Page 36 of Hades

“Didn’t feel it, Doc,” he pants.

“We really need that x-ray equipment,” I mutter.

“Can you use the ultrasound machine?” Hades asks, nodding toward the corner where it sits.

“I can. Kicks, can you push it over here, please?”

“Your time hanging out around a hospital paying off, Hades?” Lemon jokes, voice shaking.

“Shit, his adrenaline is crashing,” Hades mutters to me before turning back to the patient, smirking at him. “Maybe it is.”

He’s right, and the fact he is surprises me. I didn’t realize he was paying attention while he babysits me. It’s impressive.

“Thank you,” I say to Kicks as I grab the gel and squeeze some onto the area in question.

As I turn on the ultrasound machine, I eye Lemon’s stats. His oxygen is good, and his heart rate is definitely lower than when I first walked in. The medication is doing exactly what I need it to do.

Grabbing the wand, I carefully press it against the gel and start moving it around as I stare at the screen. “Nothing looks broken, but it looks like you have a partial tear on your deltoid ligament,” I mutter.

“How bad?” Reaper asks.

“I won’t have to cut it off,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

“Not fuckin’ funny, Doc,” Lemon groans.

“RICE is going to be your best friend for a while.”

“Rice? You want him to eat rice?” a confused Kicks asks.

I hear Hades chuckle quietly but ignore him.

“RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation,” I tell Kicks before looking back at Lemon. “I’ll get a walking boot for you, and then we can figure out physical therapy when you’re ready. It’s not going to be pleasant, though. The deltoid stabilizes the joint and prevents you from rolling your foot.”

“Will I be able to ride?” he asks, his voice full of hope.

“I wouldn’t recommend it. Not right now. You’re going to be stuck riding in a cage for a while. At least if you want to heal properly.”

Lemon groans, and Kicks pats his shoulder.

“Sorry, buddy. At least it’s over now,” Kicks mutters to him.

“Thank fuck,” Lemon mumbles.

I wince. “Actually, that’s not true. I need to clean all your cuts from the barbed wire. I know your vest protected you from a lot of them, but you’re still covered in cuts, and the last thing we need is you coming down with an infection.”

“I’ll grab the peroxide,” Hades teases, making every man in the room groan.

“Saline will be fine.” I laugh, shaking my head.

Exhaustion hits me like a freight train, but I try to hide it. Tonight could have been so much worse. All things considered, we got lucky. I can only hope we continue to stay that way.

CHAPTER NINE

Hades

My leg bounces under the table as the brothers filter in.

I should be at the hospital. Keeping watch over her. Making sure that slimy fuck Pembrooke keeps his distance, but instead, I’m here.