“I don’t think so? I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about where he grew up but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t around mooses.” Isaac shook his head, grinning. “Moose. Around moose.”
“Moose. There’s ain’t no mooses in Texas. Deers and horses, big-assed cows, no mooses.” He’d been to Houston and Beaumont both, lots.
“Maybe he thinks he’s a Mountie.” Isaac let him go and took Neil’s hand again. “I’m here, baby. Alain too.”
Neil frowned, and the monitor attached to him went crazy, the beeping going faster and alarms going off.
He jumped up, his eyes pulling at the corners. “What the fuck?”
“His heart rate. He’s waking up. Breathe. Both of you.” M’sieur’s voice didn’t brook no argument. “You’re safe, boy.”
“Oh. I bet he’s scairt.” He backed off as nurses started coming in to check things. There wasn’t any place for him in the middle of that. The Master Doctor? Yes. Him? No.
He plopped his butt down on a sofa and texted Peter.
What’s up, Cajun? How is sub life?
Neil’s done been shot. At the hospital. Real scared. Hes just wakin up
What? Is it bad? Is Master Isaac there? Do you want me to come? Brandon says we can come.
I don’t know. I don’t want to get in trouble. We’re here. Can Brandon call Dr. I?That would be better. That way M’sieur could have another Dom to talk to.
Master says he’ll call. Are you okay? I’ll listen. You talk.
In a bit. I promise.
Until then he’d watch and wait.
16
Isaac watched the hospital staff work as they checked Neil’s blood pressure and other vital signs, discussed his heart rate, his mental state, and debated further sedation. Isaac understood every word, of course, and had his own thoughts about what to do and why, but he kept his hands and everything else to himself.
And watched.
There was a reason doctors weren’t supposed to care for their own loved ones. He wanted Neil awake; he wanted to talk and have Neil answer and see for himself that his love, his sub, was okay. But that didn’t seem to be in the cards, not yet. Neil was fighting, probably confused by the anesthesia, and he was strong. He’d be especially confused if he hadn’t been conscious when they put him under for the surgery in the first place.
They decided to bring Neil back slowly, and that meant a little more sedation. A couple more hours for the heavier drugs to wear off.
Probably wise, but not what Isaac wanted.
He sighed as things calmed down in the room, and the staff dwindled from three, to two, to one nurse who spent a minute making sure Neil was comfortable and putting everything to rights. You’d never know the chaos of a few minutes ago had even happened.
He put a hand on Alain’s shoulder, and then his phone rang.
Brandon’s name was on the screen, along with a ridiculous photo of the man last Halloween, dressed as Grizzly Adams, complete with a little stuffed bear.
He couldn’t help but smile at that, even as he answered knowing he was going to have to give Brandon his bad news. “Hello, Brandon.”
“My friend. How can we help?”
He let out a heavy breath. “I don’t know. Nothing yet I suppose. Alain told you?” Alain glanced up at his name, and he squeezed his sub’s shoulder. “Or told Peter?”
“He did. He understands the importance of a phone tree more than most, I think. Is it serious?”
“Yes, very.” He rubbed Alain’s back and pointed to the door. He could have this conversation with Alain listening, but not if Neil could hear him. He stepped out into the hall. “He was shot in the hip. He had surgery, and he’s got a good deal of recovery ahead of him.”
“Oh, fuck.” He could hear the empathy in Brandon’s voice. “I hate to ask the obvious, but I’ll ask both of them. Did they catch the bastard, and is he going to be able to go back to work?”