The doctor, who did not have the best bed side manner to begin with, was getting tired of answering to the mob boss and this biker thug. “Oh, you believe? And where did you get your medical degree? How about I won’t tell you how to beat a RICO charge and you don’t tell me how to treat a patient?”
Riker, who had been itching for a fight, leapt up ready to beat the fuck out of the superior acting piece of shit doctor. But before Riker could get to him, Gianni shocked the hell out of Riker by beating him to it. While Riker watched on, Gianni slammed Cahill against the wall, then pressed the elbow of his heavily starched, white dress shirt into the doctor’s throat.
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? You self-righteous, egotistical, cocksucker.” Gianni’s voice was low and rife with promised violence.
The physician gave Gianni a look of startled outrage but when he tried to open his mouth, Gianni pressed tighter against his larynx. “Make no fucking mistake, my niece doesn’t walk out of this hospital alive? Neither do you. Now, you want to tell us why Gia hasn’t woken up. And you want to tell us in nice polite, clear terms. Or I will crush your larynx, and have you rolled out in a body bag.” Gianni shrugged. “Makes no difference to me. This place is crawling with doctors. They’re like ants at a church picnic.”
Just then Nurse Nightingale arrived at the hospital room door. Riker moved in front of her. “We need a minute here.” She looked past Riker to see the doctor being shoved up against the wall with an elbow to his throat. Her look of surprise quickly turned to a gleam of satisfaction. Nurse Nightingale gave Riker an undisguised look of approval and an efficient nod. Then she muttered low enough for only Riker to hear. “It’s about time someone put that pompous ass in his place.” Nightingale made a great show of looking looked down at the fully stocked medicine cart. She said aloud with cunning, “Oh dear, it appears I have forgotten to put juice on the tray. It looks like I’ll have to go back to the nurse’s station on the second floor. I will be back in… oh… let’s say about ten minutes or so.” As the stern Nurse turned sharply on her heels and headed down the hallway, Riker could have sworn he heard her humming.
Gianni still had his elbow dug into Cahill’s throat and didn’t seem to be willing to let him go anytime soon. Riker understood the inclination, he felt like killing someone too. It took a few minutes more for Gianni to release the doctor. The physician slumped into a chair and clawed at his throat in an effort to catch his breath. Gianni gave him a look of pure contempt, then poured a glass of ice water from Gia’s bedside stand and handed it to the doctor After a brief hesitation, the doctor gulped down the water. Riker could see that his hand was shaking.
“I know that you are concerned about your niece’s condition. The only thing I can tell you is that Gia will wake up when she is ready.” Riker let out a low growl and Gianni arched an eyebrow in displeasure. The doctor went on to quickly add, “I know it’s probably not what you expected or want to hear, but it’s the truth.”
“Explain.” Riker demanded.
“Coming out of a coma, even one that is chemically induced, is tricky business. It’s like switching on a light with a dimmer rather than a switch. It’s a slow process that can take days or sometimes even weeks. In a case of head and brain injuries like Gia has, it can sometimes take months. There’s just no way of knowing.”
“Months?” Riker felt his stomach tighten into a hard knot and he felt like he was going to be sick. “That’s fucking unacceptable.”
“I’m not saying it will take that long. I’m not saying that at all.” The doctor put his hands up and backed away until his back hit the hard wall. “There’s just not a one size fits all when it comes to this kind of thing. The condition that Gia is in, along with the measures that we have had to employ in order to keep her stable, can be very painful. Gia has been given a combination of sedatives and opiates in order for her to be able to tolerate the mechanical ventilation and breathing tube. And because sedatives and opiates accumulate in the body and are not able to get out of her body system immediately after they have been taken away, there is often a delay in “waking up.”
“So, this is normal?” Riker pushed.
“We don’t like to use that word in medicine, Mr. Devlin.” The doctor hedged.
Riker leaned in and growled at him. “Again, with the bullshit none-answer?”
“As I said these things are difficult to determine, but by all indications, Gia should be waking up soon.”
“And if not?” Gianni asked.
“Then we wait. Now if you will excuse me, I have other patients to attend to.” Cahill made a quick exit out the door.
“It’s the three P’s.” Nurse Nightingale told him.
