Chapter 23
True
“JAG!” I scream as I sit on the floor holding Atlas as best as I can. I keep screaming, not thinking about the fact that I am calling him Savvy’s nickname for him. He bursts through the door with the brothers hot on his heels.
“He collapsed! I can’t feel a pulse and his chest isn’t moving. Please help him” I am full-fledged hysterical at this point. Joshua lifts him and Asher helps him; they rush him out to the chopper. Aryan and I climb in as he barks at the pilot to take off. Aryan begins performing CPR on him as I hold his hand and whisper in his ear how much I love him and how much his brothers love him. I beg him to hold on. As we climb higher I hear and see an explosion and I realize they have blown Victor's house up, a few seconds later the other choppers are in the air and we are racing to a hospital. I swear if he dies I will find a way to die just so I can cuss his ass out.
We made it to the hospital, they tried to give us a hard time with us landing on the helipad and we are not a medical transport. But luckily Asher called Doone and Doone called the hospital and explained that this was a DEA agent and was coming in hot. Once we landed the nurse and doctor took over for Aryan giving Atlas CPR. He never stopped the whole ride, he continued to give his brother CPR and I know he must be exhausted. They took one look at Atlas and rushed him directly into surgery. We sat in the waiting room for hours waiting on any news of his condition. We are all worried because he never breathed on his own and he never regained consciousness. His brothers look scared shitless. He has always been their protector and strength and if he doesn't make it they’d be lost.
Several hours later, a doctor finally comes out to give us the news that Alas made it through surgery but is far from being out of the woods.
“Is he stable enough to transport to another hospital?” Asher asks
“I wouldn’t recommend moving him right now.” the doctor replies.
“That’s not what I asked you. Is he stable enough to move?” Asher asks the doctor as he towers over him.
“I guess if you have the correct equipment and a nurse or doctor to monitor him,” he says damn near shaking.
“Make it happen!” Asher snaps
The doctor scampers away to make the arrangement and I look at Asher realizing I have never seen this side of him before. They finally load Atlas up in the medichopper and Aryan goes with them to keep an eye on his brother. The brothers rented SUVs and we began our drive to Mississippi. The adrenaline starts to wear off and I’m fading fast. I crawl into the back seat, lay down, and fall asleep.
Anson wakes me up once we get to the hospital, I pull my head together and head inside. The first person we see as we walk in is Peter.
“I called in a few favors, he is upstairs in a private suite, he has his own nurse specifically for him and a doctor friend of mine to make sure he gets the best care possible. You guys can go on up to the room, Aryan is already up there with him. True there is a pull-out twin sofa bed in the room for you to stay with him as long as he’s here once you get patched up. I will have food delivered for you guys too. I’m going to head home, I'll be back later.” Peter pulls Savvy into a hug and then pulls me into a hug too and I almost break but I need to see Atlas. Once he releases me he nods at the brothers and walks towards the elevators to go home.
We finally reach the room and I pause at the door. I am almost too scared to see what is on the other side of the door. Anson grabs my hand, opens the door and pulls ,in the room. My eyes immediately find Atlas laying in the bed looking more vulnerable than I have ever seen him, and I break down. He looks so small and fragile the machines are breathing for him and he has a few IVs in him. He had so many injuries, including a nicked lung and the blood loss and it’s left him in a coma. We all settle down in the room and wait, little by little the brothers trickle out to head home. Eventually, I find myself alone with Atlas, I scoot the chair next to his bed, grab his hand and begin talking.
“You have brought me so much peace and created a space for me that has allowed me to heal. I am glad I didn’t succeed in killing Victor that night, it was meant for us to kill him together. When you left me to go kill him, I shouldn’t have hesitated for one second. You are my home Atlas, you are my family and even though I am incomplete I am whole with you. You have worked for over thirty years to finally avenge your parents, you deserve this rest and more as long as you wake your ass up ... .soon.” A bag arrives later with some clothes and toiletries, Savannah must have packed this, only a woman would be this thorough.
Four weeks later:
I am still at the hospital, Atlas has not woken up yet. School has started, and I am doing online classes because I refuse to leave him. The doctors have told us that the longer he stays in a coma the worse his odds are of waking up. I shower, dress, eat and go to school from this hospital room, I’m not leaving until Atlas and I leave together. Peter has had food brought here every day just like he said he would, and Savvy comes every day to sit with me and Atlas and to take my clothes to wash them and bring me fresh clothes. All the brothers come every day without fail. One day I was sitting reading a novel to him, and the door swung open with a bang, and in walks Skai. She runs over to the bed with tears in her eyes. “Uncle Atlas you have to wake up, I need you at my graduation ceremony.” she damns near climbing in the bed crying over Atlas.
The only improvement we’ve seen is him being taken off the ventilator for him to breathe on his own. But other than that no change in his condition. I walk out of the bathroom after taking a shower and the room is full with the brothers and Savannah.
“Is it family night?” I ask
“Yep, I had Atlas’ favorite restaurant in New Orleans gumbo brought in,” Jag says.
“I hope you have a bowl for me,” Atlas says. And I almost collapsed with relief.
“Where are you, baby? He says looking for me. I rush to the side of the bed grabbing the pitcher of ice water, to pour him a cup. I place the straw to his lips, and he takes a couple of sips of water before saying “I’ve been fighting to get back to you to ask you something.”
“You can ask me anything,” I tell him.
“Will you allow me to be your husband? I don’t have a ring right now but as soon as I blow this popsicle stand you can go pick out whatever ring you want. I mean if you say yes that is” He looks so much lighter even though he still has a long road of recovery ahead of him. “I’ll even go get my face fixed.”
“Yes Atlas, I would love for you to be my husband. I’d be honored and your face is perfect, don’t you dare change it” I say in tears.
“Well, your ass better hurry up and get better cause we gonna get into this shit!” Jag bellows.
“Damn baby he just woke up, you have plenty of time to fuck him up for being a reckless jackass and scaring us to death,” Savvy says.
“Atlas, what happened?” Anson says so quietly we barely audible.
Atlas