Everything hurt. Between the pounding of my head, my throbbing temple, the scratching at my eyes that felt like piercing shards of glass, all I wanted to do was sleep.
And I did, except for when what seemed every five minutes I was prodded, vitals checked, all surrounded by enough noise that I was sure I was going to hurl.
Through it all, Ross remained at my side, vigilant, speaking softly, and offering a familiar press of his skin against mine.
I recalled all that had happened, was even mildly aware of being admitted and moved to a private room. I was grateful as fuck, knowing there wasn’t a chance I could cope with the added noise from other patients.
With no clue what time it was but sure it was something o’clock in the morning from the growing light seeping between the slats of the closed blinds, I risked a peek.
It took a couple of times to force my eyes open properly, exhaustion feeling like super glue against my lids.
Ross slept in a chair that looked sort of comfy, well, at least more than I expected in a hospital. His face was pale, drawn. Soft whiskers decorated his cheeks from a couple of days of not shaving.
I blinked a few times, marvelling that he was here, had managed to get to my side, not really comprehending how he’d made that happen. That thought was followed swiftly by a flash of pain in my head, causing me to wince. I bit back my groan, but not fast enough, apparently, since Ross jerked awake. His eyes flashed open, focus immediately on me.
“You’re awake. You need a drink?” Despite his voice being thick with sleep, the sound still pressed against me like a healing balm.
“Yeah.” I licked at my lips, not having realised just how thirsty I was. “Please.”
A soft smile was shot my way, and even though I had no idea why, I accepted it eagerly, storing it away with the thousands of different smiles I’d earned.
With surprising efficiency since he’d just woken, Ross got busy pouring me a cup of water, placing a paper straw in for good measure. “The nurse said to take your time and sip.” He pressed a button on my bed. “I’m just going to raise this so you don’t struggle, okay?”
I hummed in understanding, simply wanting the refreshing drink the water offered. By the time the bed was more upright, I was about to pounce on the liquid, my mouth feeling Sahara-dry. With a gentle pull, the slightly tepid water filled my mouth, and I didn’t give a shit that I’d usually scrunch my nose and complain. Instead, I savoured every drop, appreciating the relief it offered.
Easing back after taking a couple of sucks, I sighed and closed my eyes.
“I’ll organise you to have some more painkillers.”
I blinked my eyes open. Ross stood at the end of the bed, concern etching deep lines between his brows.
“As long as they don’t make me sleepy.”
When he pursed his lips as though to argue, I couldn’t resist smirking.
His gaze narrowed at me.
“What?’ I asked innocently.
“You need plenty of rest and will take the meds that the doctors prescribe.”
There was no chance I’d risk rolling my eyes. The fear of the damn things falling out of my sockets seemed far too likely with the intensity of the pain.
He left without a word, returning I wasn’t sure how long later since I’d closed my eyes once again. A middle-aged nurse was with him.
She offered me a broad smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling, lighting up her previously tired-looking face. “Morning, Dan. I’m Susie. How’s your pain today on a scale of one to ten, one being you’re ready to run a marathon, ten being you want to curl up in a ball and rock while throwing people off a cliff if they make too much noise?”
My snort was quickly followed by a fresh slice of pain. “Maybe a seven.”
She bobbed her head as she checked my vitals, then passed me a few pills. “Here’s an Endone and a couple of ibuprofen to get you started. The doctor has already started her rounds, so should be with you soon.”
“Thanks.” I swallowed back the pills, Ross at my side, helping me up and hovering. He then helped ease me back against my pillows.
Susie left us to it then. Ross settled on a different chair, one closer to my bed, his phone in his hand. “Just texting your mum, letting her know you’re awake and we’ll be seeing the doctor soon.”
“Is everyone okay?” I asked, my throat nowhere near as scratchy as a few moments ago.
“Yeah, just worried.”
“Craig, is he okay?” While I’d taken the brunt of the fall, I didn’t know if he’d come off unscathed or not. He’d been at the hospital with me yesterday and had seemed okay, but I expected he’d been so focussed on me that he wouldn’t look after himself properly.
“I think so. No injuries,” Ross said quickly. I expected the haste was after seeing my expression morph with concern. “Just tired and overwhelmed, I think. You’ve all been under the hammer, going non-stop for weeks now. Yesterday shook him up.” Ross paused, pulling his lips together and between his teeth.
I indicated for him to take my hand, understanding quickly dawning on me. We’d all been shaken, not only the crew in attendance, but Ross and I expected my parents too. “I’m sorry you were worried.” I kept my voice low, avoiding movement and too much noise. “But I’m okay.” The doc had briefly spoken to Ross and me last night, reassuring us there was no bleeding or significant trauma to my brain.
