" Henry? What happened?", Claire asked breathlessly, her heart was ready to pound out of her chest.
" I had a nightmare...fuck...and moved too much when I woke up", he grunted, obviously in a lot of pain.
" Maybe we should go to the hospital", Claire frowned.
Henry hissed in pain, then nodded, " Yeah okay", he panted.
Claire let out a relieved sigh, but it worried her that he agreed so easily. He must really be hurting. Claire glanced at the clock, 8pm. They'd only been sleeping for two hours. Claire helped Henry get his socks and shoes on before putting her own on. Claire packed him a small bag, grabbed her purse and they were out the door. Henry groaned and winced as she drove. She hated seeing him in so much pain.
When they got to the ER, Claire explained the situation. They got Henry registered as fast as they could then took him right back. The doctor scolded Henry for not coming in right away, voicing Claire's fear that he could have internal bleeding. They decided to do a full CAT scan of his torso and head. Claire called Sebastian while she waited.
" Hey Claire, how's Henry?", Sebastian answered on the third ring.
" Well, we're at the hospital, he was in too much pain, he's getting a CAT scan now", Claire said.
" Asshole, he should have gone earlier", Sebastian growled.
" I know"
" Alright. My mom is gonna freak out and come running down there you know", Sebastian said, his irritation clear.
" Jesus Christ", Claire sighed, " Do you have to tell her? Henry doesn't need that right now"
" She will be seriously pissed if I don't tell her right away...but I'll deal with the fall out. I'll wait until morning"
" Thank you Sebastian", Claire grinned.
" You owe me. Call me with an update", Sebastian said, his tone telling Claire that he was smiling too.
" I will", Claire said, then they said goodbye and hung up.
Claire crossed her arms over her chest and relaxed back against the chair in the room they gave Henry. They said it would be about a half hour before Henry returned. She grabbed the remote and turned on the tv, which was set for the news. Claire watched, turning the volume up some when the story about the crash came on. Someone had actually caught it on video. Claire was horrified by what she saw. She quickly turned the TV off before she had a panic attack.
Claire placed a hand over her franticly beating heart and squeezed her eyes shut. She had come so close today to loosing the man she loved. It still hurt. She was still trying to believe that he was actually here. Claire was then startled by the door being opened and an orderly wheeling Henry's bed back into the room.
They had pumped Henry full of morphine when they got him hooked up to the IV. So he was flying high. His eyes were closed but he had a small smile on his face. They had made him change into a hospital gown, which he had complained about, but it was hospital policy. A blanket covered him from the waist down.
" The doctor will be in shortly with the results", The orderly said, putting the brakes on the bed and putting the sides down.
Claire thanked him as he left. She then went over to Henry and sat down on the edge of the bed by his hip. The bed was set so that he was sitting up slightly. Claire slipped her hand into Henry's, lacing their fingers together.
Henry's eyes cracked open. His glassy drugged gaze barely focusing on her. " Hey Darlin'", he rasped.
Claire smiled, " Hi, how do you feel?"
" So good", he breathed, his eyes closing again.
Claire leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, " Why don't you get some sleep", she murmured.
Henry nodded and almost immediately drifted off. Claire brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. She slid his glasses off his face before moving to the chair next to the bed. She couldn't help but smile when he started snoring lightly. He looked so handsome when he slept.
Sebastian ran through the parking lot of the hospital. He was desperately trying to make it there before his mother. He had called her this morning and told her that Henry was in the hospital and had been since last night. Well, she freaked the fuck out, screaming and yelling at him. So as soon as he got off the phone, he raced out of his apartment to get to the hospital to warn Henry and Claire that his mother was on a tirade. He had tried to call Claire, but she didn't answer. He figured she was sleeping.
The front desk gave him Henry's room number. When he got there, the door was closed. Sebastian knocked then opened it, peeking his head in. The room was dark except for a sliver of light coming from a space between the curtains and he could hear Henry snoring lightly. No way that was Claire snoring. Sebastian moved into the room, closing the door behind him. He spotted Claire on a cot on the other side of Henry's bed. Sebastian walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Claire sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes flipped open, startled.
" Sebastian?", She asked, confused and still half asleep.
" Hey Claire"
" What are you doing here?", Claire asked as she pushed up into a sitting position.
" You weren't answering your phone and I had to warn you about my mom, she's seriously pissed and probably on her way", Sebastian whispered.
" Goddammit", Claire bit out, " What the fuck is her problem?"
Sebastian sighed heavily and shook his head, " No one and nothing is good enough for her sons. She always been like this, growing up with her was insane, she was always in our business, getting involved in things that she didn't need to. I can't say she's gotten worse, but she hasn't gotten any better"
Just then the door swung open and the overhead lights flicked on. His mother stormed into the room, looking furious. Even in her haste to get here, her hair was still perfectly in place and her makeup was done. She was wearing her signature dark jeans and a blouse. Today it was a pink blouse.
