“Agreed,” Niall said.
Sorcha watched the TV. The judges appeared to be whispering amongst themselves. Teal propped his head against one of his fists. His other hand had disappeared beneath the table. Sorcha was certain his partner was pushing on his middle, pressing against the stabbing pains that plagued him.
The court lights highlighted Teal’s ghostly pale skin. Whatever swagger he’d had when he entered the courtroom had been decimated by the energy he’d expended delivering his closing prose.
Finally, the judge in the middle of the platform spoke. “We will deliver our decision tomorrow afternoon at one p.m.”
Sorcha clapped his hands together.It would be over tomorrow! Thanks stars!
Niall jumped up and ran behind the couch to pull Jax into an embrace.
Sorcha looked back at the TV, expecting to see the relief on Teal’s face. Instead, he watched in horror as Teal slumped overand fell out of his seat, landing in a heap on the floor of the courtroom.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Ronan
Ronan had been watching the closing proses in the job site’s trailer with his crew. He screamed at the TV when Teal fell over, white-hot fear coursing through his veins. His co-workers nodded with silent sympathy as he rushed out to his truck.
He drove to the courthouse, not knowing what else to do, listening to the news on the radio.
But the news didn’t know anything about what had happened to Teal. After the omega lawyer’s collapse, they cut to reporters interviewing the alphaholes on the courthouse steps. Then they switched to the newsroom, where the newscasters speculated about the cause of Teal’s collapse.
His truck’s speakers read out the texts coming in on his phone. Sorcha, Niall, and Jax were all as terrified as he was. The betas were on their way to the courthouse. Sorcha was staying home with the boys.
Not knowing Teal’s condition was pure agony.
Ronan drove ten miles above the speed limit as he tapped on the steering wheel and cursed every red light and stop sign that delayed him from getting to his husband.
Teal had looked exhausted. Ronan had noticed the little line form above his nose, the sweat on his brow, and the way he’d hovered his fist over his abdomen. He’d known Teal wasn’t fine, despite what he’d said. Why hadn’t Ronan insisted he go to the doctor? Why had his strong, passionate husband collapsed in a puddle on the floor?
Tears threatened, but he was too panicked for them to fall.
Ronan was five minutes from the courthouse when another message came through. Dayson. Letting him know he was in an ambulance with Teal. Headed to the emergency room. He’d also texted Sorcha, Niall, and Jax to let them know.
Ronan whipped his head in all directions to make sure the road was empty before gripping the steering wheel and making a U-turn in the middle of the highway.
Fifty-nine minutes after he’d watched Teal collapse on live TV, Ronan was in the lobby of the omega wing of the hospital demanding to see him. He was usually more measured and calm, but his inner alpha roared. He recalled months ago when they’d brought Sorcha in for his stitches, and the terrible words he’d had with that alphahole, Dr. Braswell. There was no way he’d allow Teal to receive shoddy care.
The only thing that kept him from banging his fist on the reception desk and yelling at the startled omega receptionist were the placating hands that appeared like magic on either side of him.
His betas.
“It’ll be okay,” Niall assured him, resting his head on Ronan’s shoulder. “He’s with the doctors now.”
“Yes.” Jax squeezed his left arm. “We got here ten minutes ago, and Dayson filled us in. They don’t know exactly what’s wrong,but Teal is high-profile, which is why they already called in one of the lead physicians from the alpha wing. The doctor promised to give us an update within half an hour.”
“It was chaos in the courtroom,” a voice spoke up, and Ronan turned to see Dayson sitting in a green vinyl chair, tilting his head to rest it against the wall behind him.
“What happened?” Ronan asked him.
Dayson exhaled loudly, demonstrably distressed. “I’m still not exactly sure. I could feel it when he sat down after he finished his prose. It was like sitting next to a heat vent on full blast. He was so hot. Sweating. His breaths were coming in little wheezes, like it was hard for him. I doubt you could hear it on the cameras, but I knew something was wrong. His stomach, again, and he’s been so stubborn about admitting how much pain he’s in. After he collapsed, the court officers got the ambulance there pretty quick. Schulman and Carson and Mikel all volunteered to go, but I insisted it be me.” Dayson’s voice cracked as he added, “Teal never woke up. Not when they brought the stretcher into the courtroom. Not when the idiots outside started shouting that this should somehow invalidate the case, maybe even cheering that he fell over. Not even when we got into the ambulance and they turned the sirens on.” Dayson’s face contorted in a mix of guilt and anger. “Stars! I wanted to win my case, but I shouldn’t have let him push himself so hard.”
Niall sat next to him. “You couldn’t have stopped him,” he said. “Not on this. He wanted to be in the courtroom, to see this thing through.”
“Niall’s right.” Ronan felt rationality returning as he reassured Dayson. “Nothing about this is your fault. Thank you for getting in the ambulance with him. And for letting us all know.”
After Dayson spoke to the family, Ronan noticed him go over to sit with a man he recognized as Mikel, an alpha co-worker of Teal’s that had caused his husband some grief over the years.Ronan’s lips pursed until he noticed the tender way Mikel put his arm around Dayson, and how the omega leaned into the grim-faced alpha in return.
