“Dylan,” Liam called after him, stopping him in his tracks. “You know. I’m here if you need to talk. We all are.”
“I know,” Dylan replied, giving his brother a grateful smile. “Thanks, Liam.”
After saying their goodbyes, the two brothers went their separate ways — Liam towards the exit, Dylan back to Brook’s room.
Reaching the room, he hesitated for a moment to gather his thoughts, then he pushed open the door and headed inside. Taking the seat next to her bed, Dylan rested his head back and closed his eyes.
He had the headache from hell forming across the bridge of his nose, and the back of his head. It was a tension headache. Tension and tiredness. He rubbed the tiredness from his eyes, before he pushed back up, opening his eyes once more.
The moment that he did, they were met with the most beautiful blue eyes he’d come to know so well.
“You’re awake!” He exclaimed with a big smile, moving forward in his seat. “How are you feeling?”
“Like hell,” she groaned, her voice barely louder than a croak. She sounded weak and extremely tired “My head…”
“You’ve had another bleed, but we were able to stop it,” Dylan explained giving her a reassuring smile. “I know you feel like hell right now, but I promise, you’re going to be okay. I just need you to promise not to scare me like that again.”
She smiled weakly, her eyes staring up into Dylan’s, but then her smile faded.
“Warren?” She whispered like it was an effort.
“He’s been removed from the hospital,” Dylan assured her. “As we speak, my brother is getting a restraining order, preventing him from even entering the hospital, much less coming back up here. He steps one foot into this building, we can call the police, and they will have to arrest him this time.”
She smiled weakly before her eyes closed once more. Instinctively, Dylan reached up at took hold of her hands.
“Brook,” Dylan leaned in and whispered. “I’m sorry.”
Slowly she opened her eyes once more, looking up into Dylan’s eyes. She smiled again before she drifted off back to sleep.
Dylan smiled, as he slowly sat back in his seat. He began to release her hand, but the moment he did, she gripped his hand tighter, stopping him for letting it go. Dylan looked down at their hands, their fingers entwined with each other’s.
He leaned forward once more, resting his elbows on the bed, still holding her hand tightly as he watched her sleeping.
He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there when the door to the room opened slowly. Dylan looked up and smiled when he saw Landen standing there. He didn’t know why he did, but the moment he saw his brother, he pulled his hand free from Brook’s. He felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Hey,” Landen said, as he slowly stepping into the room. “Is it okay for me to be in here?”
“Yeah,” Dylan replied, giving his brother a bright smile. “I’ve left your name with the officers on duty. I told them that you’re her attorney.”
“Perfect,” Landen replied, sitting his briefcase on the table at the bottom of the bed before his eyes fell to Brook. “How’s she doing? Liam mentioned she was taken back to surgery today.”
“She had a re-bleed on the brain,” Dylan replied, glancing at Brook for a moment before he turned back to Landen. “But she’s stable now.”
“Good,” Landen nodded, turning his attention to his briefcase. Opening it, he pulled out some papers, handing them to Dylan. “Here is a copy of the restraining order. I had to call in a favour. This cop is well known, Dylan, and well liked.”
“That doesn’t mean he didn’t do this, Landen,” Dylan replied, as he took the paperwork from him. “Just means he’s good at covering his tracks.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Landen said, giving Dylan a worried look. “Liam seems pretty convinced that he is behind this, too. He is very worried about you.”
“He has nothing to worry about,” Dylan sighed, knowing that Liam was no doubt going to drag the whole family into this. “I’m a big boy; I know what I’m doing.”
“He just cares about you, Dylan,” Landen tried to reason. “You remember how mad he got at me when he found out I was helping Amelia? He actually tattled on me to Mom.”
His words made Dylan smile, but he didn’t respond.
“Look,” Landen said, releasing a long breath. “All I’m saying is, I get it.”
“You get it?” Dylan asked, giving him a questioning look.
“I get why you are so determined to help this girl,” Landen explained. “I know you can’t really explain it. It’s just something you need to do. Just like I felt compelled to help Amelia. I knew in my heart it was something I needed to do.”
“But?” Dylan asked, knowing that there was one coming.
“But I get why Liam is worried, too,” Landen replied. “He worries about us all. He thinks it’s his duty to protect us. And you and he, you have that added connection. You’re his twin brother, so he thinks it’s his job to make sure you’re okay.”
“But I don’t need him to worry about me,” Dylan sighed. “I just need him to catch that asshole, and lock him away so he can never hurt Brook again.”
“And he will,” Landen replied, with a smile. “But it won’t stop him from worrying about you. In the meantime, you have a family that cares about you. That will do whatever it takes to help you. So don’t try to solve this on your own.”
“I won’t,” Dylan assured him, giving him a grateful smile. “Thanks, Landen.”
“Don’t mention it,” Landen grinned as he picked up his briefcase from the table. “As for this young lady. I will need to come back and talk to her once she’s feeling better. I need whatever names and dates of those officers that came to her home. Questions need to be answered why nobody stepped up to help her, and I’m going to find those answers. This city let her down, protecting one of their own when they should have been protecting her.”
