby climbed from Travis' lap and stared at him for long seconds.

"Hold on, Jackson." He moved the phone away from his ear and held it out to Bobby. "You want to talk to him?"

Bobby nodded and took it, putting it up to his ear. "My Papa got hurt. Travis said the doctors are fixing him." Whatever Jackson said made Bobby nod. "Yeah. He sleeped on the ground and wouldn't wake up. But now he's awake."

God, Bobby would talk about it for a while, even after everything settled down. The poor kid had been traumatized twice in the span of months.

Travis ran a hand down his face. How the hell did he let Brad happen? And for a second time. If he had been there, he could have stopped it. Instead, he used some stupid cows to avoid Jaron for an extra day. His feelings getting hurt didn't seem all that important in the face of Jaron's injuries.

His mother leaned over. "There's one person to blame, and he's in a jail cell." Leave it to his mother to read his mind.

Travis nodded and ran a hand down Bobby's arm even as he chatted Jackson up on the phone.

He didn't get a chance to reply before someone in scrubs came into the room. "Gloria McAllister?"

Gloria stood. The woman in scrubs walked over to them.

Travis sat straighter, wrapping his arm around Bobby's waist.

"He broke his arm and has a concussion. His arm stopped him from sustaining a worse head injury." She pursed her lips and sighed. "We're not sure about the damage to his leg yet. We're still assessing the injury. When I get the tests back, I'll let you know." She turned her gaze to Travis. "You must be Travis. He's asking for you. If you'd follow me."

Travis didn't ask if he could take Bobby with him. Where Travis went, Bobby went, especially if they got to see Jaron.

He lifted Bobby in his arms and followed her out of the waiting room.

"We get to see Papa. I gotta go." Bobby handed the phone to Travis.

Travis didn't bother checking if Jackson was on the other end of the phone. He closed the screen and stuck it into his pocket.

Bobby wiggled and vibrated with energy.

The lady in scrubs pressed a button on the wall, and a giant door opened. They walked through together and came to a room with a curtain pulled closed. The number twenty-two stuck on the wall next to the room. She smiled and gestured.

Travis nodded and pushed the curtain out of the way with his free hand. Jaron lay on one of those smaller emergency room cot things with his arm in a sling and temporary cast-type contraption. His eyes were closed, but they opened when Bobby made a sobbing sound. Jaron looked small and pasty white. Around his eyes held the only color but they bruised with tiredness.

Jaron lit up a bit when he saw them, smiling.

"Papa." Bobby just about jumped out of Travis' arms to get to Jaron.

"My left side." Jaron's voice sounded as if he'd gargled with gravel.

"He won't hurt you?" Travis held on to Bobby with both hands, trying to contain him until Jaron answered.

Jaron shook his head. "Not that side. Brad liked the right side. Besides, they have me on the good stuff."

That tension spiked a bit more. He tried to contain it, but the tension stiffened every muscle in his body.

"Sorry."

Travis laid Bobby down beside Jaron as gently as he could. "You don't have to apologize for him, baby."

"Not for him. For making a joke of it when you're not ready." Jaron wrapped an arm around Bobby and kissed the top of his head.

Bobby wrapped his arm around Jaron.

Travis leaned over and kissed Jaron. "I'm sorry."

"If I don't get to apologize, then you don't either."

Travis smiled and placed his hand on top of Jaron's. "I suppose that's fair." Travis pulled over one of the chairs and sat down again. "Do you need anything?"

Jaron shook his head. "Just you and Bobby."

Travis took his hand in both of his. "You got us, baby."

An older woman in blue scrubs came in. She had short blonde hair and a tan. She smiled at Jaron. "You're a lucky man, Mr. McAllister. Your hip will heal with rest and a little ice. I'll subscribe something for the swelling and pain."

"No lasting damage?"

"Not to his hip. We'll need to set his arm. He lost consciousness. Whether from the pain or the head injury is unclear. That's the main concern at the moment. He'll have to follow-up with his family physician."

Travis already had a to-do list running in his mind and put making an appointment for Jaron at the top of the list.

"So can I go home?"

She shook her head. "You'll be here at least overnight for observation because of the head injury."

Travis hoped the hospital had cots big enough for a grown man and a six-year-old boy because he wasn't leaving Jaron.

By the time they moved Jaron to a normal room, more people had arrived. Jackson, Brian, Greg, and one guy Travis had never met packed into Jaron's small hospital room.

Bobby sat on Travis' lap, and they played I Spy while Jaron slept.

His mother and Gloria sat on chairs talking quietly to each other while Greg kept sneaking quick glances at Brian.

Brian didn't seem to notice even though they stood next to each other.

The Latino man who stood by Jaron's bedside and held the hand on his good arm never missed a thing, including Greg's crush on Brian.

Travis sat in a chair to the left of Jaron's bed in the back of the room with the stranger on the other side, facing Travis and Bobby.

Jackson sat next to Travis and ignored everyone.

Travis knew what Brad did would bother Jackson on a whole different level than it did him.

Jackson had a soft spot for the wounded. It was why he sat in Jaron's hospital room and it was also why he wanted to find a way to help Brad.

They both knew what kind of home Brad came from and it wasn't a pretty environment. Travis had seen Brad's dad so drunk he'd fallen over and he'd seen him try to pick a fight with his children more than once. He couldn't bring himself to give a crap. Not when Jaron lay in a bed half broken. Just picturing Brad taking a bat…yeah, the thought turned his stomach.