“Pissed off, Panicked and Pacing?” Riker muttered as he circled the bed where Gia lay without moving except for the occasional twitch.
“Positivity, Persistence, and Patience.” Nurse Nightingale raised her eyebrow and put her hand on her hip. Then she lowered her voice. “Honey, I’ve been at this a long time, probably too long and I’ve seen them come and go. I know that Cahill can be an arrogant dickhead.” Here Nurse Nightingale paused and gave Riker a knowing wink. Riker raised an eyebrow and almost smiled in response. She continued on. “But your wife’s in good hands. This is a teaching hospital and we have students from all over the world, and a medical staff full of geniuses. We’re taking good care of your sweetheart, but a bit of praying wouldn’t hurt you either.” Then she walked over to her patient and smoothed Gia’s hair gently. “You’ve got a beautiful baby boy and this big, strong man waiting on you to wake up, honey. You do your best to find your way back to them.”
All eyes turned to Gia in expectant hope, but except for a small twitch in her left eye, there was nothing.
Gia felt like as if she were floating on a deep dark cloud. Like she was caught in a velvety net where sensory was non-existent. It wasn’t entirely an unpleasant feeling to… just be. Time was a fluid thing trapped in the “neither here nor there.” Sometimes, Gia would get a small glimpse of “the someplace else.”
“The someplace else” was a world of flashing light, blurred images, and hushed voices. In this place Gia’s senses slowly came back to her. Sometimes Gia could feel a gentle touch on her cheek or soft kiss placed against her hair. She could smell the sweet scent of lilacs mixed with the stinging astringent of industrial cleaner. And there were times when Gia thought she heard her name, moments when she could almost see through the veil that separated this life and the other.
It was the strangest sensation of being caught somewhere in between.
But through it all there remained a warm presence, comforting, strong, and steady. A fixed point that stood straight and tall when everything else seemed to be drifting and tumbling in a thick fog. Once or twice, Gia tried to reach out and capture some of that strength and hold it for her own, but her arms were leaden weights bound to the earth by chains and shackles. Sometimes in the far off distance she could hear what sounded like the mewling sound of a small kitten or the soft hiccup of a baby crying.
It was almost midnight. A thick fog had settled outside and was pressing against the hospital window. Valentina had fallen asleep on the small couch next to Gia’s bed. The walls seemed to be closing in on Riker. His eyes were blood shot, his beard was overgrown, his hair unkempt, and his knuckles swollen and bloody from punching the concrete wall of the hospital whenever Nurse Nightingale forced him to go outside for a few minutes.
He still had not seen the baby, although he wanted to. More than anything he wanted to go to his son, but Riker was afraid.
Scared to death.
He had this horrible, nagging feeling that if he should do that, if he should step up and begin the journey to fatherhood alone, that he would always be alone. In saner moments, Riker believed what the doctor had said, that Gia would wake when her body was ready. In his crazy, insane moments Riker feared that Gia was waiting for him to step up, to become a father to their baby so that she coul
d leave this world for the next. If there was even a chance that Gia could see what was going on, Riker wanted her to see that he couldn’t, that he wouldn’t, raise the child alone without her.
He knew that the baby had finally been moved out of NICU and was coming along even better than expected. If the infant continued on this positive road, he would be released soon to go home.
Home.
What did that even mean without Gia by his side? Riker had no idea how he was going to handle it. He had taken a rare respite and now sat on the bench right outside the hospital door. The air felt cool and clean against his skin, the fog blanketed him in a quiet cocoon. The stillness of the night gave Riker the quiet time he needed to breathe. He took a couple of sips of the dark, bitter coffee that had become a dietary mainstay and leaned back on the bench wishing he had a smoke.
Riker lifted his chin toward the big man who suddenly emerged from the shadows. “Hey, boss.”
Prosper plopped down hard on the bench. “So, you done feeling sorry for yourself?” Prosper asked without preamble.
Riker’s head snapped around “Me? You talking to me?”
“Who the else would I be talking to?”
“I don’t know.” Riker’s eyes glittered with fury. “But I can pretty much guarantee that I’m too fucking busy watching over my comatose wife to feel sorry for myself. And only a real asshole would say that to a guy in my position, so I know you couldn’t have been talking to me.”
“Watch yourself, brother.” Prosper warned.
