Unlikely Hero

by Sean Michael

  “Daddy sick?”

  “Yeah, yeah, honey. He is. That’s why he’s sleeping in the hospital.”

  Josie nodded, put one finger to her lips. “Shh….”

  Brock chuckled. “Yeah, that’s right,” he whispered. He carried her into Eric’s room.

  “Daddy?” She wriggled, trying to get down.

  He let her down, but grabbed her hand and walked her over to Eric’s bedside.

  “Daddy?” She reached up, grabbed Eric’s hand.

  “Remember, he’s asleep.” Damn, he wished Eric was awake. Hell, if he was wishing, he wished Eric had never been hurt.

  She started whimpering a little, looking at Eric’s mouth, at the intubation tube.

  He picked her up and hugged her. “It’s okay, honey. The hospital is just making sure Daddy’s okay.”

  “What’s Daddy eating?”

  “I don’t know.” He wasn’t going to tell her that the tube was actually for breathing and it was just stuck down Eric’s throat. “What’s his favorite thing to eat?” When they’d been together, it had been ribs. The stickier the better.

  “Wibs.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. It doesn’t look like they’re feeding him ribs, does it?”

  She shook her head, eyes huge and shining.

  “He’s going to be okay. He just needs to sleep. I bet if we come back tomorrow, he’ll be awake and he’ll want to see you.”

  “Tomorrow? No. No more sleeps. Daddy….”

  “He’s really, really tired, honey.”

  “But I need a hug.” The tears were almost there.

  He glanced around the room; they were alone now. “You want to sit on the bed with him?”

  She nodded, started to sniffle. “I want my daddy.”

  “I know, sweetie.” He put her carefully on the bed by Eric.

  Josie immediately stretched out next to Eric and put her cheek on his shoulder, started jabbering to him. The boop-boop-boop of Eric’s heart monitor hiccupped and started going faster.

  Well, look at that. Eric knew she was there.

  Josie kept talking, fingers on his chest, tiny body clinging like a limpet. Brock tugged a chair over and sat, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He let the chatter flow over him. He couldn’t understand a word, but that heart monitor kept going faster, Eric trying to respond to her.

  Hell, Eric was supposed to be comatose, but he was definitely hearing Josie.

  Josie kept talking and talking, her little voice rising and falling. It made Brock smile—it seemed to him that Josie was determined to keep it up until Eric woke up. Of course, when Eric started moving, started moaning low, it seemed that Josie just might do it.

  Brock sat forward in his chair, and when Josie stopped talking to look at him, he waved at her. “Keep talking, honey—he likes it.”

  “Daddy.” She patted Eric’s cheek. “My daddy.” Then the happy chatter started again.

  Oh, God. That was cute.

  Eric moaned, fingers opening and closing, over and over. Brock shifted his chair closer and reached, taking Eric’s hand in his own. Those long fingers squeezed his tight. Grinning, Brock squeezed back. It was amazing, the effect Josie was having on her daddy.

  “Wake Daddy up?” Those black eyes stared at him.

  “You just keep talking and see what happens.”

  Her head tilted. “Huh?”

  “Talk to your daddy, honey. I bet you’ll wake him up.”

  She laughed. “Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! Bee gets eggies!”

  Brock chuckled, tickled. The last thing he’d expected was to come in here and be laughing, but Josie’s happiness was infectious.

  Eric’s eyelids fluttered, and the groans started becoming more pained and panicked.

  “Hey, baby, it’s okay. You’re safe. Josie’s got you.” He leaned over as casually as possible and hit the call button.

  Eric’s eyes opened—really opened—fastening on Josie. Sounds pushed out around the tube in his throat.

  “Daddy? Daddy, okay?”

  “He can’t speak, honey. He’s got that tube in his mouth. The doctor will come take it out. Just relax, Eric.” He squeezed Eric’s hand.

  “Daddy! Daddy, no cry!” Josie tried to crawl on Eric, and Brock snatched her up before she could touch anything sore or where she could do damage. She started screaming as the nurses came in.

  “Okay, Josie, you have to hush now.” He moved back out of the way, holding her squirming body.

  One of the younger nurses came over, touching his arm. “She doesn’t need to see this, huh? It’s painful.”

