Love Lies Bleeding by Remmy Duchene (carter reed txt) 📕

Justin the paramedic stopped by as promised, it was quiet—well, except when Mildred and the coach showed up and wouldn't leave until the doctors let them in to see Leo. With strict instructions not to be too rowdy, all three sat by Leo's bedside. Anderson paced the room for his legs were starting to cramp from sitting by the bed so long.

"You really should get some sleep," Mildred said to him softly, touching his shoulder. "We'll stay with Leo until you get up."

Anderson shook his head. "I can't. Even if I wanted to sleep, I couldn't."

"From what I hear, you've been through an ordeal," Coach added.

"Yeah but I'm the one without a bullet hole," Anderson whispered. "I want him to know I didn't give up on him and sleeping means that to me. I'll be fine. Once he opens his eyes, I'll sleep."

Mildred rubbed his back and he looked over his shoulder at her. She had the eyes of a mother worried for her child. Anderson turned and tilted his head, staring at her. She didn't know him—she knew his father and still she was worried for him. Perhaps it was the exhaustion or the fact that he was probably going through shock but he didn't understand it. He smiled at her before pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you," he told her.

"Oh, darling, you don't have to thank me. Any mother can see you're hurting. It doesn't have to be your own. Leo has been like a son to the coach and I. We love him like he is our own—hell, he spent enough time at our place to be considered our son. So we all hurt seeing him like this. We'll say a prayer or two."

"Thank you." Anderson hugged her.

"Now, the coach and I can't do any good here so we're going to go to a hotel."

Anderson shook his head. His place was redecorated and ready to be lived in again. "No. There's no need for that. My place is empty. You're welcome to it."

"Anderson…" Mildred said.

"No. You've been kind to me and you've been parents to Leo when he needed them. It wouldn't be right for you to stay at a hotel when my house is there." Walking to the hotel phone he called Byung.

"Hey. I need a favor."

"Are you kidding?" Byung asked. "Anything, you know that."

"I need you to come and take a couple of friends of mine and Leo's to my place. I would let them drive over there but well, I didn't exactly take my keys with me on my kidnapping."

Byung chuckled despite the tension in the air. "All right. Gimme twenty minutes. Isha and I were just grabbing something to eat."

"You and Isha, eh?" Anderson couldn't help asking.

Byung laughed. "We'll talk about that later. I'll be there soon."

Hanging up, he looked at Mildred, who was now caressing Leo's hair back and sitting on the side of the bed. "My friend is coming to take you guys over. You're welcome to everything I have there, so make yourselves at home. I'll call the minute anything changes."

The minutes ticked by, but eventually Byung showed up. He carried with him some fruit and after they left, Anderson picked at the pieces of watermelon and pineapple. Still, he just couldn't seem to swallow anything without his stomach lurching at him. Giving up, he placed the container beside the vase with flowers the Jessops had brought and rose to sit on the side of Leo's bed. Being careful, he rested his head on Leo's chest.

"When you wake up"—Anderson sighed—"we're going to take a leave of absence from work and I'm taking you somewhere. It's going to be just you and me. And we're not going to think of any of this bad stuff."

He knew it was easier said than done. How could he not think of everything?

"I'll make sure it's something to help both of us heal—but it has to be something to show you just up happy I am you woke up—so wake up."

The nurses came in to check on Leo.

"Should he still be sleeping?" Anderson asked.

"His body is fighting something major," the nurse replied. "I know it's hard, but be patient."

"I've been patient."

"I'm sorry we don't have any more news for you. From what I gathered, he's a good man."

Anderson rested his hands on his hips and watched her leave with a nod.

Chapter Nineteen

The first thing Leo felt was the dryness in his throat and something heavy against his left side. It took a little doing and some time for him to remember but it came back to him. He was shot in the back while trying to save Anderson. For a moment he remained still, taking mental stock of everything. When he could move his toes and fingers, he was going to settle back into his sleep but then the thought hit him.

You were shot trying to save Anderson—where's Anderson?

Gasping, he meant to lurch upward but a machine screamed at his right and needles pulled at his arm.

"Leo? Baby? Relax. Everything is okay." Anderson's soft voice cut through his panic. "It's okay. You're all right."

"Andy?" His voice sounded hoarse. Leo felt such a relief seeing Anderson's brown eyes his heart slowed then and lurched for a different, happy reason.

"I'm right here. Lie still. I'm going to get the nurse to bring you some water."

Anderson turned to leave and Leo panicked again. "Don't leave me."

Their eyes met and Anderson kissed his lips gently before nodding. He reached for the call button and after pressing it, Anderson was once again by his side, holding his hand, touching his face, his shoulders.

"Those eyes," Anderson whispered. "Those beautiful, beautiful eyes."

"How long have I been out?"

"A while. I was so scared. I thought I lost you. The doctors kept saying you were going to be okay but you weren't waking up."

Leo smiled and touched his face. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"That's okay. I'm just glad you're awake."

The nurse entered then with a doctor and Leo allowed Anderson to help him