They push Alejandro’s bed past me, on his way to get stitched up. Luke sits on the bottom end of the bed, Mom and Dad following at the back.
I slowly get up, my one hand holding onto my torso, trying to lessen the pain each breath is causing me, and order the nurse to stop for just a moment.
“You look like you’re going to puke,” Alejandro teases. “Don’t be such a wuss.”
Only brothers for two months, and he’s already making it his life goal to be superior, bossy, and irritating as hell.
I take one long look at him and just let out a breath. At least he’s going to be okay. So is Luke.
If you told me a few weeks ago that I would like this guy I would’ve laughed in your face, yet here we are, blood-brothers – and I don’t like him, I love him – as if I’ve known him my whole life.
“I’m so glad you’re going to be okay. Apparently, egotistical, cocky, half-brothers are hard to come by. At least that’s what I heard,” I snip. He chuckles and shakes his head.
“Back at you, little bro.” He sarcastically pulls out the word ‘little’ with a sly smile.
“Sniff pixie dust and soar, Fratello,” I snip. Luke giggles, but flinches before he grabs his cheek. It’s bruised. And there are bloody scuff marks around his wrists.
“Now I’m sure you’ve completely lost your mind,” Alejandro’s eyes tease me.
“It’s something our sister always said to him before a race,” Luke chips in.
“And it got to be my lucky chant,” I say, patting his shoulder.
“Good to know,” Alejandro sneers, “I can do with a lucky chant right about now.”
“Don’t worry, his girlfriend also lost her mind,” Luke raps. “She went on and on about a magic bean.” I pull up my eyebrows and look at Dad to help me out here. He just shrugs his shoulders.
“A magic bean?” I ask to be sure. Maybe they must check his head to make sure he hasn’t a concussion.
“Yeah,” he snorts, “She was extremely worried about it. So was Kiara.” I look at my parents. Dad shakes his head and Mom goes pale as a ghost. “Oh, my word,” she mumbles. She must be worried about her kids.
“Mom, can you get me some food, I’m fucking starving,” Luke says.
“Language, little man,” my father chastises him. He pouts his lips confidently.
“How come you guys get to say it all the time then.” I ignore my mother’s berated look.
“We’ll have a little talk about that,” Dad snaps looking from me to Alejandro. We both host the same trying-to-look-innocent face.
“We need to go,” the nurse says, trying to hide a smile, and she pushes them away. Alejandro waves at me. He saved my life. He saved Mel’s life. How can I ever repay him for that?
“Any news?” Axel comes from Kiara’s room, the hope for good news splashed on his face. I just shake my head and crash his hope. My parents start to walk off but I grab my father’s arm.
“Dad, something is going on … Doc Barney acted really weird just now on the phone,” I say, needing my father to reassure me that I’m not going to lose the love of my life.
“Please, Dad,” I beg him. He smiles.
“Time to use the privileges of being a doctor,” he says and then looks at Mom. She has a strange look on her face.
“I’ll go keep those two out of trouble.” She struts away but stops and turns around, pointing a finger at my father. “All these wild antics the boys have … they get from you!”
Dad chuckles and walks into Mel’s room just as a middle-aged woman doctor sprints from the lifts and almost collides with us, clinging to her shoes for dear life. She must have taken them off to run faster. Her hair is a mess and her cheeks are red from the exercise. She mumbles an excuse and hurries into Mel’s room.
I go stand in the doorway, staring at my ghostly white girlfriend, still unconscious on the bed, tubes now running from her sheet-covered body to all types of weird-sounding machines.
Dad greets the new doctor with a frown and then he gives me the exact same confused-surprised-disappointed look Doc Barney did while he was talking on the phone.
The lady doctor scrutinizes me … then she stares bewildered at my father … then back at me and it’s as if something clicks in her brain. “I was right … the famous father’s father is a doctor,” she mumbles. “Holy fuck … Mr. Complicated … eh … you …” the lady doctor stutters with an oh-shit look on her face as if she’s been caught doing something illegal.
I’m just wondering if she’s sane enough to practice… and whether I should let her practice on Mel.
My dad also glares at her and goes as white as Mom has. Maybe he’s thinking the same thing … this doctor seems to be on drugs.
“Fucking shit! No! For real?” he swears and shoves his fingers through his hair. She nods a little over eagerly.
“How far?” How far what?
“Is something wrong with Mel?” I need to know.
My father gives me an appalled look I can’t quite place; it might be disappointment, anger, happiness, or maybe a combination of all three. I feel slightly uncomfortable.
“Eight weeks,” the doctor answers ignoring my question. She’s still not making any sense.
“Why didn’t you fucking say anything?” Dad shouts – I’m definitely not being ignored anymore. My heart starts to thunder in my chest. What. The. Fuck.
“He doesn’t … eh … know,” the new doctor says and my father looks as if he swallowed a bug … a big one.
“Know what? What the fuck is wrong with Mel?” I don’t want to shout, but I don’t have any nerves left. And I’m not patient under the best of circumstances – and right now it is not even close to good – my head is bursting, my body is bruised, my heart is not working, and my girlfriend’s skull got smashed in … need I continue?
“Hi, it’s Damion, isn’t it?” the new doctor asks calmly with a big warm smile, holding out her hand for me to take. “I’m Doctor Elena-Mari Burden. I hoped to meet you under different circumstances.” I shake her hand with my trembling one.
“What’s wrong with Mel?” She picks up Mel’s chart and her eyes flag up into mine as if she’s caught off guard by my question. She lifts her index finger and opens her mouth slowly as if contemplating what to say.
“Okay … eh yes …” What the hell? She makes some funny movements with her eyes and even more funny gestures with her hands. Then she scratches her head.
Both Dad and Doc Barney are staring at Mel as if they’re looking for something in particular but not finding it.
What the fuck is going on here? Is there something wrong with Mel? What are they not telling me? I can feel my heart tearing from my rib cage, so I put my hand there to push it back, trying to still the pain a little.