Beck? My Beck? God. Not like this.He wanted to be hot and studly when he saw Beck again, someone to be hungry for. Not broke dick.Don’t turn the lights on. How bad is it? I’m not hurting too bad, and I know that’s bad.
“I know, Sky. You’re starting to understand what’s happening. They’re backing you off the sedatives, but they’ll start them up again if you can’t stay calm. Come on, Beck. Come here and take his hand. Talk to him.”
The beeping was constant and seemed to be getting louder until Beck started talking, drowning it all out. But Beckett’s usually smooth voice sounded rough and dry. He sounded tired.
“I’m here, Skyler, I-it’s Beckett. I’m here. Take your time, the docs said you might need it. It’s okay.”
Beck? God, turn on the fucking lights so I can see you. Are you okay? Why are you here? Did you come to the event? Did I ride good?Oh sweet Jesus, he couldn’t hardly think. Beck. His Beck.Can you stay for a minute? I know you’re busy. Just to talk. Just for a minute.
“Oh, hey. The nurses are here and…I have to move out of the way. But I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be over there. Uh. Left. Your left.”
He didn’t realize that Beck had been holding his fingers until the warmth disappeared.
He reached for Beck, all sorts of shit rattling.Oops.
“He’s right here.” That was a woman’s voice. “Okay, Skyler. Here’s what’s up. You have bandages on your face, honey. You’re immobilized right now all down your right side. You can’t really move, okay? And you’ve been on a ventilator, and that’s why you can’t talk.”
“Can you move the bandage off his good eye? Will he be able to see? Can he breathe without that tube?”
“Beckett.”
“Doc, he’s all closed up in there.”
“Okay. I can’t pull the ventilator yet, but we’ll uncover his eye. It’s going to be bright, Sky. You’re going to have to close your eyes.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
Will I be able to see? Beck had to ask that question?
“Do as Doc says, honey. Keep those eyes closed.” The nurse had gentle hands, and her fingers were a little chilly.
Eyes closed. He could do that.
“This is great, Beck. He’s following instructions. This is excellent.”
Excellent. Right. Butthead Doc.
He heard Beck inhale deep and blow out a sigh. That was followed by a shaky laugh. “Thank God. We needed some good news.”
Christ, how bad was it? Seriously? How fucking bad could it be? His hand worked—he felt it. He tried to wiggle his toes, and while the left foot worked fine, the right made him give a soundless howl.
The monitors beeped loudly again. “Don’t move, Skyler,” the nurse reminded him. “You’re going to have surgery tomorrow, and things should start feeling a little better after that.”
“Tomorrow?”
Doc hummed. “Mhm. In the morning. Early. I’ll tell you about it…in a bit.”
“Oh. Sure. Thanks.”
He could feel Doc step close. “Son, can you see light behind your eyelids? Lift your finger if you can.”
He lifted his finger. At least he hoped it was light and not pain.
“Good. That’s good. When you’re ready, you can try and open…well, the left one. The right one is swollen because of your orbital fracture.”
Oh, he’d seen those. Nasty. He wasn’t going to be so pretty for a few weeks, he guessed. He opened his eye, the light so bright, it rolled right up in his head.
“Whoa.” Doc covered it, closing his eyelid. “Maybe not yet.” The nurse’s, cool, gentle fingers put the bandage back over his face.