Chapter Twenty-Three

Bright lights and pain. Nothing else existed. Greg couldn't move, and he tried.

"You've been in an accident. I'm a paramedic. We'll get you to the hospital soon." The voice, while belonging to a stranger, soothed him.

He turned toward her. A pretty girl, with her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, sat next to him, working a needle into his arm.

She smiled before turning toward the back of the ambulance. "When we get to the hospital, wait in the ER. One of us will come get you and show you the waiting room."

Greg saw another paramedic who had his hand on the backdoor, getting ready to shut it, and Brian standing there with tears streaming down his face.

Brian nodded and wiped his eyes.

He wanted to say something, but he closed his eyes instead.

The ambulance doors closing rocked the vehicle on its tires. It wasn't long before another door opened and shut again. The siren turned on, and the ambulance roared down the road.

The ride was longer than he expected, so he figured they were taking him to the big hospital. That meant his injuries were severe.

At some point, he was sure the medic pumped him full of pain medication. His body didn't hurt anymore, but his head felt heavy. It felt as if something lay on his chest, restricting his airflow.

The vehicle stopped, and the paramedics unloaded him like someone's luggage. The pretty, dark-haired woman rattled off his list of injuries. He tried to pay attention but couldn't seem to get a thought to stick.

The whoosh of doors and then someone held his hand. Brian's voice whispered from close by. "I'm right here. I love you."

Greg tried to talk, but whatever medicine they'd given him hurt his throat. He tried again but nothing came.

The next hour went by in a blur with him mostly unconscious. The next time he woke the pressure on his chest had grown worse. He could barely open his eyes. When he did, he saw a tan ceiling and clear bags of fluid hanging from a metal hook. He followed the tubes from the bags to his arm.

He searched around for a button to call the nurse but couldn't seem to find it. Surely there was one somewhere. All hospital beds had one.

His throat squeezed tight until he couldn't get air to flow through.

Someone took his hand. "I'll get the nurse." Leonard's deep voice calmed him, and he relaxed. Relaxing helped him to breathe a bit better, although he still struggled. Leonard left his bedside.

Greg had a moment where his chest tightened, and his lungs wouldn't take in air anymore. And then he saw Kyler in the corner of the room with his eyes closed. Brian stood beside him, leaning against the window with his arms around his waist. Brian closed his eyes.

Leonard followed a woman into the room.

She pressed a couple of buttons on one of the machines. "Can I get you anything?"

Greg tried to speak, but his throat wouldn't work. He ended up mouthing the word water. A few minutes later, the nurse fed a straw between his lips. Greg took a sip and choked. He tried again a second later and let the water slide down naturally, soothing the burn.

After he had as much as he could stand, she began charting his vitals. As she did, she explained her actions.

Kyler had woken at some point and sat on the edge of his chair, watching Greg as if he were nervous about something.

Greg tried to talk again, but even the water didn't help his scratchy throat.

The nurse frowned.

Brian took a step in his direction and hovered out of reach, which was a good thing. Greg might have wanted to touch him, but he couldn't think about it.

"Why can't my boy talk?" Leonard asked.

"I don't know. The doctor will be here soon." The nurse went to the computer in the corner of the room and pressed a few buttons. "Is he allergic to anything?"

"Not that I know of." Leonard barked out and held his hand. He leaned down. "What do you think it is, son?"

Greg tried to clear his throat. The strangled sound had Leonard leaning towards him. He tried to speak, but only a breath of air came out, so he mouthed the words. "In ambulance."

"He says he thinks it started in the ambulance." Leonard's ability to translate for him surprised not only him but the nurse as well.

"They only administered pain meds. That doesn't usually cause allergic reactions." She typed on the computer as she spoke.

Brian took another step in her direction. "Well, he says he's allergic to it, so do something about it. He's panicking."

She looked as if Brian had slapped her. While Greg didn't like the way Brian had snapped at her, it was effective. She turned and started out of the room. "I'll get the doctor right away."

Brian went back to the window again, leaning against it. Their gazes met, but he didn't say anything. His stare was pointed and held a meaning Greg couldn't decipher.

Leonard stole his attention. "How's your head? The doctor said you hit it pretty hard."

Greg held up his right hand and moved it back and forth to say that it was better but not good. Leonard nodded. He leaned down and whispered. "Brian is worried sick. Literally, son. You should let him explain himself."

He didn't get a chance to say anything because a woman in a white doctor's coat came in and started asking questions Greg couldn't answer.

Greg must have dozed for a few minutes. The shuffling in the room woke him. He turned to find Jaron sitting in the chair Kyler had been in earlier. Brian wasn't in the room any longer. But Leonard sat in the chair next to his bedside.

Travis stood at the side of his bed. "I'm glad you're okay, man. Heard you almost died from the pain meds."

Yeah, the doctor must have stopped those meds because his body hurt in ways he'd never experienced before.

Travis leaned down and gave him an awkward hug. Greg had a hard time returning it because of his injuries.

Jaron glared at him before bursting into tears and making his way over. "Never do that again."

Greg grunted at the pain when Jaron threw himself at him.

Greg nodded. "Hurts, Jar." At least he could talk and take in air—a win for the doctor.

"Phone," he breathed out at Jaron.

"Okay, let me figure out where they put your stuff." Jaron wiggled his way between Leonard and the bedside stand, pulling open the top drawer.

"I got it." Brian came into the room with a clear bag. "I called Isaac. Kyler had to go home and get some sleep. Leonard and I talked him into it since he worked a full shift at the garage and hadn't slept much. He'll be back later, though."

Greg nodded but otherwise didn't say anything. He never took his eyes off Brian. Brian stood next to the door, gripping the bag with both hands, wringing the plastic in his fist. He wouldn't meet Greg's gaze the entire time he talked.

The Brian who stood in the doorway wasn't the one he showed to the world. Something had erased his confidence, and that something was probably Greg.

Greg wanted to hold him and tell him everything was all right. But he wasn't sure if that was the truth. "Come here."

Brian's face seemed to dissolve into a mess of tears. He dropped the clear plastic bag and closed the distance between them. Greg held out his arm, and Travis moved away.

"Let's give them some privacy," Travis said and waited for Jaron, taking his hand.

Leonard point to the door on his way out. "I'm gonna be right outside if you need me."

Brian crawled up beside Greg. Most of what Brian said was nonsense words Greg didn't try to decipher, but he understood the critical stuff. "No one since you. I swear to you, I don't want anyone else. I love you."

Greg pulled Brian close. The IV needle in his hand gave a small tug as he drew Brian closer. He kissed the part of Brian he could reach, which was his forehead. "I believe you. And I love you too."

Brian lifted his head off Greg's chest. His tears soaked through his hospital gown. "Oh, God. Please never do that to me again. We should have talked. Instead, you got hurt."

The pain got to him, and he couldn't keep it from his voice. "Tell Jackson hands off."

"Okay. I will. I promise." Brian laid his head back on Greg's shoulder and immediately lifted again. "Okay, ewww. Sorry, I got you all wet. Let me change you." Although Greg disliked the fact that Brian made him sound like an infant who'd shit his diaper, he loved how Brian went into caregiver mode.

Brian pulled open every drawer and closet in the room before he found what he wanted.

Greg shut his eyes and didn't open them again until Brian pulled on his hospital gown. He tried to wave Brian away because the pain had worsened in his leg.

Something wasn't right.

"Shit. You're pale." Brian didn't waste any time. He pressed the button to call the nurse and ran out of the room.