Bear in Mind

by Moxie North

  Wyatt felt his world start to slip away from him.

  “Is she okay?” he managed with a whisper.

  “The truck?” the Deputy replied.

  Holding back his bear and the fury inside him he tried to remain calm when he said, “No, Deputy. The woman, Jinger McCann. Is she okay?”

  “Well, she’d been there most of the night. She was unconscious when they transported her to County this morning. I’m afraid I don’t have any other information on her at this point. Your truck is a total loss, it looks like it must have rolled when it went over the embankment. We found brake fluid on the road. We think it might have been a mechanical issue.”

  “I don’t give a flying fuck about the truck!” Wyatt yelled into the phone.

  Seeing his brother losing it, Cage grabbed the phone back and apologized to the Deputy, getting what further information the man had before hanging up the phone.

  Wyatt couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe. His mind was racing through the facts that he had. His mate was hurt, unconscious. She was alone all night in the woods, injured and he’d let her leave alone. He didn’t even ask her to call when she got home. He would have known something was wrong when she didn’t call. She wouldn’t have spent the night, in the cold alone and hurt.

  Conner reached over and waved a hand in front of Wyatt’s face, he knew better than to touch him right now. “Breathe, man, your claws are out.”

  Wyatt saw his fingernails had elongated, he could feel his teeth long and sharp in his mouth and the muscles in his back were spreading as his bear fought to take control.

  “Settle your bear, we don’t have time for this,” Cage called out. Without a word he headed towards the door and gave Conner a look to grab Wyatt.

  Wyatt didn’t resist being dragged out to his brother’s truck. They loaded in and Wyatt looked out the window and felt the heavy weight in his chest. His mate, he’d finally found her and had already failed her. What if he lost her before they ever had a chance at the life the fates had promised them? He hadn’t claimed her, what happened to a shifter that didn’t claim his mate? He couldn’t imagine ever wanting anyone other than Jinger, he’d rather die.

  The ride to the hospital was in silence, his brothers knowing there weren’t any reassuring words that would soothe his beast.

  When Cage pulled up to the front entrance, Wyatt jumped out and left his brothers behind as he ran inside. He ran to the reception desk and asked about Jinger.

  “I’m sorry, are you family?” The elderly women behind the counter asked.

  “I’m her boyfriend,” Wyatt responded.

  “I know the rest of her family is in the ICU waiting room on the third floor. If you’d like to go up there, they might be able to help you. I’m afraid I can’t give out any information to non-family members.” She at least had the grace to look sympathetic to his plight.

  Bypassing the elevator, Wyatt hit the stairs and ran up them. When he made it to the waiting room he saw an older man standing with his hands tucked into his pockets looking out the window.

  Taking a chance, he asked, “Mr. McCann?”

  The man turned and Wyatt immediately saw his Jinger’s eyes staring back at him.

  “Yes? Can I help you?” The man looked tired and sad.

  “I’m Wyatt Rochon. I’m Jinger’s boyfriend,” he said, holding his hand out to her father. He wanted to know how she was and he figured throwing out she was seeing him was the quickest way to information.

  “Boyfriend?” her father asked, confused, but he still shook Wyatt’s hand.

  “Yes, sir, we haven’t been seeing each other long. How is she? Is she okay?” he asked letting go of the handshake.

  “It was your truck she was driving? They said they were going to find the owner,” he mumbled.

  “Sir, please, is she okay? How bad was she hurt? Can I see her?” Wyatt asked desperately.

  Just then an older woman with dark red hair came through the doors that led to the patient rooms. She looked like she’d been crying.

  “Oh, Kevin,” she said walking into Jinger’s dad’s arms. He wrapped them around her.

  “Shh, Sarah, she’s a fighter,”

  Hearing those words, Wyatt knew it wasn’t good. He felt for a chair and collapsed into it, dropping his head into his hands.

  Seeing Wyatt, Sarah turned towards him, “Do you know Jinger?”

  Before he could answer her dad stepped up. “Apparently this is Jinger’s boyfriend, Wyatt Rochon. It was his truck she was driving.”

