“You don’t remember?”
“Nothing,” I replied, panic filling my chest, stealing what little air I was able to force into my lungs.
“Okay, let me get the doctor to check you out and then I’ll tell you everything.”
“Everything hurts, Matt. It hurts to breathe. Am I okay?”
He ran his fingers over my jaw and smiled sadly. “You will be, Rogue. I promise, it will take time, but you will be and I will be there every step of the way.”
“Your wife—?”
“Shhhhush. I’ll explain everything, but for now, just know I’m all yours. I’ve always been all yours. And I’m not leaving your side again. Not ever.”
I had so many questions, but suddenly a cold sensation seeped into my body. “I feel weird.”
“It’s your morphine pump. Just close your eyes and let it do its job.” My eyes fluttered closed, and I drifted off into a soft darkness that seemed to engulf me.
“Hi, Frankie, I’m Dr. Vaughan. Can you open your eyes for me?”
“Too bright.”
“Okay, let me turn down the lights.” The light in the room dims. “How’s that? Now come on. You’ve been out for days, and I know you’re sore, but you have people who are here waiting to see that you’re okay.”
“Matt?”
“I’m here, Rogue. I’m right here.” I felt his fingers slide into mine.
“Frankie, do you know where you are?” the doctor asked.
“Hospital.”
“Do you know why?”
“No.”
“What’s the last thing you remember before being here?”
“Rooftop with Matt. Getting in the thingy to come back down.”
“What’s a thingy, Frankie?”
“You know the box thing. Oh, what’s it called? God, my head hurts.”
“Okay, Frankie, don’t worry about it right now. You’ve been through a lot. You had a long operation and your body is trying really hard to recover and that can affect your memory. You might not be able to remember what happened to you and you might struggle with your speech for a while. I don’t want you to panic. Everything will fall back into place over time. In the meantime, your physical injuries are going to hurt like hell, so don’t be afraid to ask for more painkillers. Don’t be a hero. You need to let your body heal.”
I tried to nod, but it hurt too much to move, so I stayed still, my eyes flitting to Matt.
Sitting in the chair across from my bed, he looked broken. Crumpled clothes, dark bags under his eyes, his lips looked dry, and his beard and hair were longer than I’d seen them before. He rubbed his hand over his face before he noticed me staring. Offering me a slight smile, he tried to reassure me with his eyes, but I saw the worry and fear hiding there.
“Will I be okay?” I asked, my attention switching back to the doctor.
“I won’t lie, your body has been through a lot and when you’re feeling stronger, I can talk you through it all, but you’re a fighter, Frankie, and I have no doubt that you’re going to heal well if you give yourself time.” He clicked the button on my morphine pump, and I felt the cool rush of it hitting my bloodstream again before the tug of unconsciousness pulled me under.
I didn’t know how long I’d been asleep, but when I woke up, Addi was sitting next to me in a chair.
“Hey, beautiful. You’re a sight for sore eyes,” she murmured, reaching out for my hand.
It took me a minute to find my words. “What happened to me, Addi?”