“First, I can’t help but wonder about the fact that there is a gunshot victim being treated right now, in a small town that rarely sees them and, at the same time, I’m treating someone wearing blood-covered clothing and clearly in shock. The two wouldn’t be related, would they?”
Rocky quickly explained the events of the night and how Aiden had fought off an attacker intent on killing him. Rocky still wasn’t aware of the full story as Aiden hadn’t been in much of a state to explain, but he shared what he knew.
“Okay,” Collin said when Rocky had finished. “Next question. Is Aiden autistic?”
“He said he was diagnosed with Asperger’s as a teen.”
“So, yes.” Collin nodded his head and turned back to the cubicle. As soon as they had reentered the room, Collin turned back to Rocky and said, “I want you to get on the bed in front of Aiden and take both of his hands. Be careful with the injured one but he needs to feel your skin and have you holding him in some way.”
Rocky didn’t hesitate to do what Collin instructed. He wasn’t sure what the other man was up to, but if it would help his boy, Rocky would do whatever the good doctor asked of him.
He watched as Collin removed several items from drawers and began placing them around the room. When he’d finished he told Rocky, “This is what’s called a dissociative state. That means that his response to the trauma and shock of the evening has been to retreat into himself. Most likely, he is still present and aware, especially given his reaction to the other young man and the stuffy. One way to be sure though, is to use eye movement processing.”
Rocky found himself slightly confused. He really wished he would have had more time to read up and ask Aiden more questions. He hated not knowing what he needed to in order to help the man he cared most about in the world.
“I’ve placed items around the room. Note the colors and locations. Then I want you to talk calmly and softly to Aiden. Rub your thumbs on his skin as you talk and when his gaze focuses on you instead of the wall, start asking him to find the things I’ve placed around the room. Watch for where his eyes go. If he looks in the direction the item is, it means he is aware and you can talk to him, make him feel safe. If anyone can do it, you can.”
Collin headed for the door and Rocky had a moment of panic, “Wait, where are you going?” If there was a hint of panic in his voice, well, that was to be expected. Right?
“I feel like it will also help him to know how the other man is doing so, I’m heading to get an update. You don’t need me for this. You’re his Daddy. You’ve got this.”
Did he? Rocky wasn’t all that certain that he did.
Chapter Forty
Rocky
It felt like he’d been sitting there talking to Aiden forever. He’d taken Collin’s advice to make him feel safe to heart, constantly referring to himself as Daddy. He tried to get his boy’s attention by constantly using his name or calling him “baby” and he was beginning to think he was an utter failure.
Just as he was about to give up on his tactics and try something new, Aiden’s gaze moved from the far wall and locked on Rocky’s. The relief he felt was almost enough to take him back to his knees. It might have happened, if he’d been standing instead of sitting on the end of the bed.
“There you are, baby.” Rocky released his hold on one of Aiden’s hands and brushed his hand over Aiden’s cheek, noting that this time, Aiden’s eyes closed upon contact. Another indication that he was aware. Rocky wanted to cry tears of joy, but he knew he had another mission.
Rocky began asking Aiden to locate items around the room by color. Each time Aiden shifted his gaze to something of a matching color Rocky’s mind was bombarded with a cacophony of emotions. It was almost overwhelming, and Rocky wondered if that was a tiny taste of what his baby was feeling in that moment.
He worked through each item and had made it through another half round of items before Collin returned. When the doctor entered the room that time, Aiden watched him come through the curtains. He still wasn’t speaking or moving, but he was more alert than he’d been and, to Rocky, any progress was good.
“Ah, good.” Collin spoke in a soft, clear tone meant to sooth as he lowered the light and ensured the curtained entrance was as closed as it could be. “I see you’ve had success. That means the rest is pretty simple. But before we can address that more fully, we need to get that x-ray. I also wanted to let you know that Drake Stallone will make a full recovery. The shot to the gut did some damage but it was handled swiftly and the doctors who treated him are extremely good. He’ll have a long road ahead but, in the end, he won’t have much more to show for his injury than a scar. Deputies are stationed outside his room, and he’ll likely be spending the rest of his presumably long life in a cell, but still.”
Rocky watched as Aiden’s head lowered, his shoulders sagged, and a small tear fell from his eye, landing on his jean-clad thigh. His poor boy. He’d been so worried about that. Rocky couldn’t understand how Aiden could have gone his whole life without someone recognizing the rare gem he was, but Rocky wasn’t going to ever forget how special this man was and how lucky he was to have Aiden’s love.
Aiden
His wrist was fractured, and it was inconvenient as all hell. He could type one-handed, but it was so much quicker and more efficient with both hands. It had been a few days since Drake had come after him and all Aiden wanted was to do something normal. Daddy had taken amazing care of him. Doctor Collin had known exactly what to tell Daddy to do and, man, had Daddy ever done it. Exactly as instructed. Bringing him home to dark and quiet, holding him until Aiden had finally felt him returning to himself.
It hadn’t been a quick process. Aiden was just now beginning to feel like he could handle something more complicated than listening to music or snuggling. He’d slept a lot over the last few days, his body as exhausted as his mind had been. He’d barely been awake for more than an hour at a time.
Aiden had been suffering from nightmares, as well. He kept seeing Drake bleeding out in front of him, knowing that he’d done that. He’d been the one to shoot him. It didn’t matter if he’d meant to or not, he still had. Aiden was more grateful than he’d ever admit that he hadn’t taken Drake’s life. Aiden wasn’t sure how he would have coped with that.
Daddy had kept all the lights low in the house, even going so far as to change all of them to adjustable brightness bulbs. Aiden had insisted that he didn’t need to change so many lights and switches out for him, but Daddy had been adamant that Aiden should feel comfortable at all times in their home. Then, he’d continued on with the painstaking process of changing them all out by hand and using hand held tools. He said it would be counterproductive to change the lights using noisy power tools.
Aiden wasn’t sure what he’d ever done to deserve a Daddy so in tune with him and so actively caring of his needs, but he promised himself he’d never take for granted the gift life had given him.
Aiden shut his computer since he wasn’t getting much done and had obviously become distracted. He let his gaze roam the dim room from where he sat on a giant stuffed octopus. When his gaze landed on the oversized sand box across the room, Aiden thought back to the moment he’d seen it, when he’d realized that Rocky could really be the Daddy that Aiden needed. He’d been so right. Setting his laptop aside he made his way over to the sand, burying his fingers in the cool, sticky substance, letting his overactive mind escape into the sensations and rhythms, as he sifted handful after handful through his fingers.
Aiden was so lost in his actions that he didn’t hear Daddy approach and jumped when his voice carried across the room. “Hi, baby. You have visitors. Are you feeling up to seeing them, or should I tell them to come back?”
It took Aiden several minutes to come to a decision, but finally he looked at Daddy and told him, “If it’s the guys, I want to see them, but I am worried about getting overwhelmed again. Are they all here?”