Henry grunted and rubbed his eyes before slowly blinking them open. " What's going on?", he asked, his voice gravelly from sleep and probably the drugs.
Sebastian held his hands out as if to ward off his mother's wrath, " Mom...", he started but snapped his mouth shut when her eyes flashed and she pointed at him.
" You! You shut up!", Anne bit out, her tone telling Sebastian that she was absolutely livid.
Henry grabbed his glasses and slid them on. " Mom, what's the problem?", he asked wearily.
" My problem?!", she shrieked, making Sebastian wince. " My problem is that someone didn't call me until this morning to tell me you were in the hospital!", she finished, glaring daggers at Sebastian.
" Henry needed rest", Claire chimed in as she stood.
" I was not talking to you, missy", Anne snipped, turning her dagger glare on Claire.
Sebastian saw Claire's whole demeanor change. Her beautiful face turned hard and cold, her shoulders squared and the anger was rolling off her in waves. Sebastian readied himself to break up the fight that was inevitable. Claire opened her mouth to speak but there was a knock on the open door, cutting her off.
" Hi, I hope we're not interrupting anything", said an older man from the doorway. His dark blue eyes were shrewd as he took in the scene in front of him. Attached to his hand was Ethan, Claire's son.
" Dad! What are you doing here?", Claire asked in shock.
" Mommy!", Ethan cried happily and went running for her.
Claire scooping him up with a smile and hugged him tight.
" Someone has been non-stop asking about Henry, so I figured I'd bring him over so he could see for himself that Henry was okay", Claire's dad said, a soft smile on his face as he entered the room.
" Hey Frank", Henry murmured with a small smile.
Frank went to Henry's bedside and shook his hand, relief etched all over his face. " Glad to see you're doing okay, son, I was worried"
" Thanks Frank", Henry nodded, " The drugs help", he smirked.
Frank chuckled and patted Henry's cheek, " Good man". The fondness between the two was obvious.
" Dad, this is Henry's brother Sebast
ian and his mother Anne", Claire introduced.
Sebastian shook Frank's hand, " Nice to meet you, sir"
" Please call me Frank", he said then shook Anne's hand, " Mrs. Beck"
His mother gave Frank a tight smile, " Pleasure", her muttered.
" Henwee!", Ethan called and squirmed in his mother's arms as he reached out for Henry.
Henry smiled and it was nothing like Sebastian as ever seen cross his brother's face before. Sebastian blinked. Henry had dimples? Since when? Henry held out his arms for the little boy. Claire handed him over with a smile. Sebastian couldn't help but laugh when Ethan grabbed Henry's face and kissed him on the mouth before wrapping his arms around his neck. Henry tucked his face against Ethan's, squeezing his eyes shut and held him tight. Sebastian glanced at his mother to find her blinking back tears. Maybe now she would realize the other reason Henry wanted Claire in his life.
Chapter 11
Henry pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Claire just left to walk her dad and Ethan out. They had stayed for about an hour. His mother had sat in the corner, completely silent the whole time. Which Henry knew wasn't a good thing. She had been glaring at Claire every chance she got, thinking no one noticed. Now, Henry waited for her to explode.
Sebastian was standing by the window, staring out with his arms folded over his chest. He'd been unusually quiet also. Henry knew he was still struggling with accepting that his wife was leaving him, but he didn't think that was his problem today. He had a feeling he was gearing up for their mother's explosion also.
Henry put his glasses back on just as his mother went and shut the door to his room. She then turned, her expression was hard to decipher. But Henry was sure this wasn't going to go well. He wished his father was here, but he was most likely at work.
" She's no good for you Henry", his mother said, her tone saying she completely believed the bullshit coming out of her mouth.
Henry saw Sebastian tense, but he kept his back to them. Henry waited, knowing she had plenty more to say.
" I don't like her. She's rude. Disrespectful. And apparently she's loose, having a child out of wedlock", Anne said.
Henry clenched his teeth. He knew his mother was going to be saying things about Claire that he didn't like, but that was a little too much.
Sebastian snorted, " Get with the times mom, that shit happens all the time now"
" I know that Sebastian", She snapped, " It's disgusting. I don't know why you would want a woman who has had a child with someone else Henry. Don't you want your own kids?"
" Of course I do. You think Claire can't provide me with my own children?", Henry frowned.
" Well I'm sure she could, but then you'd have to look at that little boy all the time and know that he's not yours"
" So? If I treat him like my own, what does it matter?"
Anne just shook her head, sending him a look verging on pity. " Honey, you need to find a nice girl who doesn't have any kids"
" I don't think it matters", Henry replied. He was getting a headache.
