MERCS
The Next Day
The tension in the air ripples through me like a wave, surging like a rough current, forging its way into my very soul. The idea that this very moment could make or break a life renders me fucking useless as I stand here barely able to breathe.
We’re all gathered in the waiting area, waiting for the doctor to tell us how this will go down, how they will bring her back to me. If that’s even possible. The thought bringing another damn wave crashing over me, and I can’t help it as I bend over placing my hands on my knees trying to catch my barely-there breath.
Will she breathe on her own?
Will she wake up?
Will she remember anything?
So many fucking questions, so many variable answers.
I’m trying to be strong, but not knowing is killing me right now.
A hand rubs up and down my back trying to soothe me. I have no idea who it is, but by the delicate touch, I’m positive it’s a female.
“Will they hurry the hell up,” Donny’s voice chimes in saying precisely what I’m thinking as I pull myself up to see Kristy by my side. Her eyes bright red and puffy as she stands there looking as devastated as I feel.
“Shh… Donny, let the doctors do what they need to. They will come with news when they’re good and ready,” Livvy berates.
I shake my head turning as I pace the area like a madman.
“Mercs, will you calm the fuck down, you’re wearing me out just watching you,” Tank calls out as he sits next to Andi.
Everyone turns to look at me, so I rub the back of my neck screwing my face up but continue pacing the floor like I didn’t hear him. I don’t care, I need to walk off this building tension.
“Leave him alone, Tank,” Andi chastises while elbowing him in the ribs.
He shrugs while I continue pacing the sterile floor.
Noise behind me make me spin around to see Effa’s specialist holding a folder of notes in his hands.
It’s time!
My heart beats faster, and I swallow hard as he steps up to us, and we all watch him with bated breath.
“Hi everyone. It’s so nice to see that you’re all here to support in Vespa’s recovery.”
Yeah, yeah, get on with it.
“So, we’re going to go ahead shortly and begin the procedure of bringing Vespa out of her coma. We’re allowing two people to come into the room to be support for her if she wakes up. And due to hospital policy, seeing as the parents are here, we’re going to allow them access at this time.”
Screwing my face up, I let out a loud gasp of air and turn away from the doctor and look up at the ceiling trying to hold myself together. I get it. I understand. They’re family, and they get priority. I just wanted to be the first person she saw when she woke up. I won’t even know if she has woken up. I’ll just have to sit out here and wait.
“Is there any way we can have three people in the room, doctor?” Livvy asks.
“No. I’m sorry. With the staff that will be required, there’s limited space.”
Anger flairs inside of me and I can practically taste my despair as it leeches off me in waves. Knowing I won’t be there to support Effa, if and when she wakes up, is a pain I never thought I’d have to endure. I always thought I would be there. It claws under my skin and digs at my heart like a parasite trying to invade. I hate the idea of Effa feeling I’m not there for her.
“We should go. The team is waiting,” the doctor announces.
“I’m sorry, Mercs,” Livvy murmurs. The gentle clicking of her high heels teamed with the heavy beating of Donny’s and the doctor’s feet resound down the hall as they walk away from me.
Silence falls on the waiting area.
I have to be strong.
Alana startles me with a hand on my shoulder. Turning to her, her eyes are glistening and ready to burst at any second. It’s only now I remember that I’m not the only one here that misses out on seeing Effa wake up. There’s her sister, her best friend, her friends, her crew, her manager. Everyone here is going through the same thing as me. She more than anyone knows precisely how I feel right now.
“I know everything’s going to be all right. We have to be strong.” I smile, but it’s weak.
“She’s going to be fine, Mercs. I just know it.”
“Yeah, she is. She has to be.”
“She’s lucky to have you, Mercs. Don’t forget that.”
“I think I’m the lucky one in our relationship.” I let out a bemused laugh.
Luke clears his throat grabbing our attention. “Should we go and get some coffee? I think we’ll be in for a long wait?”
Everyone nods, and we all head off as a team to the café.
Sitting back on the plastic chair in the waiting room, the anxiety is seeping its way into my pores.
Wondering if she is awake yet or not?
How’s it going?
With no word from anyone, it’s genuinely grating on my nerves. Which by the way are shot. My knee agitates up and down on the spot as my breathing is shallow and short. I’m sure I’ve made a callous on my lip from gnawing at it so hard—it’s been nearly an hour. Surely something’s happening by now?
I inhale sharply, wanting this to be over. For her to be awake, and for everything to be fucking fine. But it’s not. I’m in mother fucking limbo land, wondering if she’s making it out of this goddamned coma and waking up to me not being there.