  He nodded jerkily. She was already screaming—it couldn’t get any worse if they left the room, could it? He was about to test that theory. Still holding her tight, and taking one last look himself, he left Eric’s room.

  “Daddy!” She started kicking and fighting him. “Daddy! Taking me! Daddy!”

  “It’s okay, Josie. Please, honey. Let the nurses and doctors help your daddy with the tube and then we can go see him again. Okay?” Damn, this blew chunks.

  “Daddy wake up?” She was barely understandable, she was sobbing so hard.

  “Yes. Yes, he’s waking up. They want to take the tube out so he can talk to you, okay? He’s gonna want to talk to you when he wakes up.” He kept patting her back, feeling hugely ineffectual.

  “Brock?” That voice was familiar, as was the bearded face that appeared. Jack. Jesus. Jack had been Eric’s best friend for years. Years.

  Josie’s head popped up. “Unc!”

  Jack’s arms opened and Josie reached for him, cuddling in. “Shh. Shh, Joserino. You’re okay. You’re okay, baby.”

  Brock found himself irrationally resenting the fact that Jack was successfully calming her when he hadn’t been able to. Last night had just been a fluke after all. It shouldn’t have bothered him like it did; it wasn’t like he and Eric were still a couple or looking to get back together again. Eric had needed his help, he’d provided it. End of story.

  “Hey, Jack.” He gave the man a nod.

  “Hey. How is he? I drove out as soon as I could find someone to stay with Jennie. She’s due any day, and with the other four, I can’t leave her….” Jack blinked as Josie turned, diving for Brock’s arms. “Easy!”

  “Bee! Want Bee now!”

  “Oof!” He grabbed hold of her, though, pleased beyond what was reasonable. “I’ve got you, honey.”

  “Bee.” She settled in, then pointed, imperiously. “Daddy. See my daddy.”

  Jack chuckled. “Wow. I didn’t know you and Eric were… you know.”

  “When the doctor says we can. It’ll be soon.” He answered Josie while he tried to decide what to say to Jack. He finally settled on, “Eric needed my help.”

  “Oh. I… I didn’t. I mean, I knew you were his next of kin, but she seemed to know you and….”

  Brock let an eyebrow rise. Next of kin. That was good to know. That meant he got to decide for Eric, and that meant his lawyer definitely had some ammunition if Ann or El got it into their heads to fight him on Eric and Josie’s care. “Eric asked me to take her, so I did.” He gave Jack a smile. “Things have been a bit crazy the last twenty-four hours or so.”

  “I bet. How can I help?”

  “Frankly, I don’t know. Eric’s waking up in there—once Josie’s talked to him, I need to get some stuff sorted, get my place ready for her and her daddy.”

  “Do you want to go in? I’ll hold her.”

  “Yeah, I’d like to see how he’s doing. He was on the verge of waking up, thanks to her.”

  “Joserino. C’mere. We’ll go have a walk, maybe go to the potty?”

  Josie went easily, reaching for Jack.

  “Thanks, man.” God, how had Eric dealt with Josie full-time on his own? She was cute, but she was exhausting.

  “Anytime.”

  Josie waved frantically. “Bye-bye, Bee!”

  “Bye, honey.” He was still smiling as he went
into Eric’s room.

  Eric was surrounded by nurses and doctors, the man grunting and struggling, eyes wild.

  “Christ.” He pushed his way in enough to grab Eric’s hand. “Hey, baby. Baby. Look at me here.”

  “Josie?” Those eyes caught his. “You. You’re here. My baby. You have to help me.”

  “Hey, Eric, it’s all right. Jack is taking Josie to the potty. As soon as the doctors say it’s okay, she’s going to come in and see you. That means you have to relax and calm down, though.” He squeezed Eric’s hand.

  “Brock. Brock. Brock.”

  “Yeah, baby. I’m here. You needed my help, yeah?”

  Eric nodded, clinging to him.

  “I’ve got you. And as soon as they spring you—you and Josie are coming to my place, okay? It’s….” God, more defensible might freak Eric back out. “Easier.”

  “I…. She’s okay? Is she in day care? I don’t….”