  “Rochon? As in Rochon Lumber?”

  Looking up at her he said, “Yes, ma’am. How is she? Can I see her? Please, tell me she’s okay.”

  Seeing the terror in his face must have convinced her he was at his breaking point.

  “She’s in a coma, Wyatt. She had internal bleeding from the crash. The doctors had to remove her spleen. She had head trauma from when the truck rolled. Being outside exposed in the weather didn’t help either, she got hypothermia. They are monitoring her to see if they need to operate to relieve the pressure on her brain,” she said quietly.

  Wyatt’s brothers came into the room then. Luckily, they were better at introductions than Wyatt. Cage talked quietly to them getting the information Wyatt had just heard. He still might lose her. What if she didn’t wake up? What if she woke up and didn’t remember him?

  Wyatt was looking at the floor when he saw Cage’s feet in front of him. Tipping up to look at his big brother, he didn’t care that Cage could see the tears welling in his eyes.

  “I know, buddy. Believe me, I know,” he said, giving Wyatt a squeeze on his shoulder. “Her parents, Kevin and Sarah, are going to go tell the staff you can see her. Then you can go in. Do you want me to come with you?” Cage asked.

  “Yeah, man, I don’t think I can go alone,” he admitted.

  Jinger’s parents returned and nodded that Wyatt could go back.

  Chapter 14

  The walk down the corridor seemed to take forever. Wyatt wanted to run, screaming her name but it wasn’t the time or place and he knew he needed to keep his human side under control if he had any hope of controlling his bear.

  They came up to her room which was barely a room. It was surrounded by glass so the nurses could see the patient. There on the bed, looking smaller than he remembered, was his mate. There were machines hooked up to her. Oxygen, IVs, a blood pressure cuff, and wires sticking from bandages on her head. Those were attached to some other machine.

  Wyatt saw those things but wasn’t really looking at them. He was scanning her face. Black eye, cut cheek and lip. His heart ached seeing her damaged.

  “Go in, sit with her. Talk to her, it will help,” Cage encouraged, giving Wyatt a shove into the room. It only took two steps for Wyatt to reach the lone chair by her bed. Before sitting, he leaned over and placed the lightest kiss he could on an area of her forehead not covered in bandages.

  “Baby, I’m so sorry. I never should have let you go. I should have followed you home, or better yet, tied you to my bed. I failed you, I know it. But please, please don’t leave me. I just found you, Gingersnap. I know you can’t understand this yet, but I’ve been waiting so long for you. You have to be strong and come back to me so I can spend the rest of my life making this up to you.”

  Wyatt waited for a response, when none came he sat down. Cradling her hand in his, he dropped his forehead to rest on the back of her hand. He let the tears slide down his cheeks, knowing only his brother could see them and he would never tell anyone that big cocky Wyatt Rochon was reduced to tears over a girl.

  “Keep talking, man. I’m going to go back out and sit with her parents and give Sophie a call,” Cage said quietly. Wyatt nodded, but didn’t look at his brother. His eyes were fixed on his mate, watching and waiting for her to wake up.

  Wyatt sat and he talked. He told her about his plans for the future, their future. He even talked about his bear and his family and everything shifter related he could think of. He
hoped maybe subconsciously she could hear him and when he revealed the truth it wouldn’t be such a shock.

  Her parents traded back and forth with him, someone was always by her side.

  On the second day, Wyatt was taking a break with her father when he asked the question Wyatt knew was coming.

  “So you don’t seem like the type of man to have mechanical troubles on your vehicles. The cops said the brake lines were tampered with. Now, I don’t blame you, son. That could be you lying in the hospital bed right now. And I’m guessing that was someone’s intention.”

  Wyatt had already come to that conclusion along with his brothers. They had examined the truck, mostly because they didn’t want Wyatt to see how badly it was damaged. But they confirmed they smelled the same strange dirty human smell from when a stranger had tried to break into Cage’s house when Sophie was home alone.

