Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sorcha
Understandably, it took the boys longer than usual to get to bed. Sorcha itched to get to the hospital, but he didn’t want to worry the kids any more than necessary by appearing frantic to see their daddy, so he waited before heading out.
“Let Ronan know we lo—” Jax stopped short as he opened the garage door. “Let him know we’re thinking of him.”
Ronan had texted Teal’s room number. Sorcha put his head down and walked purposely past the registration and nurses’ station, as though daring them to stop him. When he arrived, Ronan stood up. Sorcha restrained himself from doing what he really wanted to—throwing himself into the alpha’s arms—but there was a beta nurse in the room and he, Niall, and Jax had discussed needing to be discreet in public.
The nurse looked up at Sorcha’s entrance, eyeing the ‘one visitor per room’ sign near the doorway, but said nothing as the young omega man sat in the chair Ronan had vacated. Ronan’shands rested on Sorcha’s shoulders as Sorcha leaned toward where Teal lay peacefully.
“I love you, Teal,” Sorcha said, wiping his wrist across the tears which fell silently down his cheeks. “I hope you can hear me. We watched today. Me and Jax and Niall. You were brilliant. But you’re giving everyone quite the scare now. You need to wake up so you can go back to being that firecracker who had everyone on the edge of their seats today with your words.”
The nurse looked at both men sympathetically before quietly exiting the room. Sorcha was grateful he didn’t ask for explanations as to Sorcha’s identity, grateful for the gift of his empathy. He needed that today, needed to believe there were good people in the world on the day someone had tried to kill his partner.
“What did the doctors say?” he asked Ronan, grasping Teal’s lifeless hand in his own. “How’s our man?”
“Holding his own. Dr. Kinzinger said he’d be in and out, but so far, it’s only beenout. If he doesn’t become more alert by tomorrow, they’re considering using medications to rouse him.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Me too.”
“Did the detective come by?”
“Yep. Two, in fact. You just missed them. I gave them the information I had on where Teal has gone these past weeks, but as you are aware, he never really left the house other than to go to High Court. The detectives are going to talk to Dayson and Teal’s driver, Barden. Those two may have more insight.”
“Do the police need to speak with me or Niall or Jax? The kids?”
“They probably will at some point, but it didn’t seem as urgent.”
“Well, that’s good. I don’t know if I could have taken any more stress.”
Sorcha grimaced at his careless words.
Hopefully, he hadn’t just given away his secret to Ronan. Now wasn’t the time for more news. But the alpha was too distracted with Teal to register that Sorcha might have said more than he’d meant to.
Ronan bent down behind the chair and rested his chin on top of Sorcha’s head. “It’s good that you’re here, little one. Are you okay to stay with Teal for a few hours? I want to go home and grab a shower and maybe give the boys a hug, even if they’re sleeping. I can be back to sit with him overnight.”
Sorcha bent his neck back until his face was directly below Ronan’s and they shared an upside-down kiss. “It’d be good for you to grab a shower.” He wrinkled his nose playfully. “You clearly came to the hospital from the job site. And I wouldn’t mind having a little time alone with Teal.”
Ronan chuffed and straightened. “Alright. I’ll go home and come back sweet-smelling for you. And Teal.”
Sorcha inhaled the comforting peppery sage scent of his alpha. “You always smell sweet.” He brushed his fingers lightly over Teal’s jaw. “I’ll watch over him for all of us.”
After Ronan left, Sorcha maneuvered his chair directly next to the bed. He checked to make sure he wasn’t disrupting any wires, then lowered the rail on it. Finding the lever beneath his ankles, he adjusted his chair into a reclining position and grabbed Teal’s hand, weaving their fingers together. It wasn’t quite the same as sharing a bed, especially since the chair was six inches below the mattress, but it was better than nothing. Sorcha felt much calmer now that their hands were touching, and he could lay his cheek against Teal’s shoulder.
“Teal,” he murmured. “I know your body needs rest, but the world just isn’t the same without your voice in it. Even half a day in, we all notice. I can’t believe how much I’ve come to need you in such a short time. But I do. Need you. So much.”
Sorcha checked to make sure the door was latched. He wished Teal would give him a sign that he could hear him. But the other omega didn’t so much as twitch. It was only the rhythmic sound of his breathing that reminded Sorcha he was okay. At least for now.
“I found something today, Teal. In the very back of the lowest shelf in the bathroom. I don’t know why you had so many. You’ll have to tell me that story someday, of why you had four of them. Did you buy a bulk pack or something when you tried for Zayne?” Sorcha chuckled softly. “The packaging said they had a ten-year shelf life, so I didn’t think you’d mind if I helped myself.”
A buzzing noise sounded above them. Sorcha startled and looked up, relieved to find it was merely Teal’s IV dispensing medication into his line.
“I won’t miss seeing you hooked up to machines,” Sorcha mumbled. He glanced at the door again. There was a police officer stationed in the hallway, but he wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation through the closed door.
Sorcha gripped Teal’s hand tighter. “I helped myself because I’ve been having these feelings lately. Little sensations in my body, or flares of scent, where I become hyperaware of my fragrance mixed with Ronan’s.” He also thought he smelled Teal’s honey lavender, but that was likely wishful thinking, so he didn’t voice the thought out loud.