  “Sir, the doctor needs to examine him.”

  “You think the doctor can do that while he’s frantic about his little girl?” He glared at the nurse, using his best boardroom look. He turned back to Eric, squeezed his hand. “Jack’s got her right now. And then I’m taking her home with me.”

  “Okay. Okay. Love you, Bee. I swear.” Eric’s eyes closed slowly.

  Fuck. That hit him like a thousand volts. That trust, that love.

  “I’ll be here when the doctor’s done with you,” he growled.

  “Uh-huh.”

  The doctors and nurses started swarming. He took a step, pressing his back against the wall.

  One of the younger nurses came over, offered him a smile. “Do you have any questions?”

  “Is he all right, and when can I bring his daughter in to see him?”

  “He’s going to have a long recovery, but he recognized you, he’s talking, he’s breathing on his own. He’s going to recover. Give them a few minutes to clean him up and change the bandages and you can bring her in. He tore some of the stitches a little.”

  “Here.” He dug a card out of his wallet and handed it to her. “Can you have someone ask for Stephanie and tell her what she’s going to need for my apartment for his recovery, please.”

  “I’ll give this to our liaison. She’s a miracle worker.”

  “Okay. Thanks. How long before I can bring him home?” Where Eric would be safe.

  “I’d guess three or four days, if there’s someone there to help him.”

  “There will be.” He was hiring a nurse—full-time if necessary.

  “Excellent. I—” She stopped as Eric cried out for him.

  “Brock! Brock, help me!”

  He strode over to the bed, not caring who he had to push out of the way. “Eric? I’m here.”

  “Bee. I’m in a bed. My baby… something. I can’t. I can’t think.”

  A hugely tall man in a white jacket touched his arm. “His memory is a bit off, especially regarding the day of the shooting.”

  Ah, that explained why Eric seemed to think they were still together. He leaned over and stroked Eric’s face. “You got shot, baby. I don’t want you to worry about a thing, though, okay? You know me—I’m going to take care of everything.”

  “My papers. My papers are in my desk at home. The legal stuff. In case. Bee, you have to know I still love you. Fuck, I hurt.”

  “Shh. Once I get Josie settled, I’m calling my lawyer. Everything’s taken care of, I swear.” He made sure he had Eric’s eyes. “You know me—when I say I take care of it, it’s taken care of. Now you need to pull it together, because that little girl wants nothing more in this world but to see her daddy.”

  “Tell me you heard me. Please.”

  “I heard you, Eric.” How could he not have?

  “Okay.” Eric seemed to go boneless. “Okay.”

  “Right. You listen to the doctor now so he can pronounce you ready to see Josie.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.” He parroted the word, then squeezed Eric’s hand and once again stepped out of the way.

  It wasn’t long before they were ushering Brock out, closing the curtain around Eric. Shit. He didn’t like that. He stared through the window, feeling a little like Josie.

  God, had it just been yesterday that his life was normal? He’d been on his way out to go deep-sea fishing. Now here he was, worrying over an ex-lover and a baby girl. Crazy.

  “Bee! Bee, I wan’ see Daddy!” There was only so long they were going to be able to keep her up here before a nurse made them leave.

  They still had the curtain drawn around Eric’s bed, so Brock turned and went to meet Jack and Josie, arms open.

  “Bee!” She pointed. “My daddy!”

  He knew his eyes had gone wide, but he still took her, let her wrap her little arms around her neck.

  She settled in. “Daddy, Bee. See Daddy ’gain.”

  Oh man, he’d thought she was calling him Daddy. He gave her a relieved smile. “I know, honey. We just have to wait for the doctors to stop looking at him—they wanted to see your daddy, too.”

  “My daddy.” She patted his chest. “My Bee. My daddy Bee.”

  He hoped he didn’t look as panicked as he felt.

  She kept singsonging softly, the words getting fainter as she got heavier. When he looked down, she was asleep, and Jack was coming out of Eric’s room. “They say she can see him now.”

  He snorted. “Your timing is impeccable. Look, could you do me a favor, man? Eric said that the legal paperwork’s at his—”

  “I’ve got copies of everything, just in case. You need them?”

  “Yes, if you don’t mind.” He was reluctant to call El to have her pick them up.

