Chapter 16

I opened my eyes slowly and tried to focus on where I was. Machines were on either side of me and wires were poking out of me everywhere. And that’s when I realized something was down my throat. I tried to cough and slapped the bed. Panic set in and my eyes widened as a nurse loomed over me. Her mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear her. I tried to read her lips but I’m not good at that. She motioned to her chest and inhaled deeply. I did the same and she pulled the tube out. I immediately started coughing and a hand went to my throat. She handed me a glass of water with a straw and smiled at me. I sipped it, feeling it rush down my dry throat. The nurse took my vitals and pulled a pad of paper from her pocket. She scribbled and then showed me the note.

Doctor is coming to see you. Don’t worry; your hearing loss is temporary.

I nodded and she left. I glanced up to see Rebel standing in the doorway, fidgeting. I motioned to him and he walked in with his eyes cast toward the floor. I knew he felt guilt and I wasn’t going to have that. He sat down but couldn’t meet my eyes. I slapped the bed and his head sprang up.

“Don’t,” I whispered.

He opened his mouth then shut it. I took his hand and squeezed. I watched his face closely and noticed water pooling in his eyes. I pulled on him, trying to drag him closer to me and he finally relented, leaning over me. I searched his face then pulled him to my lips. Rebel seemed to sigh and then sag as our lips touched. He pulled back quickly and I glanced around to see the doctor with a grin on his face and holding a white board and marker. Rebel stood off to the side as the doctor wrote down everything I needed to know. My eyes widened at the amount of time I was in surgery and everything they had to do to me. I must be on some awesome meds because I should be feeling a lot more pain. The doc excused himself and Rebel sat back down. Coolness invaded my veins and then everything went black again.

The next time I opened my eyes, Jasper Jamison was at my bedside. He held up the white board that simply said ‘Jax, I am your father’ with a crude drawing of Darth Vader. I couldn’t help the chuckle that left my lips and I winced immediately. He erased and then scribbled again.

Your mother is here as well.

My eyes widened. “Really?” I whispered.

He erased and then wrote again. The guys are on Neil’s ass. They will get him.

“Neil did this?”

Jasper nodded and I closed my eyes. This was what I was afraid of. Jasper gently took my hand and my eyes opened. He held up the white board.

Don’t blame yourself. Rebel doesn’t and neither does Grandpa. Just concentrate on healing. We’ll all be here.

“So you’re really my father?”

Jasper scribbled and held up the board.

Hello? We look like twins. Yes. Mac did the DNA test. You’re my son.

I couldn’t help the grin that rose to my lips. I was looking at my father. Jasper leaned over me and kissed my forehead. He scribbled again and held up the board.

Please sleep. You need rest.

I slept on and off. Every time I woke up, someone else was in my room. Grandpa was smiling at me one of those times and my mom was crying during another. My body felt as if it was floating and every now and then the drugs would kick in. The doc had me on a liquid diet and I was getting tired of broth and juice. My main concern was Neil. He’d gone after Grandpa and if I hadn’t gotten there in time, he would have killed him. No one was telling me anything about Neil and I was getting frustrated. I wanted to know where he was and if they’d caught him yet. Every time I asked, I got the ‘you shouldn’t worry about that’ spiel.

My mother had informed me that I’d been in the hospital for two weeks already. It felt like a year. I’d pass out for hours and then wake up to see Rebel there. My mind kept racing and all I wanted was to be free of the hospital. The next time I woke up, Paul was next to the bed reading a book. He smiled as he realized I was awake. He set the book down and grabbed a laptop. We had changed from the whiteboard as Grandpa kept drawing pornographic images on it.

Doc says he might discharge you next week. It read.

I arched a brow and Paul grinned. He began tapping again and I slapped the bed and mouthed ‘Neil.’ He began tapping again and I groaned as loud as I could. My throat was still not cooperating with me as far as talking went. I could whisper, but it hurt. I guess when I came out of surgery, it’d been a week until I actually woke up. The doctor said he’d wanted my body to heal. Paul turned the screen around and I read it.

I’m not allowed to discuss Neil with you. As it is, I don’t know anything anyway. I’m fragile, remember?

I snorted and rolled my eyes. My eyelids became heavy and the last thing I saw was Paul reclined in the chair with his book.

