Chapter Twenty-Six
Judge
GETTING CALBERT’S CALLis the best and worst thing to happen since learning Wren was kidnapped right from the compound while we were all inside.It’s good because he’s right next to her and can see her for himself.The bad part is hearing she’s injured and something horrible is going on with her.I had my phone on speaker so everyone heard our conversation.I kept my eyes locked on Tristan and Zach as the members of the club stepped up closer to surround us.Both of their faces drained of all color and they started shaking.I have no clue how the hell they’re both still standing because I feel as if I’m about to fall to the floor.Talon and Death stand on either side of me, ready to catch me if that’s what I need from them.
“Fuck!”I yell when Calbert hangs the phone up.“I want Dr.Sanchez and his daughter workin’ on Wren.No one else is to fuckin’ touch her but them.”
Carver pulls out his phone and makes the call while I try to figure out what else we need to do.I feel as if I’m suffocating in the hospital surrounded by family—both my chosen and blood family.Each time I try to take a breath, it feels as if the weight of the world is sitting on my chest.
“Let’s go,” Nolan says, grabbing my shoulder and leading me through the group of men surrounding us.
I can hardly see anything in front of me as I allow my brother to lead me away from the emergency waiting room.His hand is on my shoulder as we move through the hospital and I finally can take a deep breath the second he walks me out of the hospital and into the bright sun and fresh air.The smell of antiseptic and the sterileness of the hospital fades to nothing as I walk away from the building and close my eyes.
“I can’t lose her, Nolan.I can’t lose her or the babies,” I whisper as my brother stands next to me and keeps his hand on my shoulder in comfort and an effort to ground me.
“You’re not gonna lose her, Bray.Wren is a tough woman and she’ll pull through this.Calbert is bringin’ her here and we’ll make sure Dr.Sanchez, both of them, keep her and your children safe.Braydon, we’ll do everythin’ in our power to give her what she needs.Even if it’s just resting while she recovers.You have to be strong for her.The second you’re allowed back in that hospital room with her, she’s gonna need you to be the strong one because she can’t do that right now.Let her know she can lean on you, depend on you bein’ there for her, and get her everythin’ she wants or needs.Includin’ those milkshakes she craves every single day.Be silent when she needs to talk and open up when she gives you the chance to talk to her.Don’t let your stubbornness ruin any chance she might be willin’ to give you,” Nolan tells me as he leads me to a bench and we take a seat while I strain to listen for any signs of the ambulance getting closer to the hospital.
“I’ll give her whatever she needs without hesitation.Hearin’ she was kidnapped when we were all so damn close to her broke somethin’ deep inside.Somethin’ I’ve never experienced before.It feels as if my soul is bein’ ripped directly from my body while my heart is shatterin’ repeatedly in my chest.I can’t focus on anythin’ and all I want to do is hold her in my arms,” I admit for the first time since this all started with Wren in The Hide Out.
“You’re in love with her, Braydon.Every single time she gets hurt, you’ll feel the same way.When she’s in labor to bring your children into the world, you’ll lose your mind because there’s absolutely nothin’ you can do to take the pain away or make things better for her.If you stand by her side every second of the day, you’ll never regret it.If you keep goin’ down the same path you’ve started down, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.She’ll become the one who got away and you won’t ever find someone like her again.Wren is the best and she just wants to be loved unconditionally.For the first time in her life, she needs someone to choose her and stand by that decision.You haven’t done a very good job of showin’ her you can be that man, Big Brother,” Nolan says as we stare out in front of us and I can finally hear sirens in the distance.“Pull yourself together so we can head back inside.”
I take a few deep breaths and try to calm my racing heart as Nolan and I stand from the bench.I’m going to have to prove to Wren I’m changing with my actions.Words won’t work on her.There isn’t a reason for her to believe me.If I want her to realize and understand I’m willing to change for her and attempt to be with her for real, I have to be by her side every single day.Prove to her that I’m all in and won’t run when shit gets hard.I’ll have to be the man Gramps raised and not a bitch like my dad.Yeah, I’m still a little resentful I guess.
Nolan and I walk around the hospital instead of entering through the main door again.The sirens of the ambulance are getting louder as we make it over to where the ambulances pull in.Staying out of the way, we lean against the hospital as Dr.Sanchez leads a team of nurses outside to wait for Wren to get her.It doesn’t take long before the ambulance backs in and everyone starts moving as one.The doors are opened, Dr.Sanchez pulls out the stretcher Wren’s strapped on, and I barely get a glance of her as she’s immediately taken inside the hospital.
