TRAVIS SAT on a hard chair in the surgical waiting room. David had been in surgery for an hour, then sent to recovery. A staff member had told Travis it would be another few hours before anyone would be allowed to see him.
Those hours dragged, with Travis in a numb daze. People came and went, heard about their loved ones from doctors and nurses. Travis felt alone, on the edge of the action, watching it from a distance, as if he were having an out-of-body experience.
The nurse at the surgery information desk had made a face when he’d told her he was David’s significant other and then left him there without a single shred of information.
Travis stood and went back to the desk. “Can I see him now?”
Frowning, she looked up and then at her computer. “He’s still in recovery. And visiting is for family only.”
“I’m his only family.” Travis had the urge to pull his weapon and muscle his way in there, but that wouldn’t get him any closer to seeing David, just closer to security.
She shrugged. “Those are the rules.”
“The rules discriminate against gays. I want to see the patients’ advocate.”
Her mouth twisted, but she picked up the phone. “Ms. Duncan? I have someone here who wants to see a patient. He’s not a family member, but the man’s significant other, so he says.” She listened. “Right. If you say so.” She hung up, her lips pursed.
“What did she say?”
“You can go in to see Mr. Delaney as soon as he’s awake.”
Travis wanted to jump in the air, hoot, and holler, but instead he grinned at her and gave her a nod. “Thank you. I appreciate your kindness.” He didn’t bother hiding the sarcasm in his voice.
She looked back at the computer and continued doing whatever she had been doing. Travis went back to his seat.
Another hour passed.
A nurse came out. “The family of David Delaney?”
Travis jumped to his feet and rushed to her. “I’m here for David.”
“You can see him now. Just follow me.”
They walked through the wide double doors into the recovery area. Only a curtain from ceiling to floor separated the beds lined up against the walls and gave a small modicum of privacy. That special hospital smell filled Travis’s nostrils, and he almost gagged. He hated that smell.
He didn’t care. He was going to see David and prove to himself that David was alive.
“Mr. Delaney is a very lucky man. The bullet lodged in his shoulder muscle, missing any major arteries or organs. He lost some blood, but we’ve replaced it, removed the bullet, and stitched him up.”
“We’ll need the bullet for evidence.”
“Evidence?”
“I’m the detective working his case.”
She stopped. “I thought you were family.”
“I am. I’m David’s….” Travis floundered with an adequate description. Boyfriend sounded so high school, lover too personal. “His significant other.” For now, that would have to do.
“Okay.” She smiled at him, then walked over to one of the closed curtains. “He’s in here. He’s groggy, in and out of sleep due to the pain meds, but you should be able to rouse him.” She pulled the curtain aside, and Travis went in.
David lay on the bed in one of those awful hospital gowns, an IV needle taped to the back of his hand. Something powerful kicked Travis in the gut, robbing him of his breath and making his knees feel as if they would collapse under the weight of David’s injury.
Travis stepped around the bed to David’s side without the IV and took his hand. Bringing it to his lips, Travis kissed the back of it, then brushed David’s hair from his forehead.
“David? Baby?” Travis choked out.
David’s long auburn lashes fluttered, then opened. His green eyes focused on Travis. “Travis?” It was barely a whisper.
“I’m here. You’re doing fine. They removed the bullet. No serious damage.” He gave David’s hand a squeeze to reassure him.
“Dad?” David’s eyes welled with tears as he gripped Travis’s hand tighter.
“He’s okay. I got him out of the house. He’s at Ben Taub now for observation.”
“Thank you.” David blinked; then, as tears rolled down his cheeks, he sobbed.
Travis sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down to rest his head on David’s forehead. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay,” he crooned, wishing he could hold the man he loved in his arms, but afraid he’d only hurt David.
“I’m so sorry,” David choked out between shuddering sobs. “I’m so sorry.”
“For what? You didn’t do anything.” Travis ran his hand over David’s cheek, petting him. It seemed to calm him down.
“I should’ve listened to you. Should’ve put Dad in a home.”
“David—”
“No. He could’ve shot Maria.” He sniffed. “Oh God, he could’ve shot you.” David broke down again, clinging to Travis as he tried to bury his face in Travis’s neck. Travis slipped his arms around David, trying not to put any pressure on his wounded shoulder, and held him close.
“It’s okay. I’m okay. Maria’s okay. Your dad’s okay. You’re the only one who got hurt, baby.” He hugged David. “And if you ever do it again, I’m going to kill you.”
David laughed once, then kissed Travis’s throat. “I love you, Travis.”
“I love you, David.” Travis pulled away. “Now, you need to get some sleep. As soon as the doctors say you’re good to go, I’ll take you home.”
David nodded. “What about Dad?”
“For now, he’ll be under a seventy-two-hour observation. Then the doctors will make their recommendation. I’m sure the DA will follow whatever they say about the charges against him.”
“Tell them it’s my fault. He wasn’t in his right mind. I should’ve done something before it came to this.”
“Stop beating yourself up, baby. Yeah, you might have stopped this if you’d acted sooner, but how could you have known this would happen? Now stop working yourself up over it and work on healing.”