  Wyatt explained to Kevin the escalating sabotage that their company had been experiencing. After Sophie’s scare, they’d brought in the local police to help with their investigation. Up until then the sabotage could have been coincidental. But Cage getting shot tied them together. Not that they told the police about that part, since with his shifter DNA he’d healed before morning.

  “Mr. McCann, I can assure you I would never have let Jinger drive my truck if I had any idea someone would do something like this. I care for her very deeply and I hope she cares for me the same. I’d die for her, I’d kill for her.”

  “No need to get so dramatic, son. I believe you. I’m glad my Jinger found such a strong capable man. And call me Kevin,” he finished with a small smile.

  Nodding to him, Wyatt stood and said, “If you don’t mind, I need to run home, change clothes, and check in with my brothers to see if they’ve had any updates.”

  “Go on ahead, we’ll be here. Maybe when you get back I can convince Sarah to head home for a shower and a hot meal.” Kevin offered.

  Giving Jinger’s dad a handshake, Wyatt headed out to a work truck his brothers had left for him.

  He called Conner and found they had no new updates. Wyatt didn’t want to go home, he was pissed. His bear was pissed, and he wanted to take it out on someone.

  Before hanging up with Conner, he said, “I’m going for a run.”

  Pulling up to his house, Wyatt saw Conner sitting on his front step. Walking up to him his brother stood and offered, “I thought I’d run with you if you don’t mind?”

  Nodding his head, he decided he could use the company. He walked towards the woods behind his cabin and stripped as he went. Once he was naked, he tried to calmly let his bear come to the surface, but he was too angry and frustrated. His body contorted and he felt his bear tear out of him in a blinding shower of sparks.

  Once his bear’s paws hit the ground, he let out a loud anguished roar. Wyatt couldn’t blame him. His bear was sad and furious. He wanted the saboteur’s blood. He wanted him to suffer like his mate was suffering. Wyatt promised his bear that if they ever found him, they would rip his head off.

  He let his bear take over. The beast needed to run. As he passed by trees he would lash out with his claws, drawing ragged marks through the bark. It felt good to tear something up. He let the bear run until exhaustion set in. They had reached an overlook high on the mountain. Conner’s bear was keeping pace but giving him his space.

  Pushing his bear back, Wyatt let himself take back over his body and sat on the edge. Conner joined him and they both took in the view.

  “What am I going to do without her?” he asked his brother quietly.

  Conner responded with a nudge on his shoulder. “Don’t think like that, she’s going to recover. You have to believe that.”

  “I want to, more than you know. I’m scared, Conner, I’ve never cared about anyone this much in my life.”

  “Oh, gee thanks, big brother.”

  “You know what I mean,” Wyatt said.

  “No, actually I don’t. I can’t understand how you can be so torn up over a girl you just met.”

  “Not a girl, my mate. A week ago I would have asked the same question, believe me. Until it happens to you there are no words to describe it. The moment I saw her, it was like my heart and soul were laid at her feet. Hers to do with as she willed. I would do anything just to see her eyes again. See her smile, do anything that let me know she was going to be okay.”

  Conner clapped his brother on the back. “How about we clean up and head back to the hospital?”

  Wyatt wanted to get back to her, so he stood and let his bear take over once more. The brothers raced back to their cabins to shower and change.

  Walking back into the waiting room, Wyatt saw not only Jinger’s parents but his own, along with Cage and Sophie. Laid out on the table was a mountain of food.

  “Darling!” his mother called, standing to wrap him in a hug. “Your girl is going to be fine, I know it,” she whispered into his ear.

  He got another hug from his dad and Cage then Sophie.

  “Sweetheart, Sophie made dinner. She figured you and the McCanns haven’t eaten a proper meal since you got here. And don’t worry, we managed to introduce ourselves and not scare them off,” his mother joked.

  “Your parents are very nice, Wyatt, and Sophie is a gem. How you don’t all weigh four hundred pounds is beyond me!” Kevin said smiling.

  Nodding, Wyatt was glad his parents and Jinger’s were getting along. It would make things easier when she woke up.

  “Any change?”