“I would suggest giving her a day or two,” Dylan replied as he stood up, walking with his brother to the door. “And thanks again for doing this. I know how busy you are.”
“Hey, you’re my brother,” Landen said, giving him a smile as he held out his hand to Dylan. “And I know you wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. So, don’t worry, we’ve all got her back too. Just… please listen to Liam. Be careful. That asshole turns up again, don’t get into something with him; just call the cops. This time they have to listen.”
“Thanks, Landen,” Dylan said, shaking his brother's hand. “I promise. If Warren Pearse shows up here again, I will just call the cops. I give you my word.”
“Good,” Landen nodded before he glanced back through the glass to where Brook was fast asleep. “Take care of her, little brother, and we’ll make sure we don’t let that scumbag win.”
“I will,” Dylan replied, his eyes also going to Brook.
“I know you will,” Landen said, patting him on the back. “She is lucky to have you in her corner. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.”
Landen turned and headed down the corridor, towards the exit, as Dylan stood there, watching him walk away. When he was gone, Dylan turned and headed back towards Brook’s room.
As he stepped back inside, Dylan smiled to himself. He loved that his family was always there for him, whenever he needed them. And now, they would be there for Brook, even if she didn’t know it yet.
Taking his seat once more, he reached out and picked up her hand in his again. As he did, her eyes flicked open, as she looked up at Dylan.
The moment she saw him, she gave him a tired smile, before her eyes closed once again.
Yes! Dylan thought to himself. You’re going to be just fine, Brook McKay, and what’s more, you’re no longer alone in this world.
Chapter 11
Brook
Brook woke slowly and smiled when she saw Dylan fast asleep in the chair next to her bed. Her mind raced with a million different
thoughts, but for some reason, the only thought that kept sticking out was, Dylan hadn’t left her alone.
Warren! She thought to herself as the memory of him walking into the room suddenly crashed into her head. She instantly tried to push up in the bed, but an aching pain washed over her body, and she quickly slumped back down onto the bed, crying out in pain.
“Brook!” Dylan exclaimed, jumping up from the chair before he was even fully awake. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I just feel like I’ve gone ten rounds with Rocky Balboa,” she groaned, as she opened her eyes, looking up at Dylan, giving him a sad smile before she added. “Warren was here, right? I didn’t dream that.”
“Yes, he was here yesterday,” Dylan replied, giving her a smile that for some reason made her feel at ease. “But he was quickly escorted from the hospital, and I promise you, he won’t be back. My brother, Landen; he’s a lawyer. He applied to the courts yesterday for a restraining order. If he so much as steps through the front door of the building, he will be arrested.”
“How… how did he do that?” Brook asked, stunned that finally, someone was able to do something to stop Warren. “Why would he…”
“I told you,” Dylan said, giving her a broad smile, “Landen is someone that Warren doesn’t want to mess with. And now he is your lawyer. Actually, he said he would be back in a day or two. He wants to talk to you about the cops that didn’t do a thing when you called them.”
“Why?” Brook asked, giving him a questioning look. “Why would he do this? Why would he want to help me?”
“Because what happened to you is not okay, Brook,” Dylan said sitting down on the edge of the bed, taking hold of her hand. “Liam is going to make Warren pay for what he did to you, and Landen, he’s going to take care of the rest.”
“Okay,” she said her eyes falling to her hand in Dylan’s. A flash of the night before, of him holding her hand, crashed into her head. He’s said that he was sorry, but she wasn’t really sure what for. Her head hurt, and everything felt fuzzy again, so she wasn’t sure what she remembered, and what had been a dream.
“Are you okay?” Dylan asked, as he too looked down at their hands.
“My head hurts,” she blurted out, without really thinking about it.
“It will be sore for a couple of days,” Dylan replied, sliding his hand from hers, looking a little uncertain.
“Wait,” she said, as she remembered something else he had said. “You said Warren was here yesterday. How come I don’t remember anything after that, until I woke up just now?”
“Brook,” Dylan began, and instantly she felt a feeling of dread rise inside her. There was something in his voice, something in the way he looked at her. “Yesterday, you had a seizure. It happened just as Warren arrived here in your room. We had to take you back to surgery, the injury to your head had a re-bleed, but we were able to stop it. Hopefully this time for good.”
“I had a seizure?” She asked trying to take in what he had said. “What does that mean?”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” Dylan replied, giving her another smile, trying to reassure her, but it was no use. She’d had a seizure. That couldn’t mean anything good. And Warren was there, He saw her at her most vulnerable. He saw her, but she didn’t even have any memory of this. “Brook, the seizure was caused by the bleeding on your brain. We have no reason to believe that it was anything more. And Doctor Abrams is confident he repaired the damage to your brain that was caused in the attack.”
“So, I’m going to be okay?” She asked, wanting to believe that Dylan wasn’t hiding anything from her. She knew he had no reason to lie, but she had learned a long time ago not to trust everything that she was told.
“Brook,” he replied, smiling once more. “You are going to be just fine. Sure, it’s going to take some time. Recovering from a head injury can be a long, frustrating process. Plus, you have several other injuries that will make the healing slower. But with some hard work, and a little patience, there is no reason for you not to make a full recovery.”