The nurse came back in. “Mr. Delaney needs to rest now.”
Travis stood, gave David a squeeze of his hand, then leaned over and brushed a kiss to David’s lips. “I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll be here.” David smiled and released Travis’s hand.
Travis turned and followed the nurse to the exit, each step taking him farther from David. He stayed strong until he reached his car and got in. Then the dam broke.
Shudders racked his body, shaking loose any control he’d thought he had, and forced out chest-tightening sobs. Travis, bent over the steering wheel, wept for the first time in his adult life.
“I’M BRINGING David home today, sir.” Travis stood in front of Wilkins’s desk and shifted from one foot to the other.
“That’s good news.” Wilkins’s severe face registered a slight smile.
“I’ll come back as soon as I get him settled.”
“Why don’t you just take the rest of the day off? You’ve got time, right?”
“I have time.” Travis hesitated. He didn’t want to impose on what had, so far, been Wilkins’s good graces.
“But?” Travis felt Wilkins’s sharp gaze taking him in.
“Well, it’s not like this is my wife or anything.”
Wilkins sat back and tapped his pen on his desk blotter. “If you were married to a woman, there wouldn’t be any question about this.”
His jaw worked, probably wishing he didn’t have to deal with all these gay issues, Travis thought.
Travis nodded, not sure where he was going with this.
“Shit. I don’t want to ask these questions, Hart. Personally, I don’t think it’s any of my business. But, seeing as we’re in the Heights, and a lot of the people we protect and serve are gay, Heights PD takes a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ attitude.” He cleared his throat. “So, do you… uh… consider yourself and Mr. Delaney… more than just boyfriends?”
Travis took a deep breath. Now or never. “Yes. We’re in a committed relationship.”
“Are you living together?”
“Not yet. I’m hoping to move in with David. The lease on my apartment is up in two months.” Of course, he hadn’t talked to David about this. It was too soon. David was still recovering, his father had to be moved to a care facility, and there was David’s house and too many other issues to deal with.
“Planning on marrying him?”
“Hey, I thought you just said you didn’t want to know this stuff.” Travis scratched the back of his head.
“I don’t. Get outta here, Hart. Go pick up your friend from the hospital.” Wilkins gave him a nod and dismissed him.
“Thank you, sir.” Travis got out of there before Wilkins changed his mind. Travis wasn’t sure why Wilkins was being so fair, but he’d been up-front with Wilkins about his sexuality since he’d started working for the man. Maybe that openness and the fact Travis was a good detective had meant something.
“I CAN’T wait to get out of here.” Using just his right hand, David put the last of his meager possessions into the plastic bag the hospital had provided, then stepped into his loafers. A sling cradled his left arm tight to his body.
Travis chuckled. “I knew it wouldn’t take you long to be itching to leave.”
“I’m a fast healer.” David winked.
The nurse came in, holding a folder. “Now all the papers are signed, you can go, but we have to take you down in the wheelchair. Hospital policy.” The nurse grinned at him and handed him the folder. “Inside are your instructions. Follow them. Take your antibiotics until they’re finished. And keep that arm in the sling until your doctor clears you.”
“Sure. Whatever it takes.”
She maneuvered the chair to him. David sat and grinned up at Travis. “Who’s driving?”
“I will.” Travis stepped behind the chair as the nurse picked up the bag and followed.
Once downstairs, Travis disappeared to get the car. The nurse handed David the plastic bag with his stuff and waited with him. David, unable to stop himself from smiling, grinned up at her, and she smiled back.
He was going home… with Travis. He’d decided last night to ask Travis to move in once he got everything settled with his father.
David frowned.
Travis pulled up and got out. “Hey, why the long face?” He took the bag from David and put it in the backseat. Then he opened the passenger door. The nurse moved the chair closer to the car, then locked the wheels so David could stand.
As David got up, moving just a little slower than normal, Travis gave him a worried look.
“I’m fine. Just thinking about my dad.” He sat, and Travis helped him pull on his seat belt. With a wave, the nurse turned away and pushed the empty wheelchair back inside.
Travis closed the door, trotted to the driver’s side, got in, and buckled up. “I figured as much. He’s going to be okay, baby. I spoke to the DA this morning. The doctors have filed their report with their recommendation, and the DA agrees with it. The charges will be dropped, on condition of his commitment to a long-term Alzheimer’s care facility.”
“God, that’s a relief.” David sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face.
“Since you’ve been in the hospital, I’ve been doing some research on places for your father, and I found a couple good possibilities in this area.” He put the car in gear and pulled away from the hospital.
“Thanks. How soon do I need to make a decision?”
“Pretty soon. They’ll only keep him at Ben Taub for a few more days; then he has to be moved. Might as well pick a place and get him in, or you’ll have to pay extra for a room at another hospital.”
David grimaced. “Hell. Okay. I’ll look at them and decide tonight.”
“It can wait until tomorrow, baby. Let’s just get you home and settled, okay?”
“Okay.” David reached over, put his hand over Travis’s, and their fingers interlocked. “Sounds like you have something planned for tonight.”
Travis grinned. “Oh, I have a plan, all right.”