Concussion was a fucker of a thing, though. I expected it would take a while to fully recover based on what the doctor had briefly explained yesterday before he’d left me to sleep.
The sound of Ross’s swallow was hard, painful. He flicked his gaze away a beat before refocusing on me. “I know you’re okay, and you have nothing to apologise for. None of this was your fault or anyone’s fault.” He squeezed my hand, an easy smile forming on his lips. “But I’d prefer it if you don’t scare me shitless like that again.”
I grinned, the movement slow and a little sappy as a gentle flow of warmth spread into my stomach, travelling across my limbs and caressing my sore brain.
“That Endone’s kicking in, huh?”
“My head only feels like someone’s splitting wood inside it rather than hacking at my brain.”
Distress warred with amusement as Ross looked at me. “That doesn’t sound exactly appealing.”
I shrugged and could have whooped when the movement didn’t cause of flash of fresh agony. “It’s not great, but it’s so much better than what it was.”
His shoulders eased at my words, the action also helping me to relax more. I hated his distress, almost as much as I hated the situation I’d gotten myself in.
A thought struck me. “What day is it? Shouldn’t you be at work?”
He shook his head. “Happy Australia Day.”
I grunted, not at all surprised I’d lost track of the days, all seeming to bleed into one.
“School’s going to be closed till next Monday. Staff not affected have been asked to meet tomorrow at nine, so they can go and help out any staff who’ve been impacted. Help with the clean-up and such.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah. It should help with morale and with everyone getting back on their feet.”
I closed my eyes and exhaled, enjoying the ability to do so without the need to vomit. The door opening made me open my eyes, though it took a couple of attempts to do so, the drugs beginning to seriously work their magic.
“Morning, Dan. I’m Dr Lancaster. Are you still feeling a seven, or have those meds kicked in yet?”
“A pleasant three,” I offered with a droopy smile, feeling like I’d knocked back more than a few beers and had reached that happy-drunk stage.
“That’s good. They’ll help you relax, help you catch up with much-needed sleep so you can heal.” She glanced at Ross, who remained seated and holding my hand. “Am I okay to discuss everything with your—” Her gaze dipped to our joined hands. “—boyfriend,” she hedged, and it dawned on me she was looking for rings.
That thought had me pausing before my heart flipped over. And fuck if I’d forgotten about the monitor.
I jerked my attention at the monitor and then at Ross. Alarm crossed his features.
“What’s wrong? Shit, are you okay?”
Heat slammed into my cheeks, and I was grateful as heck I felt high, else I would have perhaps handled it very differently. Instead, my drug-happy words had me answering, “It’s okay, baby.”
Ross’s brows shot wide, and I grinned, realising I’d never called him baby or any other endearment. Huh, maybe that was something I’d have to change.
“You make my heart go flippety-flop,” I continued, seriously happy with my ability to explain myself so clearly. “And then I started thinking about rings…” I trailed off, a new realisation hitting me. “I told you I loved you, but I didn’t mean to. Not that I didn’t mean to ’cause I really did, but not then. That was my sub… subc… my heart speaking to you. ’Cause I do, and maybe the ring idea would be good one day too. But we need more goat babies.” I blinked slowly, once, twice, three times. “Bessie… are we already grandaddies? Is that weird, having grandgoats before kids. Ha.” I chuckled, figuring I was so smart I made those punny things without even meaning to. “Kids, as in kids and baby goats.”
My words dried up, but that was okay. My head was light, and I felt like I’d had a good night out on the town, drinking just enough to make me unbelievably merry.
Movement to the right of Ross brought my attention. I forced my focus away from his pretty face. “Oh, hey, Doc. Did you ask about Ross? He’s my boyfriend.”
Her lips twitched. “I kinda got that. It’s probably best Ross stays, so he can remind you of everything discussed.” She glanced at Ross and actually winked. I would have been pissed, but he deserved all the winks.
She then went on to talk about my head and my concussion. I simply latched on to me being discharged once I’d been to the bathroom and figured I could make that happen soon enough.
My gaze drifted to Ross as the doctor spoke. A light pink dusted his furry cheeks, and I wished I was closer so I could stroke them, but my arms felt heavy. My eyes closed, and I drifted off thinking about the soft scruff underneath my fingertips and how I wanted to think of the cutest pet name for Ross.
Relief wasn’t even close to describing just how happy I was to be home.
The hospital staff had been great, incredible in fact, but Ross tucking me up in my own bed, then returning with a bowl of soup for us both was just the tip of perfection.
“Thanks.” The scent of hearty beef and vegetable drifted over to me as I took the bowl off him.