"I spy something blue."

Bobby looked around the room at first, but his gaze landed on the stranger. The stranger darted his gaze to the dry erase marker on a board opposite Jaron's hospital bed. Bobby giggled and said, "The marker."

Travis tickled Bobby. "Cheater."

Bobby giggled even more and wiggled around on his lap. "It's helping, not cheating."

"Cheating." Travis tickled Bobby's belly a couple of more times before giving Bobby a break.

Travis met the stranger's gaze. "I'm Travis. Jaron's boyfriend."

"Andrew Martinez. Jaron's best friend." Andrew spoke with a slight accent and had a way of assessing the entire room, seeing every small detail in a matter of seconds. "Jaron talked about you."

Travis smiled. "He did you too. It's nice meeting you finally."

"Will I have to stay to keep Jaron safe? Because I will and can."

Travis winced and shook his head. "No, sir."

Andrew nodded once, but his focus changed when Jaron turned his head. "Hey, there you are, vato."

Jaron smiled. "You came."

"Of course." Andrew leaned down. "Maybe small town isn't for you."

Jaron smiled. His eyes were half-closed.

The tension in his face told Travis he was in pain, but Travis let Jaron have his moment with Andrew for a little bit longer. He thought Jaron needed that more than he needed pain medication.

"I promise. It is," Jaron whispered. His voice was husky.

"You say the word, and I'll arrest every homophobic prick here." Andrew's jaw muscles ticced.

"Can't arrest everyone," Jaron said.

"No, but we can kick some serious…" Travis was the one who spoke but stopped when he got to the word ass, not wanting Bobby to hear it.

Jaron turned his head until he met Travis' gaze. "No."

Travis sighed and let the tension swallow him again. "I'm just saying sending a message might be a good idea."

Brian cleared his throat. "I don't know. Seems to me we're starting to outnumber the homophobes in Pickleville now. And those guys aren't worth the effort anyway."

"Three of us isn't exactly a high number," Travis protested.

"Papa, what's a homophobe?" Bobby played with Travis' fingers.

"Someone who doesn't like me because I like boys instead of girls."

Bobby's brow wrinkled. "Oh. No one will like me if I like boys?"

"Just some people, little man. And those people aren't your friends anyway," Travis answered because he could see Jaron fading fast. And him getting upset at Travis' outburst certainly didn't help his healing efforts.

Bobby turned to Jackson. "You like boys?" Why Bobby targeted Jackson with that question, Travis had no idea, but whatever.

"I like everybody. Girls and boys." Jackson smiled and turned to Brian, winking in a flirting way. "Guess that makes four."

Greg narrowed his eyes at Jackson and shook his head. "Five. And Leonard makes six. Neil makes seven. And my friend Kyler makes eight." Greg's expression softened when he looked at Brian. "So you're right."

"Thank you, Greg. And Brian. And Jackson." Jaron smiled at each one of them before turning his gaze to Travis, giving him a pointed stare Travis thought Jaron only reserved for Bobby. Even tired, Jaron's silent reprimand came through loud and clear. "So, no fighting. Promise me."

Travis knew if he didn't promise it would stress Jaron out, which was the last thing his love needed. "I promise, baby." Travis gave Jaron a pointed look of his own. "Now press the button on the pain thing and get some rest."

Travis elbowed Jackson in the side. Jackson startled before standing. "Right. Time to go, everyone. Travis will keep us posted. We'll all descend on Jaron when he's home."

Andrew squeezed Jaron's hand before stepping away. "Which one of you is gonna show me around town?"

Greg shrugged. "Sure. No problem."

Andrew put an arm around Greg's shoulder and led him out of the room. "You're the one who scared Flynn away, right?"

Greg nodded.

"Nice job. Didn't hurt anyone but still defused the situation."

Travis smiled and thought maybe he liked Andrew.

Brian leaned down and kissed Jaron on the cheek. "I'm glad you're okay, Jaron."

"Thanks for coming."

"Always." Brian waved at Travis and then at Bobby.

Beverly and Gloria were the last to leave, and Gloria hovered for long minutes, her hands shaking as she moved Jaron's hair off his forehead. She didn't say anything, but then she didn't have to. Jaron was her baby, and he got hurt. Mama Bear wanted to protect, and if she left, she couldn't do that. She gave Travis a look that said he'd better take care of Jaron.

Travis nodded and hugged Bobby closer. "I got this."

Gloria turned and left the room.

Travis stood and pulled the chair closer to Jaron. He turned to Bobby. "Your turn to spy, little man."

Bobby leaned against him and put his thumb in his mouth. "Maybe we can watch TV."

Jaron watched them with a smile.

Travis winked and reached over for the tan box thing that would turn on the television and call the nurse all at the same time. The television hung on the wall opposite the end of the bed. Even when it turned on, Jaron never averted his gaze.

Travis met his gaze again and smiled. "What's wrong, baby? Do you need anything? Water? The bathroom?"

Jaron shook his head. "Move back in. With Bobby and me. Like a real family. Together."

"Why don't we talk about this when we get home?"

"No, Travis. I'm ready now."

"Okay but I have a lot of clothes. You sure we'll have enough closet space." Travis might have made a joke of it but inside all the pieces aligned.