“Surgery?” I asked, my stomach sinking.
“Yes, Ms. Adler. Unfortunately, Mr. Lucchetti’s injuries were quite extensive, but that’s all the information I’m allowed to give as you are not family—”
“I’m the closest thing to family he has out here,” I argued.
“I understand.” She nodded sympathetically. “But we have been in touch with his immediate family and they haven’t given us authorization to disclose his health with anyone who isphysicallyhere. You understand.”
“You have?”
“Yes, Ms. Adler. Mr. Lucchetti kept a contact card in his wallet for emergencies. We reached out to his family immediately to inform them.”
Anger prickled into my bloodstream. “So how will I know when he’s out of surgery? That he’s okay?”
“The best thing to do, Ms. Adler, is to try to get as much rest as you can and to take care of yourself. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.” She offered a weak smile before she left the room.
Unshed tears filled my eyes. Cain sat on the edge of my bed and leaned in to kiss my forehead.
“Let's just get you home and relaxed, and see what happens. I’ll make some calls, try to reach out to Sly's family. We’ll get answers, baby. Try not to worry.”
“I don’t want to go home. Sly doesn’t deserve to wake up in a hospital bed alone, Cain. We’re all he has out here.”
“I know, but they’re not giving us any information right now. We’ll get you home and cleaned up first, and I will figure this out, okay? I promise I’ll find out what’s going on.”
Nodding, I took the hair tie off Cain’s wrist and put my hair into a messy bun on top of my head. My long, brown locks were tangled in a mess of knots, but without my brush, the best I could do was toss it up and forget about it.
Forty-five minutes later, a male nurse I’d never seen before came in with a stack of paperwork and asked if we had any questions before we left.
Once again, my only question was about Sly’s condition, but the nurse hadn’t even heard Sly’s name before, having just started his shift.
I let Cain push me out of the hospital in a wheelchair and when we went past the automatic doors, the familiar faces of Indy, King, and Damon greeted me.
“Oh, Rosie!” Indy cried, hugging me at an awkward angle because of the wheelchair.
When she’d pried herself away, Cain helped me stand, and I pulled her back in for a proper hug while still holding Cain’s arm for leverage.
King and Damon approached next, hugging me carefully and telling me how happy they were that I was okay.
“How’s Nixon?” I asked as I looped my arm through Cain’s, letting him lead me to King’s truck.
“He’s holding up,” Damon responded, but offered no information other than that.
Cain helped hoist me into the back of the truck and slid in beside me while King hopped into the driver’s seat. I reached over Cain and rolled down the window.
“I’ll call you later,” I told Indy, who was standing on the curb with Damon.
“Go get some rest. Everything is under control at Andromeda, sopleasedon’t even think about work or trying to come back anytime soon.”
“She won’t be,” Cain interjected. Rolling up the window, he tipped his chin to them and said, “See you guys later.”
The drive to my house was quiet, but I was grateful for it. My migraine was starting to subside, but my body felt like a Mack truck hit it. I needed a long nap in my bed.
King dropped us off without coming in, and silently, Cain ushered me to the bathroom. He stripped me out of my clothes, being mindful to not snag the bandages on my arm and head. We were told they could come off for showers, but to make sure we thoroughly dried the wounds before dressing them again.
Once I was naked, Cain turned the shower on to warm and removed his clothing.
The spray of the water felt like both heaven and hell as I stepped under it. Tears flowed down my cheeks, mixing with the water, as the weight and pain of the last twenty-four hours flooded through me.
Cain let me cry, knowing my body needed this release, and gently washed me from head to toe. He scrubbed away the dried blood and dirt, and carefully ran my hairbrush through my hair as it sat with conditioner in it.