“Okay,” she nodded, trying her hardest not to appear as completely freaked out as she was feeling.
Suddenly she felt tired again. Her eyes grew heavy, and once more exhaustion washed over her, and she gave in to sleep.
Brook woke once more, and for some reason, her eyes fell to the empty chair next to her bed. Dylan was gone. She wasn’t sure if she felt disappointed or relieved. Maybe a little of both.
Brook had no clue what to make of Doctor Dylan Murphy. He was probably one of the sweetest men she had ever met. She wanted to believe that he was someone she could trust completely; that good men did still exist in this world. But she also knew that she once trusted Warren, and he turned out to be her worst nightmare.
Still, she liked him. She liked that he seemed so determined to save her, and Brook had to admit that it felt good to have someone care for her again.
She looked around the room, trying to work out what day it was, or even what time it was. Brook felt like she was trapped inside a bubble and she found it more than a little frustrating.
“Okay, Brook,” she said to herself under her breath. “Let’s see how messed up you are!”
She started at her feet, wiggling her toes, smiling to herself when they moved. This was a good start. Then she tried to move her feet, but they felt heavy and weak. It was an effort to move them even a couple of centimetres. After a few attempts, she let out a frustrated sigh, before giving up, telling herself that she was just still recovering from everything that had happened.
“Okay,” she whispered under her breath. “Let’s focus on the arms. She stared down at her arms lying lifeless next to her body. A plaster cast on one wrist, an IV port in the back of the other hand. Once more she began with her fingers, moving her good hand first, and while she could move it, it too felt heavy and weak. The other hand was in plaster, but she wiggled those fingers too. Finally, she tried to lift her entire arms.
With everything she had inside her, she tried to lift her arms, but it wasn’t the raging success she’d hoped it would be. The best she could do was lift them from the bed a couple of inches, but they shook, each time she tried.
What the hell is wrong with me! She cried in her mind as she flopped back onto the bed, feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Her eyes stung with hot tears, but she refused to cry. Crying was not an option right now.
“You’re awake,” Dylan’s voice said suddenly from the doorway. Brook instantly opened her eyes, as she looked at him, giving him a look of frustration. Brook felt a little embarrassed that he had caught her at a, particularly low moment. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong with me?” She asked, needing to know the truth. “Is my brain… damaged? Am I… will I ever walk again?
“Of course, you’ll walk again!” He said, giving her a broad, reassuring smile. “Why would you think that you wouldn’t?”
“Because, I can barely move my arms and legs now,” Brook explained as yet again she tried to lift her arm up from the bed, but not making much progress. Once more it just began to tremble.
“Brook,” Dylan said, reaching out, taking hold of her hand in his; stopping it from trembling. “You’ve just had two, major brain surgeries. It takes time for the brain to recover from these things, but it will. With some physiotherapy and a little patience, we will have you fighting fit once again. I promise.”
“Okay,” she replied, giving me a grateful smile.
“Right now,” Dylan continued, still holding her hand. “The only thing you need to do is rest.”
“Okay,” she said, smiling once more, blinking away her tears, but one broke free, trickling down her face.
“You know,” Dylan replied, reaching up, softly wiping the tears from her eyes, as he gave her a sad smile. “It’s okay to cry. I think you’ve earned that right.”
“No, it’s not,” she replied, pushing her sadness back down inside her. “I don’t have t
he luxury of feeling sorry for myself. I need to get myself back on my feet so that I can get back to my life. I need to figure out how to get my Dad out of that nursing home and somewhere safe, away from Warren.”
“Brook, if there is anything I can do to help you,” Dylan said, reaching for her hand once more. “Anything you need, you know you just have to ask…”
“You’ve already done enough, Dylan,” Brook replied, having no idea why this guy seemed so determined to help her. She wanted to believe he was just being a good guy, that he was someone she could rely on. She just didn’t know how to. She was so used to expecting the worst of others; it was hard to accept the good. It was hard to drop her walls for anyone. Even for someone as sweet as Dylan. “I can’t ask you to do anything else. This is something I think I need to figure out for myself.”
“But you can if I am willing to do it!” Dylan tried to reason. “I wouldn’t offer if it was a problem. I want to make sure that you never have to go back to that life. That both you and your father are safe and happy.”
“Why does this matter so much to you?” Brook asked, needing to know why he was so determined to help her. “Why are you being so kind to me? I mean, I’m grateful, I really am. But I don’t understand why?”
“Because I should have never let you leave that night,” Dylan sighed, suddenly unable to look her in the eye. “I should have insisted that you let me get you help; I should have done more. If I had, maybe this would have never happened to you…”
“You… you blame yourself for what Warren did to me?” Brook exclaimed, completely stunned that he would even think that. “Dylan, what happened was all Warren’s doing. Everything he has ever done was all him. This is not your fault. Why would you even think that?”
“Because if I just made you stay…” Dylan replied, finally looking up into her eyes. “I should have told you that you had a choice. I should have done more, but I didn’t…”
Dylan (The Murphy Series Book 5) Page 11