  There was silence in the room before Sarah said, “No, dear, nothing. The doctor says the swelling on her brain hasn’t increased but it hasn’t decreased either. Why don’t you go sit with her a bit and I’ll come and give you a break so you can eat in a few?”

  Jinger’s mom had accepted Wyatt after their first meeting. He thought she was thrilled her daughter had such a devoted man in her life. She didn’t even seem to care that they’d only just met.

  “When it’s right, it’s right,” she’d said.

  Chapter 15

  Walking down the corridor, Wyatt stopped outside her room and took a deep breath before walking in. He had to be strong for her, he had to convince her waking up was the right thing. That there were people who loved and needed her.

  Seeing a nurse by the bed, Wyatt paused.

  “It’s okay. I was just flushing her IV line. Come on in,” she called out.

  Wyatt took his usual seat by the bed. His bear grumbled loudly in his head. Someone had recently bathed her and she smelled of antiseptic soap. Her natural scent was underneath but it was mixed with that hospital smell.

  “She’s stable, we just have to wait for her,” the nurse said seeing him scanning her worriedly. “Keep talking to her, it’s the best thing for her right now.”

  Wyatt nodded as she left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

  “Hey, Gingersnap. I heard you had a lot of visitors today. Sophie even cooked and brought it to the hospital. You should be jealous, your mom and dad are out snarfing down your share right now,” he paused waiting for a response. None came.

  “Or maybe you’d like a maple bar? I’ll make you a promise, you wake up for me and I’ll make sure you have a fresh one every morning to wake up to. No? Hmm, what else could I tempt you with?

  I know, how about I up the deal to a maple bar and an orgasm every morning? I think that’s a win-win for everyone involved,” he tried joking. He couldn’t hide the sadness in his voice though. He wanted her sassy self back, looking at him like he was insane. He liked that look on her. His father once told him you know you’ll have a happy life if you find your partner adorable when they’re pissed at you. And any time Jinger had gotten flustered or annoyed at him she would try to look angry and it only made her cuter. He always heard his dad’s words in his head and understood how true they were.

  “Baby girl, you’ve got to wake up. I don’t know if I can take this. You’re tearing my heart out. I love you so damn much, and I’m so angry that I didn�
�t tell you when I had the chance. Call it love at first sight or whatever makes it sounds reasonable, but it’s the truth. You are my entire universe, the air that I breathe and I can’t go on without you. So you have to try, as hard as you can, to come back to me,” he pleaded, laying his head on her leg so he could watch her face.

  That day turned into night, and the next day went the same. His brothers and parents visiting, Jinger’s parents trading off with him so they could all shower and change. Jinger’s sisters both called and they would lay the phone near her ear so they could talk to her, plead for her to wake up. They both wanted to come out but her parents urged them to wait until she woke up and then visit. Like making plans for a future with her awake would somehow make it happen.

  Wyatt couldn’t sleep, he’d doze off but only in the waiting room when he knew her parents were watching her. When he told them he was going home to sleep, he really just let his bear out and they’d run to exhaustion before returning to the hospital.

  The third day turned into the fourth, with the doctors telling them the same things. She’ll wake up or she won’t. They weren’t very encouraging after the first forty-eight hours. They had even started talking about making plans to move her to a rehab facility once her abdominal surgery healed. Like she was taking up precious space in their hospital and there was no reason to keep her there if she wasn’t going to wake up.

  Luckily, Cage had been there when Wyatt lost his shit on the doctors. He had to be held back and was threatened with being banned if he didn’t calm down.

  The doctors tried to explain that they were just planning for the future and they needed to do these things for all coma patients. They weren’t telling them there wasn’t a chance, just that the odds weren’t good.

  Wyatt didn’t hear them, he just heard them saying she was a lost cause and there was no hope.

  Jinger’s fourth night in the hospital found Wyatt sitting beside her. One of the night nurses had brought in a stool from the reception desk that was tall enough that Wyatt could lie across her lap without too much trouble. He liked being able to feel her body under him and hoped the weight of him made Jinger feel safer on some level.