Page 53 of Bent, Not Broken

Paxton frowned. “Slater did ask for you, and I don’t like him well enough to lie for him.”

I barked out a laugh. “He’s clearly charmed you with his sparkling personality. Okay, that sounds true. Wait—” Everything seemed to click together in my slow brain at once, and my heart jerked. “—he’s been fucking shot?”

Paxton nodded. “Yes, that’s what I’ve been saying.”

“I have to go!”

“Come on. I’ll take you,” River said, urging me along the street toward his car. “You can’t be seen in a squad car with our clientele.”

“I’ll follow you,” Paxton said. River didn’t bother acknowledging him, and I barely felt my legs as he herded me along. Not even ten minutes later, he dropped me off at the entrance to Walnut Creek Hospital. The looming building seemed dire, like it might be holding a terrible secret, as storm clouds gathered overhead. Off in the distance there was the rumble and crack of thunder over the lake. Inside the hospital, the air was crisp, and the lights were bright as I hustled toward the front desk where a girl who couldn’t have been more than nineteen sat. She had short red hair, endearing freckles, big eyes, and a very serious frown.

“I need to see Officer Slater,” I gasped as I all but threw myself against the front of the desk and clung on to it.

“Are you family?” she asked, turning toward her computer, her fingers clacking on the keys at the speed of light.

“Friend.”

She hummed out a noncommittal sound and gave me the room number. “He’s been admitted,” she said with a small frown. “So you may not be able to stay. You’ll have to try your luck with the nurses. It depends on how bad he is.”

She pointed out the elevators across the lobby, and I barely saw anything else as I sprinted toward them. I pushed the button and time crawled between then and the doors on the elevator opening. I repeated the room number under my breath; I was sure if I stopped, I would forget, because all I could think about was Slater, huge and impressive, laid out on a bed—dead. I pressed my fist to my lips and shook my head. No one had said he was dead, so I was being ridiculous.

I took deep breaths and rushed into the elevator when the doors opened. On the second floor I got out and, checking the numbers on the rooms, began searching for Evan’s.

Finally, I found his room number.

Standing in the hallway, a few doors down from his room, I stared at the cracked open door and hugged myself hard, not sure I should go in. What if he didn’t actually want me there? What if Paxton misheard him? My gut churned, but all at once I found myself rushing forward anyway, on the tiny chance that he needed me. Even if he changed his mind later and wanted nothing to do with me, I wanted to be here, because I cared about the jerk. My hand shook as I pushed the door open and slipped into the room.

Horrified at what was in front of me, my hand crept up over my mouth. Evan was on the bed, and he had a tube coming out of the right-hand side of his chest that seemed to be draining… something I didn’t want to think about, from one of his lungs, into a container that hung on the side of the bed. He was breathing, though, and he seemed to be asleep. There were IV tubes and wires and he had a blood pressure cuff on. There was a wad of gauze taped over his right shoulder.

My knees wobbled as I walked forward. He seemed mostly okay, but I knew that pink stuff seeping through the gauze wasn’t paint. I brushed a hand over his forehead and pushed his hair up and away from his face. Tears I hadn’t expected spilled onto my cheeks as relief rushed through me. His skin was warm. The monitors beeped steadily.

Leaning forward, I sniffled and brushed a kiss to his temple, but he didn’t wake up.

“Oh shit,” River said from somewhere behind me, but I didn’t turn around. He came up and gave me a full-bodied hug, pressing his front to my back as I stood there, tears rolling off my chin as I peppered more kisses to Evan’s temple, forehead, cheek. His eyelids didn’t even flutter. If he’d been in surgery that probably made sense, but it seemed so wrong to see this big man motionless and still. Even asleep he usually shuffled around, snagging me close to hold me tight.

“I’m staying till he opens his eyes,” I said.

River gave me one last squeeze and stepped back. “For sure. You’re off work next week, okay? We’ll get through without you.”

Destroyed and not wanting to move at all, I stood there, until sometime later River came back with a cup of coffee and placed a folding chair next to me. He said something about going back to the office to do things since I would be out, and left, but all I could do was stand beside Evan. Sitting didn’t let me see his face well enough, and I had to watch the rise and fall of his chest or I felt like my own wouldn’t work. I didn’t know what I would do if his breaths stopped.

My coffee was halfway gone when a nurse, a skinny-as-a-rail older woman with short gray hair who wore blue scrubs, pushed open the door. I tried to smile at her and failed miserably.

“You’re going to have to go,” she said, her tone caring but curt. I couldn’t help but stare at the way her lips pursed. “I’m sorry, I know that he’s a cop, but rules are rules. It’s after visiting hours. Unless you’re married—” She laughed as if she’d just made a good joke. “—you have to go.”

Stunned, I shot a look toward the small window in the room and realized it was dark outside. How long had I been standing here?

“But I’m his….” I glanced down at Evan and firmed up my spine. “I’m his boyfriend and I’m not leaving.”

She crossed her arms. “I don’t care if you’re the King of Candyland, it’s past visiting hours. You’re welcome to come back here in the morning, if you want, but if you’re not family, you have to go. Visiting hours are clearly posted in the lobby.”

“He doesn’t have anyone else to stay with him,” I choked out. “I don’t want him waking up alone.” I reached for Evan’s hand, and was destroyed all over again when he didn’t squeeze me back. He always seemed to be aware of me in his space, and his lack of response was scaring the shit out of me.

“That’s funny because his aunt just called to check on him. That’s why I dropped in to do a check.” She pointed toward the door of the small room and my temper snapped.

“You’re really tossing me out?” I couldn’t help myself. My voice climbed, and I cursed when I ended up slopping the rest of my coffee down the front of my suit. Wet, dripping, and pissed off, my jaw clenched so hard that my ears popped.

“What’s going on here?” Paxton stuck his head around the doorway, and the nurse huffed.