“The feeding tube. They want to wait a little while, let him have some time to fully awaken, before they try leaving them off. They don’t want him to pull it out.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Cole let Kim have the recliner on Mason’s right side and he took the other chair, which he dragged over to sit next to her. With the ventilator out of the room, it was almost like they’d doubled the space.
Cole ate and drank his coffee as he watched her stare into Mason’s eyes, her fingers curled around Mason’s hand.
Thank goodness Mason had finally awakened, and seemed to be reasonably coherent. The worst was over. Maybe a long road to recovery lay ahead of the man, but two key hurdles had been jumped.
Mason woke up.
And Mason seemed able to think, reason, recognize them, and respond.
He damn sure seemed to have retained his stubborn, Dominant streak.
How much he’d lost remained to be seen, but Cole was hopeful.
More than hopeful.
* * * *
Kim had sworn to herself that today she would be strong, she’d try not to cry, even happy tears, and she’d show Cole he could finally relax and not be in charge for a while. That she could do this.
The truth was all she wanted to do was curl up in the bed next to Mason, rest her head against him, and cry with relief that he was finally back.
Once Cole finished eating, said good-bye to them, and headed home, Mason squeezed her hand to get her attention.
She stared down into his eyes, her tears already starting.
He managed a quirky little lopsided smile for her. “My good pet.”
Never again would she take for granted the little things, with him or with Cole. Simple pleasures, like kneeling before him, her forehead on his feet. Or stretched out on the couch with her head in his lap.
Feeling his body pressed against hers in bed.
Making him coffee.
All of it.
She wanted it all back, and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him and with Cole. All fear was now gone when it came to that. Life had slapped her in the face and shown her a far greater fear.
The fear of losing it all, of wasting time. Of not treasuring what she had and living life to the fullest.
She’d stared into that darkness and it’d stared right back at her. She’d cowered but hadn’t run.
She could do this.
Tilly chose that moment to FaceTime her. Kim answered the call, but before she could speak, Tilly did.
“Put that goldbricker on the phone,” she said, a smile on her face.
Kim managed a laugh and held the phone much as she imagined the way Cole had held it last night.
“Hi,” Mason said.
Tilly grinned. “There you are. Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Rip Van Winkle called. Get yer ass better.”
He smiled again. “Trying.”
“I know you are. I just called and got Cole and he told me to call Kim. I just wanted to put eyes on you myself. I’ll be out here for a couple of weeks yet, but like I told them, any questions, text or call me, day or night. Or if you need me to run interference with the medical staff.”
“Thanks.”
Her voice sounded like it cracked. “Yeah, well, thank me by getting better. You owe me a Sigalo’s lasagna,” she teased.
He smiled. “Sorry.”
“Hey, just be glad I’m not in jail with that little fucker or you’d never see me in anything but prison orange again.”
“Not your color.”
Tilly laughed. “Damned right, it’s not. By the way, I absofuckinglutely love your father.”
Kim laughed as Mason scowled.
“You heard me right,” Tilly said. “Great guy.”
It sounded like Mason snorted.
“Have Cole tell you that story when you’re feeling up to hearing it,” Tilly said. “It’s a hoot and a half.” In the background, it sounded like a baby cried. “Whoops, there’s my cue. You guys relax. It’s easy cruising from here on out.”
“Thanks, Tilly,” Kim said.
“Thanks,” Mason added.
Kim ended the call to find Mason staring at her.
“What story?”
Kim wasn’t sure what he meant. “Huh?”
“Tilly said story.”
“I’m not sure. I—” She didn’t want to admit to Mason, not now, anyways, how out of it she’d been at first. “Cole and Tilly and your dad came back here the next morning. We didn’t know how to contact him Saturday night. We found your address book Sunday morning at your place and called him. This is actually the second bed you’ve been in. They had you in a more critical section earlier.”
The nurse walked in at that moment and held up a syringe. “Time for pain meds. How you feeling?”
“Hurting.”
“That’s what I figured. And I want to give you this now, because they’re talking about moving you as soon as they can after rounds are over. Give it time to kick in and make you more comfortable.”
“Moving him?” Kim asked.
“Yep. His stats all looked good overnight, so they’re going to move him up to a room. We’re actually full here right now. Not a single bed open. They want to get some of the less critical patients moved over here from the surgical ICU side.”
“Oh. That’s good, though, right?”
“Very good. We’ll wait for them to call that there’s a room ready, and by late this morning at the latest, you’ll have a little privacy.”
She started pushing the IV medicine. As Mason’s eyelids started to droop moments later, Kim leaned in and kissed him.
“Love you,” she whispered to him.
“Love you, too.”
* * * *
Mason’s dad arrived a little later, and he was there when the doctors made rounds. As the nurse had said, they signed orders to transfer him up to a regular room. They wanted to wait at least another day to pull the feeding tube, and then he could slowly start trying clear fluids for a couple of days. And as long as someone was with him and able to intervene, he could have his hands free for now.
Before lunch, they made the transfer, and Leah, who’d been on Tilly’s schedule to come in that day, made sure to pass the word and give everyone the updated room info.