  “Not at all.” Jack nodded toward Josie. “You sure you want to wake her up?”

  “No, but I’m going to have to.” Because, if she could see him, that’s what they were going to do. There was a limit to how long she could stay in the hospital. Hell, technically she was still a patient at Children’s.

  He really needed to get that call in to Stephanie to get his place cleared up. He’d bet she could find him someone to help look after Josie, too. With it all playing out in his head, he took Josie back into Eric’s room.

  Eric was blinking, barely awake, but when he saw Josie, he tried to sit up.

  “Just lie there. I’ll bring her to you.”

  He nudged his shoulder, bobbing it against Josie’s head to try to wake her up. “Hey, Josie. Your daddy’s awake now.”

  “Jo….” Eric smiled, eyes moving over Josie. “Oh, she’s good. She’s okay. Oh, Bee. I was so fucking scared.”

  Josie whimpered, shook her head.

  “It’s okay now, though. Josie’s good, you’re good.” He jiggled Josie a bit. “Come on, Josie. You want to see your daddy.”

  “Daddy….” She looked over, then reached for Eric, almost toppling over.

  One of the nurses stepped forward. “He can’t….”

  “I will. She’s my daughter.”

  Brock knew that stubborn set of lips. “Okay, okay. Shift over enough that I can sit on the bed with you.”

  “Daddy! Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy.” She wriggled and pulled, cries becoming more desperate.

  Eric held his arms open. “Jo.”

  Brock let her go.

  He grinned, watching the reunion.

  “Oh, Josie. Oh, I was so….” Eric sobbed once, lips on Josie’s dark hair.

  “Daddy. Daddy, Bee comed. Bee helped. Daddy Bee.”

  Eric nodded. “That’s right, Josie. Bee came.”

  Brock tilted his head. “Of course I came.” He shot Eric a look. “Though I’m trying to work out why she would expect me to.”

  Eric had the good grace to look ashamed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Uh-huh.” He didn’t believe that for a second.

  “Love you, sweet girl.”

  Josie was clinging, talking, patting Eric’s cheeks.

  Brock let it go
. There would be plenty of time to get to the bottom of all this.

  It wasn’t long at all before both father and daughter were asleep together. Now there was a picture that fit just right.

  He slipped out to make the calls he needed to get his place ready for that picture.

  Chapter Three

  BROCK PATTED himself on the back. He hired good fucking people.

  Stephanie arranged to have his apartment childproofed and a nanny she trusted hired. She’d spoken to the hospital, knew what was needed for Eric to be able to stay with Brock after release. There would be a little bed for Josie.

  Jack had come back with a huge sheaf of legal paperwork, a car seat, and a bag of little-girl clothes and toiletries, along with some puzzle books and a huge, soft robe for Eric. There were flowers and balloons coming from Eric’s coworkers, toys coming from everywhere (those he had rerouted to his place), and his PR manager, Norman Chestnut, was downstairs, dealing with the media angle and keeping his name, so far, out of it.

  Brock spoke to the police and to Gordon’s people; there would be a twenty-four-hour guard on his door as well.

  Everything sorted, he headed back into Eric’s room.

  Eric was sound asleep, Josie clinging to him, sucking her thumb. He wasn’t about to wake them. He figured they’d stay right here until the hospital kicked him and Josie out. Stephanie or the lawyer had dealt with getting Josie checked out of the children’s hospital, so they were good to go on that front.

  He turned to go; he should make some more calls, get a bit of work done while he could.

  “Bee?” Josie’s voice sounded as he opened the door. “Hung’y. Bee.”

  He stopped and went back to the bed. “Hey, Josie. If you’re ready to leave, I’ll take you home and we can get food on the way.” Little kids liked McDonald’s, right?

  “’Kay. Daddy! Daddy, we go home!” She reached down to shake Eric, and Eric whimpered softly.

  “Careful, honey. You need to be gentle with Daddy, okay?” He patted Eric’s cheek softly. “Come on, baby, wake up long enough to say goodbye to Josie.”

  “Daddy. Daddy, we go home.”

  Eric’s eyes fluttered open. “Home? Okay. Okay, Jo. Let’s go.”