“This is stupid,” I murmur and look up to no one in particular. “Surely there’s got to be some damn news by now?” I ask throwing my hands in the air in frustration.
Luke walks over and sits beside me. “Mercs, I know you’re frustrated. We all are. But you just have to wait it out… sorry, mate.”
“Fuck!” I call out louder than I meant to and everyone looks at me sympathetically. I don’t need their sorry eyes, I need a fucking doctor to come and tell me she’s all right and everything’s going to be okay.
“She’s awake,” someone calls from the other side of the hall. I didn’t even hear them approach and I stand so fast that I lose my footing and stumble a bit as I spin to see Livvy with the doctor.
The room fills with a general resounding sigh of relief.
“How is she?” my voice cracks, my body shaking with adrenaline.
“She’s a little groggy. Her speech is normal, and her long-term memory seems intact, but as expected her memory of what happened before she was drugged and up to now is gone. Her motor functions, though weak are working, and her cognitive functions are per normal…” He weakly smiles as he looks up from his notes. “Everything seems to be okay for now. But that doesn’t mean we can count out other side effects from the overdose or the anoxic injury. We just have to wait and see how she pulls up in the next few days along with further testing. As for her ribs, they’re healing well and will take around six weeks to fully mend.”
My stomach tightens in excitement that she just might fucking pull through this okay. I glance to Livvy who smiles at me, her eyes red like she’s been crying and I swallow hard.
All I want to do is see Effa.
I need to see her.
“Mercs, I came out so you can go in.”
My heart gallops in my chest as a smile adorns my face.
“Donny’s still in with her. We don’t want her to be alone, but I think when you get in there he’ll come out and let Alana go in.”
I glance back to Alana, and she smiles as wide as I am right now, and she nods to me as if to tell me to go. I don’t hesitate taking off faster than my legs will carry me, running down the hall toward the ICU. Sterilizing my hands quickly, I then press the button to enter. The doors swing open, and I rush in. I stop just outside seeing Donny standing by her bed, and I catch my breath, taking a moment before I go in.
I’m nervous.
Fuck, I have no idea what the hell I’m heading into. But all I know is she’s alive, awake, and fuck if that isn’t the best news all day. Hell, all fucking year.
Pushing the door open, I step in and look at the bed. Donny’s in the way, and I can’t see her properly. The room is quiet except for a constant beeping. Obviously, they still have her hooked up to machines monitoring her, and Donny looks back at me with a tired smile.
“Hey kid, she’s been asking for you,” he simply informs me.
I nod and step up to the side of the bed and look down finally taking her in.
No more ventilator.
Her beautiful green eyes, open.
And even though she looks weak and tired, she still looks amazing as she gazes at me and a slow smile spreads across her face. “Hey.” Her voice is husky and raspy.
I rush in reaching for her hand as a wave of emotion hits me. My fingers lace with hers, a spark shoots up my arm, my heart races a frantic million miles a minute at just seeing her, and the adrenaline knocks me for a six.
She makes it hard to breathe, as she looks at me through her long thick lashes and smiles like she hasn’t a care in the world. Like I’m the light of her life. Just like she’s the light in mine.
“Hey, baby. You scared me.” I bring my other hand in and up, swiping a stray hair from her face, just needing to touch her. She closes her eyes relishing in my touch as I move my hand to her cheek.
“I scared me, too,” she replies bringing her hand up to cup mine against her face.
“I’ll let you guys have some time before I let Alana come down. I love you, baby girl,” Donny announces placing his hand on her leg and patting. He leans in kissing her head before he spins and walks out the door leaving me with Effa—finally.
I grab the seat behind me and pull it over next to her bed so I can sit down and continue holding her hand.
“I’m so sorry, Kaden,” she murmurs, her voice weak and cracking, and full of emotion.
I turn back and look at her. Effa’s eyes are glistening and sparkling like they’re laced with tears.
Shaking my head, I swallow hard. “No, Effa, you have nothing to be sorry for—”
“No, I do. For trusting Jett. I… I don’t remember much, but I was told he offered me a drink and I took it from him. I should have known better—”
“Stop! No one ever thought he was capable of this, Effa. Not even me. I knew he was bad news… but date rape drugs? No, I never thought he’d stoop to that.”
She sniffs. “Was he going to…” she trails off.