Kim let Mason’s dad have the more comfortable recliner next to Mason’s bed. She’d dropped the side-rail down by Mason’s feet and laid her head against his leg, one hand still holding his. Mason was asleep.
While Leah was out grabbing them lunch, Corbin spoke.
“I’m glad he’s got the two of you in his life,” he said. “I wasn’t sure at first, but I can see it. He’s a lucky guy. Thank you for standing by him.”
“Thank you for not making us leave him.”
He shifted in the chair. “I think Louise wasn’t sure, at first. But she told me before she left to go home that she likes you two.” He smiled. “Damned crotchety old cunt, anyway.”
Kim snorted. “You two don’t hate each other, do you?”
“Nah. Too many years passed for that.” He sighed. “Obviously, it’s not her fault. She’s been with Hank for, geez, twenty years now. Something like that. I’m just not…cuddly.” He focused on her. “You haven’t even told your parents about all of this, have you?”
“Not about the…accident. No.” She couldn’t bring herself to call it an attack around Mason. Even though yes, that’s exactly what it was. “They’ve met Mase.”
“What do they think about this?” He circled a finger in the air, his implication clear.
The three of them.
“Mason didn’t really tell them the full truth. He wouldn’t let me introduce him as our partner. We introduced him as a really close friend. I’m still trying to rebuild my relationship with my parents. He worried telling them we’re poly would be a…liability right now.”
“Your ex must have been a piece of work.”
“Took me too many years to see that,” she admitted. “Too
many years to break away.”
“I decided if I wasn’t any good as a husband, at least I could try to be a halfway decent father. Why would I cut my son out of my life because he’s gay? That’s just stupid. I wish that I’d met you and Cole under better circumstances, but I’m glad he’s got you two.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“Softy.”
They both looked. Mason’s eyes were open, that lopsided smile on his face. He was staring at his father.
“Well, there you are. Sleeping your life away.” He sat up and pointed at Kim. “That poor thing there, crying her eyes out over your ass. You need to hurry up and get better.”
Mason’s smile widened. “Love you, Dad.”
“Yeah, well, love you, too. Even though you scared years off me and the cunt’s lives.”
“Dad.”
He grinned. “Aw, come on. She calls me asshole.”
It sounded like Mason sighed. Then his gaze focused on Kim.
And he rolled his eyes.
She burst out laughing, not realizing she was crying until Corbin had shoved tissues into her hands and draped an arm around her shoulders. He’d stood and made her take the recliner.
“You’ve got a shitload of friends,” Corbin said, now dabbing at his own eyes. But he wore a smile. “Glad to see that.”
“Behave, Dad.”
“I am. Hey, I even called the cunt this morning before they moved you and told her you’re awake. They’ll be back sometime this afternoon.”
Mason looked at Kim. “Sorry.”
“For what?”
He pointed the fingers of his right hand, which had been freed, at his father.
His father laughed. “Yeah, well, another reason to hurry up and get better, so they don’t have to put up with me anymore.”
* * * *
On day sixteen, a Monday, Cole took another family leave day to spend it with Mason. He was in Mason’s room when Mason’s boss showed up.
“Hi. Sorry, didn’t know you had company.” He’d come to visit Mason a couple of times, both before Mason woke up and once he’d been moved to a regular room. Cole had texted Mason’s coworker every day with updates as to his condition.
“Hey, come on in.” Mason hit mute on the TV remote. He was still having headaches and pretty bad dizzy spells, but they’d removed his catheter and as long as he had help and used the walker they’d provided, Mason was allowed to get up and go use the bathroom and even walk around some.
It was a slow process, but Mason had insisted on pushing himself, trying to work his way to getting released directly home and not to a rehab center. He still had some balance issues the doctors weren’t sure would get better or not, but he was coming a long way from where he’d started. He had just been changed over from a bland diet to a normal diet two days earlier.
The guy eyed Cole. “I, uh, can come back later. I have some work stuff I need to talk to you about.”
Apparently, Mason picked up on the guy’s nerves the way Cole had. “Don’t worry,” Mason said. “This is my boyfriend, Cole.”
“Um, okay.” The guy pulled up a chair. “Look, there’s no easy way to say this but to say it. Unfortunately, you’re going to be out of work for a while. And considering the…circumstances of the case, the higher-ups determined this is a liability for the company, and—”
“Wait,” Mason said. “What?”
The guy sighed. “They’re invoking the six-month probation clause. That you can be dismissed without cause. But, they also said they’re going to give you six months’ severance pay. And you can keep getting insurance, but you’d have to pay for it all yourself.”
Cole wanted to punch the guy. When he started to stand, Mason reached out with his right hand and touched Cole’s arm. “It’s okay, buddy,” he softly said.
After staring at the guy for a moment, Mason spoke. “Six months, huh? A liability. Gee, thanks. I did more in the months I’ve been at the company than anyone else before me.”
“They know. That’s why they’re offering a generous sev—”
“Yeah, I get it. I’ll make sure to turn in my badge, phone, and laptop.”