" I will never accept her into this family. You deserve better. She's beneath you. And what kind of mother would leave her child to take care of a man that she's not even with? She should be taking care of her kid instead of being here with you. You're not even together..."
" Enough!", Henry bellowed. His mother's mouth snapped shut. " You're talking about the woman I love! I don't give a shit about what you think. Claire is an amazing mother and she loves her son. I love her son. They are everything to me and nothing you say is going to change that! You can take your high and mighty talk and shove it up your ass!", Henry snapped.
Anne's eyes widened slightly then narrowed on him. " I'm going to ignore that because you're on drugs and not thinking clearly"
Sebastian snorted from his post in front of the window.
" You two never listen to me...Just look where it got Sebastian, I warned him about Victoria but he married her anyway and look at him now, getting divorced after only 5 years", Anne said, her tone disgusted.
Sebastian whirled around, his eyes burning with fury. His nostrils flared and his jaw was bulging. Henry has never seen him like this. Henry was afraid of what Sebastian was going to say. Henry opened his mouth but Sebastian beat him to the punch.
" You are out of line", Sebastian growled, stepping closer to their mother.
Anne gave him an incredulous look that only seemed to infuriate Sebastian more.
" I don't want to hear another word about Claire. She's not the problem. You are. You're a condescending bitch and I'm so fucking tired of it. No one is ever going to be good enough for us in your eyes. Well guess what? You don't like it? Then stay the fuck away from us. Henry is happy with Claire and Ethan and they are good enough for him. The only person not good enough for us is you. You need to leave and I don't want to fucking see your face again. I'm so done with your shit and I don't need it in my life. And I don't want it in my brothers lives either. Leave us all alone, we'll be better off without you", Sebastian said, his voice low and almost deadly.
Henry stared at him in shock. Holy fucking shit! Sebastian just banished their mother from their lives! And no doubt he would enforce it. Sebastian was done. Henry could see it in his eyes. They all deserved a chance at happiness and honestly, with their mother around, they would never get to be completely happy in their relationships. She was always there nagging and needling. Henry needed a break too.
Anne stood there, staring at Sebastian as if she's never seen him before, " You don't mean that", she whispered.
" Yes, I do", he said evenly.
Anne looked at Henry, her eyes brimming with tears, " Henry?"
Henry would not feel guilty. " I love you mom, but I'm behind Sebastian on this, I need space"
Anne nodded, " Okay fine, you don't want to see me anymore, fine", she said, her voice trembling.
Henry and Sebastian watched as their mother grabbed her purse and stormed out. Henry blew out a breath and dropped his head back onto his pillow. He watched Sebastian run a shaky hand through his hair as he turned and went back over to look out the windows.
" You okay man?", Henry asked.
Sebastian shook his head, his hands gripping the sill. " Did I do the right thing?", he rasped.
" Yes, maybe having some time away from us will give her some perspective, make her see how she's been", Henry said.
" I think if she hadn't brought up Victoria I wouldn't have lost it like that", Sebastian sighed.
" Yeah, but she did. I think she needed to be put in her place Sebastian. And dad is on our side. He'll get her to open her eyes", Henry assured him.
Sebastian nodded, " I hope you're right, cause if not, I just tore our family apart", he said, his voice heavy with guilt.
" It'll be fine Sebastian", Henry said.
Sebastian just nodded then turned and smirked at Henry, " You just told mom that you loved Claire"
Henry smiled softly, " Yeah"
" Have you told her yet?"
Henry's smile fell, " No"
" What are you waiting for?", Sebastian asked curiously.
" I want to be able to show her that I love her, not just say the words", Henry said, flushing with embarrassment that he just admitted that to his brother.
Sebastian chuckled, " Aw brother, you're such a romantic"
" Fuck you", Henry grunted.
Henry got discharged later that night. All the tests came back fine and the CAT scan was clear. They had kept him overnight just to keep an eye on him with the concussion. Now he got to go home with pain meds and an order to take it easy for a week or so. Claire drove him home. Their ride to Henry's had been quiet. Henry slept most of the ride because of the Percocet's that he was now on. Claire also thought that he didn't want to go into details about the fight him and Sebastian had with their mother. But she knew it had been bad.
Claire followed Henry into the house. He slowly made his way into the kitchen from the garage. While
Henry went into the living room, Claire ran his bag upstairs to his bedroom. When she came back downstairs, Henry was lounging on the couch, remote in one hand, the other was tucked behind his head. He flipped through the channels, stopping when he got to Pawn Stars. Claire walked over and stopped next to him.
" Do you need anything before I go?", Claire asked.
Henry lifted his gaze, " You're leaving already?", he asked, frowning with disappointment.
Henry (The Beck Brothers) Page 12