I grip my hand on hers tighter. “Don’t think about that, baby. He didn’t get a chance to do whatever he was planning on. I found you… you collapsed, and everything went to hell. He gave you too much for your body to handle and you overdosed. So even if he managed to get away with you, I don’t think he would have been able to do anything anyway. You would have been out before he could get you up to his room.”
Her bottom lip quivers and she swallows hard. “I can’t believe he wanted to do this to me.”
My thumb traces circles on the back of her hand trying to calm her. “Don’t worry, he’s never coming near you again.”
She nods and glances down to my knuckles and raises her brow. “Your knuckles. They’re pretty banged up.”
“Not as banged up as Jett’s face.”
A grin so wide appears on her face, and I have to fight to hold in my laughter as she shakes her head in what looks like surprise. “Normally, I’d be all about embracing the love. I’m so dead against any form of violence… but in this case, I hope you broke something.”
Chuckling, I smile. “I’m fairly certain something was broken.”
Leaning up and over her, I gently press my lips to hers. They’re dry and cracked and nothing like the lips I’m used to kissing, but I don’t care. That usual spark ignites as it always does when Effa kisses me. The tingles start on my lips and travel all the way down to my cock causing it to pulse. I love that she can do that, even when she’s sick in a hospital bed. This woman has power over me, and fuck do I like it.
I don’t deepen the kiss, keeping it delicate and tender. One to simply let her know I’m here and not going anywhere. As I pull back, her eyes are still closed as she smiles savoring the moment.
“I’m glad you’re awake…” I pause. “I don’t know what I would have done if—”
“Hey, I’m okay. I’m not going anywhere. As weird as it sounds, while I was out, I… wasn’t. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but I felt you, and Alana, and everyone else. I could hear you all talking to me. I can’t really remember anything you all said, but I know you were all here, and I felt comfort the whole time. It’s like I was in that phase where you’re half-awake but still a little groggy and can’t function properly. Everything was hazy, that’s how it felt. I knew I was going to be okay. Only once did everything feel black. I guess that’s when my heart stopped…” She takes a deep breath and continues, “I have you to thank for that my dad tells me?”
“And for the broken ribs. I’m sorry, I didn’t really know what I was doing.”
She shakes her head. “It’s just an uncomfortable pain, nothing I can’t handle. Better than the alternative. If you hadn’t have done it… it could be a very different outcome right now. You literally saved my life, Kaden.”
“I’ll always save your life, Effa. Because my life is your life and without you… I can’t live.”
Effa’s breath catches in her throat. Her bottom lip draws into her mouth as her eyes begin to well with unshed tears. “Has anyone told you… you’re actually a real smooth talker?”
Letting out a small chuckle, I look into her emerald eyes and shrug. “Only when it comes to you. For everyone else, I’m a hardass.”
She snorts. “Oh, I don’t know, I can think of two other women who have you wrapped around their fingers. How is Kiera? Is she doing okay? Is Gran looking after her?”
Taking a deep breath, I bring my hand up and smooth some more hair from her face. “And there she is. You’re laying here, fresh out of a coma, and you’re asking how everyone else is.”
“A lot can happen in three days, so I need to be filled in on how everyone else is doing. I’m fine, Kaden. I just want to know that everyone else has pulled up from this okay, too.”
Sighing, I nod. “Okay, I get it. Kiera’s fine. Worried, but fine. I sent her a message about what was happening when I got out of custody.”
Effa tightens her hand on mine. “What do you mean… out of custody?” Her eyes are wide with uncertainty.
“When I assaulted Jett the troopers came and arrested me. I was in a cell for a number of hours until Luke stepped in. Jett was charged but let out on bail. He came at us again at the hotel only this time with a knife, with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm. So the troopers took him, and this time he’s gone for good. He won’t be around us ever again, I’ll make sure of it. Just so you know, Cooper did sustain an injury to his arm, but he’s fine and out in the waiting room.”
She visibly relaxes. “Holy shit! I’m glad you’re all okay. I can’t believe what a maniac Jett’s turned out to be… what’s happening with the tour?”
My face screws up thinking of the tickets that have been canceled and her disappointed fans. I know she’ll ask about what happens with Swift Division and where to from here. And I’m acutely aware that I have no money coming in right now. “I’m not going to lie, it’s a shamble. The tour is delayed. They haven’t canceled it. They’ve placed everything on hold, and put out a press statement regarding the dates which will be rescheduled.”
She nods and sighs. “And what about… Swift Division. What are the rest of the band going to do?”
And there’s that question I knew she’d ask.