The few seconds I did get a look at her, weren’t good.Her face has lost all color and is covered in blood that’s dried on her skin and cracked in places.The blood has also covered the skin of her neck before disappearing under the neck brace, upper chest, and part of her arm.Blankets cover her body, but I can see her stomach sticking up where our twins lay.Wren’s eyes were closed and it doesn’t look as if she’s breathing.They have a blood pressure cuff on her arm, one of those finger things to track her pulse and shit, and an oxygen mask is covering her face.Wren’s hair is matted where she was bleeding and stuck to her head.Still, to me she’s the most beautiful woman in the world.
“Judge, she lost consciousness just after I hung up the phone.Wren hasn’t woken up since then.I don’t know much else because I can’t understand anythin’ the paramedics were sayin’ on the way here.I did hear the baby’s heartbeat though,” Calbert informs me as he makes his way over to Nolan and me.
“You only heard the heartbeat of one baby?”I question him, fear filling me even more as I push off the hospital and stand up directly in front of Calbert.
“I don’t know.All I know is they were talkin’ about a heartbeat bein’ strong.I don’t know if it was one or more.Why?”he returns, confusion filling him as I turn to make my way inside the hospital so I’m there when any news of Wren is brought out to us.
“She’s pregnant with twins,” Nolan answers for me as I start to run inside and rejoin the men of the club.
Tristan and Zach are pacing while Fury remains close to them.One of them is gonna lose their shit at one point and I have a feeling it will be Zach.He’s quiet and reserved, but he has a huge heart and is extremely protective of Wren.Since he watched her get taken from the compound, Zach has blamed himself because he didn’t do more to stop it from happening.He did everything he should have because of the guns being waved in the air.They wouldn’t have shot Zach.Those bullets would have hit Wren up close and there’s no chance she would survive.
I lean against a wall where I can see the doors leading to the back.When Dr.Sanchez makes his way out to talk to us, I’ll be the first one to see him heading our way.For now, there’s nothing we can do except wait so they can figure out what’s going on with Wren and our babies.
***
Hours have draggedby as Wren has been in the back getting examined by Dr.Sanchez and his daughter.No one has been out to talk to us and I jolt every single time someone in scrubs walks through the door leading to the back.It’s never for us and I have a feeling Dr.Sanchez will bring us news personally instead of sending someone else to do it.
“What the hell is takin’ so long?”Zach grits out through clenched teeth as he pauses his pacing for the first time.
“They’re probably runnin’ all sorts of tests to see how badly Wren is injured and the babies.This isn’t some simple case because she can’t answer any of their questions,” Fury says, his voice monotone as he leans against the wall across from me.
Zach resumes his pacing as Wyatt walks around to each of us with takeout and a drink.Most of the men accept the food and drink.I don’t.Waving Wyatt off, I continue leaning against the wall.I have no appetite.The fear and anger are the only thing I can focus on because if I allow myself to think of Wren, I’ll try to break down the doors and get to her side before I’m allowed to.The last thing I’ll have happen is getting kicked out of the hospital because I’m not about to leave her side.
I don’t know how much more time passes before Dr.Sanchez finally makes his way over to us and I rush to stand in front of him surrounded by everyone in the club.
“How is she, Doc?When can we see her?”I question him, not giving him a chance to say a word first.
“She’s still not awake, Judge.We’ve cleaned the cut on her head, but too much time has passed and I can’t give her stitches.For now, I believe it will heal on its own without them, but we’ll keep an eye on the injury.Wren does have a pretty large bump where she was hit in the head and has a concussion.I was told about the yankin’ of her head and did an ultrasound that wouldn’t hurt the babies.We performed a musculoskeletal ultrasound on her.She has torn ligaments in her neck which is causin’ her arms to tingle, the weakness in her legs, and pain through her neck, shoulders, and back.When my daughter gave her an ultrasound to check on the babies, we did find heavy bruisin’ on her abdomen.It’s concernin’ because we aren’t sure if she fell and landed on her stomach.She could have been hit or kicked, but my daughter believes she fell or was shoved down and was unable to protect herself.For now, we’re gonna admit her for observation and the length of her stay will depend on a few factors,” Dr.Sanchez says as we all listen to him.
“Are the babies okay?”I ask, my voice breaking with the knowledge of how much Wren has been through.
“They’re fine.My daughter doesn’t believe anythin’ will happen, but this is one of the reasons for the observation,” he answers me as I take almost a normal breath for the first time in hours.“Her wrists have been cleaned and bandaged.I didn’t put stitches there either because of the time lapse.We’ll be keepin’ a close eye on those injuries because we don’t want an infection to set in.For now, we’ll change the bandages daily and put medicine on the area.”