“I know. Alain and I haven’t shared a bed since you landed here either, as you know. We miss it too. But we will be where you are, as long as you need us. The rest will come back with time.”
“I hope so. It’s hard to keep hope.” The words were whispered, dull.
His poor boy. This was exhausting, to say the least. “You’re strong Neil. You’re unstoppable when you want to be. You wait until you get to rehab. It’ll be easier once you see progress.”
“I have… I have to talk to you soon, okay? About…things.”
What the hell did that mean?
He took a breath, trying not to let the sudden worry show, determined to hold on to the calm they’d created. He patted Neil down with a dry towel and answered carefully. “You can talk to me any time. Whatever it is, I’m listening.”
Neil met his eyes, held them, and whispered to him. “Not here. At home, okay. Where I know y’all are safe.”
“It’s going to be a while before we’re all home together again, boy. Have you remembered something?” As if this wasn’t hard enough, they still had friends coming by every evening to keep them safe.
He got a single, bare nod, but those lips stayed closed.
“We’ll talk later. Tonight, when Les is here.” He touched Neil’s face and bent and took a careful kiss.
“I love y’all. More than anything.”
“Chou? M’sieur? Y’all here? I brought muffulettas!”
He grinned and sat up, happy for the diversion of dinner and their boy. “Now that is love. In here, Alain. I was just giving Neil a quick sponge bath.”
“Ooo-eee! Look-it what I found. I was missing the good stuff!” Alain came in and kissed them both.
“Neil’s had a long day, and we’re looking forward to your cooking for sure.”
“Oh, Chou.” Alain kissed Neil harder. “You want I should go hit someone with a hammer?”
“Mmm… Kitten. You know how to sweet talk a guy.”
Fuck, these two made him happy. He laughed and rolled Neil back into the main room, making stupid beep-beep noises for Alain to get out of the way. “No hammers. Bad boy,” he joked, smiling at Alain. “Oh, something smells so good.”
“Muffuletta sandwiches and some corn soup. I figured we could all use some good stuff.”
Neil groaned. “You make it worth sitting up in this wheelchair.”
“I know how you like my soup, and I made the olive salad on the sandwiches myself, me.”
“He loves us.” Isaac got Neil settled and pulled over the little rolling table so they could share it. A tight squeeze, but worth it. “I haven’t given Neil your note yet. But I read mine. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, M’sieur.” Alain pulled out a veritable feast—huge sandwiches with cold cuts and cheese and veg, a thermos of corn soup, and another with iced tea.
“How was your shower? I’m looking forward to one of those soon.”
“Lonely, but I smell better than a dead opossum, so…”
Neil snorted out a laugh. “You do, absolutely. Thanks for the grub, hmm?”
“Yes, Sir. I brought enough for all the nurses. There’s cookies too.”
“You do know how to make friends.” He’d had a long day, so he ate and listened to his boys tease and talk with each other. If he were to close his eyes, it would sound like a regular night at home.
He wanted everyone to be home too. He was feeling some of Neil’s impatience. He had plans to make rehab feel more homey, but that was still a couple of days away.
“Eat the cookie, Chou. It’s better than sex now.”