Muffled sounds surrounded me and I fought to open my eyes. They felt so damned heavy. I concentrated on the muffled noise and realized it was Rebel talking out loud. The words began to get clearer.

“I’m so sorry, Jax. I just need you to get better. I need you to hear me when I say I’m not leaving your side.”

I rolled over and yawned. “I hear you.”

“You do?” Rebel straightened in the chair. “You can hear me?”

“Yes, I can hear you. Don’t shout.”

“Oh! Sorry.” Rebel leaned over the bed and pushed the call nurse button. “How do you feel?”

“Still sore.” I rasped. “But…better. Why does my throat hurt less?”

“Jax, you’ve been in the hospital for nearly four weeks.”

“What? I just saw Paul today.”

“Um, no. Paul was here last Friday.”

“I’ve been that out of it?”

“Your pain meds see to that, and you do need them so don’t argue.”

I stared at Rebel’s face. His beard had grown even longer and he looked haggard. I reached out and touched his face.

“You look like you haven’t slept.”

“I get some sleep now and then. The nurse lets me sleep in the chair sometimes. Well, the nice nurse. The other one is scary.” He shivered.

I studied him closely and closed my eyes.

“Look, you guys don’t need to be brought into this. This is my problem.”

“Bullshit!” Rebel shouted. “Does a house have to fall on your head? You are part of this family, Jax. What happens to you affects us all.”

My mouth dropped open. “You called me Jax.”

Rebel took my hand and swept his palm across my face. “You belong, Jax. You belong with me.”

“W-What?”

“I know you, all about you and all that does is make me respect you more. We will deal with all of this, together. Understand?” I glanced away and Rebel gently brought my face back to his. I knew I was starting to cry and Rebel wiped the tear that fell from the corner of my eye.

“You belong,” he said softly.

He held me and I’d never felt safer in my life.

“Neil —”

“Is going to pay for what he did,” Rebel finished for me, practically growling. “No one hurts me and mine without consequences.”

“Is there an update?”

“Let’s wait and see what the doc says and then we’ll fill you in, okay? You’re coming home with Grandpa and me. I’ve got your parents set up in your house. I hope that was okay?”

“Of course that’s okay. I talked to my mom and dad and they are okay with me staying with you. They said they’d be by to see me every day.”

Rebel arched a brow and I fidgeted. “What?”

“You’re trying to get them back together.”

“And if I am?” I crossed my arms and fixed him with a look.

“I’ll help.” He winked.

Rebel stepped aside as the nurse and doctor showed up. I got poked and prodded, and then wheeled to the MRI machine. After this, I never wanted to step foot in a hospital again. When I got back to the room, Rebel was gone but my father was in the chair. He stood as I was wheeled back in, and smiled.

“Hey, kiddo.”

“Hi, um, what do I call you?”

“You can hear me?” Jasper’s mouth dropped open.

“Yes.” I grinned and the nurse helped me back into bed. I winced and hissed as she sat me up.

“Maybe we should keep you one more day?” She arched her brows.

“Oh, hell no!”

The nurse left and Jasper came to sit on the edge of the bed. He smoothed my hair back from my forehead and smiled.

“You look so much like me.”

“I should hope so.” I took his hand. “You didn’t answer me. What should I call you?”

“I would hope you’d call me Dad, but if it’s too soon —”

“No. Dad it is.” I squeezed his hand.

“I can’t believe it. I’ve been wondering all these years how you were, what you were up to and here you are, a musical genius working as a band manager.”

“I love my job, Dad.” I tested the word on my lips and it felt natural. I searched his eyes and leaned forward a bit. “Are you going to cry?”

“I think I am.” Jasper wiped at his eyes. “I finally have my son,” he whispered.

“And I finally have my dad. Now I know why music came so naturally to me.”

“I hear you can play almost every instrument?”

“Except the trombone. I haven’t mastered that one yet.”

“Yeah? The oboe was one I couldn’t get.”

I sobered and eyed him. “You still love Mom.”

“Never stopped.” He nodded.

“Good. Spend all the time you can with her, Dad. Life is so short to be unhappy and lonely.”

“I can say the same for you. That Rebel, he’s a good man.”

“So we have a plan?” I grinned.

“Yep.”