“No worries,” he said, still speaking quietly, aware my pain meds were wearing off. Making himself comfortable next to me, our backs pressed against the headboard and a bunch of fluffy pillows, he side-eyed me.
“You okay?”
“Yep, just be careful. It’s piping hot.”
I smiled. “I haven’t forgotten how to eat food or test temperature,” I said with amusement, not-so-secretly loving Ross’s sweet attention.
“I’m more concerned about you spilling soup on your bed, or worse still, on yourself.”
“Urgh, and probably right on my junk too. Hell no. I don’t want a burnt dick.”
He snorted. “I’d think you were starting to feel better, but I know otherwise.” His gaze roamed my face, and I could just imagine what I looked like.
When he’d brought me home with the promise to look after me, since my folks were going to remain at his place and look after the animals, he’d helped me shower. Before I’d washed, I’d caught a glimpse of my haggard form, and honestly, post-shower, I didn’t look too much better.
I kept quiet, blew gently on my soup, and started to shovel it in.
“You cool enough?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
It was another scorching day, and I’d never been more grateful for the air conditioning unit in my bedroom. It made eating hot soup easier, that was for sure.
We ate in silence, a few sips, slurps, and only a couple of spills. Once done, Ross took away my bowl and returned with painkillers.
“How about taking some of these, and we’ll both sleep?”
It was early afternoon, not that the time of day mattered in my condition. Nor in Ross’s by the look of him. He appeared marginally better than me, but I expected his sleep had been all but non-existent in the hospital chair.
“Okay. Sleep I can do, especially if you’re with me.” The need in my statement was clear and earned me a soft smile. “And those Endone are pretty damn awesome.”
When he chuckled, I raised my brow at him in question.
“You do get sorta drunk on them and loose-lipped.”
“I do?” When I’d taken some, it hadn’t taken long for my pain to ease and a sort of fog to settle in my brain. The whole effect had been a welcome relief.
Before I could think more about it, he passed me a glass of water. “Don’t overwork that brain of yours. Just take these.”
“How did I not know you were this bossy?” I asked with zero heat. He quirked his brow at me. “I like it,” I sassed before swallowing the pills.
“Get used to it. I imagine you’re going to take some reining in while you’re healing.”
“Me? Never.”
“Uh-huh, and I’m Ryan Kwanten’s secret lover.”
I chuckled, ignoring the throb in my head. “Take that back.”
“Perhaps if you promise to heal properly before doing… hell, anything, then I just might.” He climbed into bed beside me and pulled the sheet up once I’d eased down next to him.
Rather than answering, I closed my eyes and breathed him in, relaxing even more when he wrapped his arm around me, holding me close.
“I missed you.” He placed a kiss against my uninjured temple, and I sighed against his touch.
“Missed you too. It’s been a wild few days.”
“Weeks,” he corrected.
“True.”
The soft hum of the air conditioning unit filled the space. Beyond that, Ross’s soothing breaths close to my face were the only other sound. Getting the chance to snuggle up to Ross again was the best, but I would have preferred it to be without the shitty situation or the brain-splitting concussion. But I wouldn’t complain, not when his body heat was a familiar, welcoming comfort.
“You know I love you too, right?” he whispered.
I angled my neck to look at him. His eyes locked onto mine, a quiet intensity in their depths that spoke only of absolute conviction and love. The breath trying to escape my lungs caught in my throat, and it took a couple of times to remember how to loosen my muscles enough to breathe.
“You do?”
“Definitely.” A small smile pulled at his lips. “So much.”
My shoulders eased, my whole body relaxing at his words. “Good, ’cause I love the shit out of you.”
He chuckled. “The shit, huh?”
“Well, perhaps a different image would be better.”
“I’m good with sticking to a simple ‘I love you.’”
I tried to turn, but he stopped me with a frown. I reluctantly gave in, secretly relieved, as the movement bloody hurt. Instead, he lifted up off the mattress so he was above me a little, still at my side.
“There’s nothing simple about how I love you.”
For the second time, he took my breath away, and all with a look before saying, “You can’t say things like that to me when I can’t do more than kiss you.” An honest-to-God groan followed.
“You didn’t believe me before.”
“What’s that?”
“That words can be my thing too.”
The love in his eyes hit me square in the chest and he leaned closer.
Just as his lips were a hairsbreadth from mine, my eyes widened as a thought hit me. “Oh shit.”
“What?” He edged away, his eyes roaming my face in concern.
“What did I say when the doctor asked about you?”
Ross’s snicker told me enough and probably all I needed to know. The rest I expected I’d remember in time. But for now, I was happy to be silenced before my head became too fuzzy and I forgot what even a tongue could be used for.
“Just kiss me.”
And he did.