“They said once you’re all healed up, you can apply again if we have vacant positions.”
“But I’m a ‘liability,’” Mason said.
The guy had no reply.
He finally stood. “HR will contact you by next week to go over everything. And they’re also not marking you as terminated for another three weeks, so they can give you the paid vacation time and salary.”
“How generous of them,” Cole snarked.
“I’m sorry. This wasn’t my decision. I tried to get them to change their minds, but…” He sighed. “Apparently one of the major stockholders is some really religious guy and pushed the CEO to replace you when he found out you’re gay.”
“That’s actionable,” Cole said.
“No, it’s not.” Mason sounded resigned. “The contract I signed had a ‘no cause’ probationary period. They literally can just say I’m fired and give me no reason.”
“But he just gave you a reason.”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t have the energy to fight it. I’d rather take the severance package and go if they don’t want me there. Fuck it.”
“Sorry,” the guy said. “I’ll make sure I bring all your personal stuff from your cubicle.”
“Thanks.”
When they were alone again, Cole studied Mason. Mason unmuted the TV and stared at it, refusing to look Cole’s way.
“Talk to me,” Cole said.
“What’s there to talk about? I’m a liability. You heard him.” He stared at Cole for a moment. “I’m a burden.”
“You’re not a burden.”
Mason seemed to deflate. During all the time Cole had spent with the man since he’d regained consciousness, Mason hadn’t once broken down.
Cole walked over to the room door and closed it before returning to Mason’s bed. Then he dropped the side-rail and did what Kim had done plenty of times lately, climbed in with him.
He wrapped his arms around Mason. “Stop holding it in. Let it out.”
“Dammit,” Mason whispered, finally crying. “Not fucking bad enough being a nice guy nearly got me killed, it got me fucking fired, too.”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay. How the hell am I going to find another job that pays that much around here?”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“But I have bills to pay, and—”
Cole kissed him, waiting until he felt he had Mason’s attention again.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “You told us you wanted to discuss the future before all this happened.” Mason had only fuzzy, disjointed memories of Saturday before the attack. He’d regained some, but not all of them. “The future is that you’re going to move in with me and Kim. Either we sell or rent your condo. We’ll figure out the job situation when we get to that point. The only damn thing I give a shit about is getting you healed up enough to get you home where you belong.”
Mason stared up at him. “I thought I was the damn Dom?”
Cole smiled. “I keep telling you, you’re not my Dom. Well, You’re my Dom, just not my Dom.”
Mason finally chuckled. “Did I tell you today how much I love the two of you?”
“Not yet.” Cole finally climbed out of the bed, not wanting the nurse to walk in and think they were doing something naughty. “But please keep saying it. I’m just glad you’re around to say it.”
Chapter Thirty
Cole left Mason talking to his parents and intercepted Kim outside in the parking lot when she arrived that afternoon after work. He led her over to a bench in front of the hospital to talk in private.
“We need to talk,” Cole said, clasping her hands in his. “One of us needs to marry Mason. Immediately.”
“What?”
“His boss came in earlier to talk to him. They fired him.”
“What? How can they do that? Is that even legal?”
“Less than six months at his job. The hiring contract specified a probationary period, meaning they can let him go for any reason before the six months is up. At least they gave him six months’ severance pay so they didn’t look like complete assholes. But he needs to go on someone’s health insurance because he’s going to need ongoing care. Yours, or mine. I don’t care which, but we—”
She stared at him. “You.”
Cole studied her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I want you to marry him.”
He pulled her hands up to his lips and kissed them. “I always thought I’d be marrying you one day, sweetheart. That I’d eventually be able to overcome what that bastard did to you.”
“I know.” She took a deep breath. “I want it to be this way. I’m not sure if I’d ever be able to get married again. I love you. You don’t know how much I love you. Especially after all of…this. But maybe the Universe had different plans for us than we thought.”
“You have to move in with us. I can’t do this without you. I need you, and I need your help. And so does he.”
“Okay.” No hesitation at all.
He smiled. “Wow. Takes me marrying another guy to finally get you to agree to move in with me, huh?”
Finally, something to laugh about as she let him pull her into his arms. She pressed her face against his chest. “Promise me he’s going to make it.”
He stroked her hair. “He already has, pet. We just have to get him back on his feet now and heal his heart and soul in addition to his body.”
“I love you, but I love him, too.”
He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I know. I feel the same way. I need both of you in my life. It’d be empty if I lost either of you.”
“When can we do the wedding?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Wait, he doesn’t know you decided to do this yet, does he?”
“Not yet. I wanted to talk to you about this first and give you a chance to do it, if you wanted to, before going in and telling him this is how it will be.”
“You know me better than that. Besides, you’ll be a better husband for him.” She smiled up at him. “You’ll be able to keep him in line and make him follow the doctor’s orders better than I can. I cave too damn easy. All he has to do is use ‘the voice’ on me, or arch a damned eyebrow at me, and I’m melted butter. Hell, all he has to do is give me ‘the look’ and I cave. You know that.”