“No, boss. With all respect, you watch yourself. Because I’m hanging on by a goddamn thread, and it’s not gonna take a whole lot to push me over the edge.”
Prosper snorted. “Yeah? You sitting there, hour after hour, day after day, while the doctors keep telling you that she’s gonna wake up when she’s ready? You know what’s that’s called? It’s called self-indulgent bullshit. Are you hiding out in that room, Riker? If Gia could see the shit you’ve been pulling she’d shoot your balls off. How much longer are you gonna wait until you see your son? How long are you gonna leave him to the hands of goddamn strangers?”
“He’s not with strangers. Dolly and her crew have been taking turns in the nursery. They have a schedule or something. They’ve been keeping me informed.”
“Oh, they’ve been keeping you informed? Have they?” Prosper snorted. “You know he’s supposed to be leaving the hospital tomorrow afternoon?”
“Already?” Riker scrubbed a shaking hand through his hair.
“What the hell do you mean already? Kid’s been fighting for his goddamn life for weeks now with no help from his old man.” Prosper snarled.
“Why you busting my balls, boss? What the fuck do you want me to do?”
“I want you to act like a father, shit-head.” Prosper shot back. “From now on, the women have been put on notice. No one touches your kid, nobody feeds your kid, nobody looks through the damn window at your kid, but you. Nobody. So, you’re going to go home, take a long, hot shower and get rid of that beard so it don’t scratch your kid’s face. Valentina, Dolly, Gianni and I have got Gia covered so you can take the time you need to bring your son home. The boys put together the baby furniture, painted and all the rest, so you’ve got a nice room waiting for the kid. Pinky stocked the refrigerator. Aside from the staples like butter, cheese, milk and eggs, there’s also a couple of weeks’ worth of casseroles, roasted chicken, salad stuff and god only knows what else. Khrystyna Gideon dropped off diapers, formula, bottles and a sterilizer. Pinky is gonna be waiting for you at the house and show you how to use the baby monitor and all the other stuff that you need to know about. But that’s all she’s gonna be there for. As a matter of fact, I got her on a fifteen minute tight rope. She’s gonna call me when you show up with your son, and she’s gonna call me when she’s on her way home.”
“Jesus.” Riker muttered. “A time limit, really? Whatever. You done now?”
“Nope, and not even close. My truck has one of them infant car seats in it and it’s waiting in the parking lot. I’m gonna go back in and sit with Gia now. You’re gonna go home and get some shut-eye. Then you’re gonna shower and shave like I just told you to do. After you’re cleaned up and your belly’s full with a good, healthy breakfast, you’re gonna come back here and pick up your boy.”
Prosper paused and let his words sink in. When he continued his tone was much gentler. “Pinky and I have always wanted a kid of our own. We’ve been blessed in a shitload of ways. Finding Pinky saved my life and I thank the good lord every day that that woman saw something in me worth taking a chance on. We tried like hell, but we couldn’t have any kids of our own. Then by the goddamn grace of God, Claire and Raine found their way back to us. We love them like they are our own. And what I’m going to say to you doesn’t lessen that love, not one fucking bit. You get that?”
“I get it.” Riker nodded.
“What I’m trying, in my long-ass way to say, is that my woman and I never had the chance that you’ve been given now. You’ve been given a gift, brother. Whatever happens next, try and remember that.”
Then Prosper, stood up and walked away. Before he took two steps, the night swallowed him up as if he had never even been there.
The next morning Riker got up early and found the refrigerator full to brimming. Much to his own surprise, he was starving. He made an enormous breakfast which consisted of a four egg, cheese and veggie omelet, a rasher of bacon, half a dozen pieces of whole wheat toast, two cups of really good coffee, and a quart of orange juice. After he had shaved, showered, and changed into freshly laundered clothes, Riker had headed into the hospital. Now he stood right outside the nursery window. The babies were all lined up in those little see-through cribs on wheels. Each one had a name taped to the back of the acrylic basin.
Baby Boy Devlin.
Riker felt such a powerful shot to his chest that for a moment he stumbled backwards. Then he took a tentative step forward and pressed his nose against the glass. All the other babies were sleeping. and his kid was wide awake. Riker just sat on the other side of the window grinning like a fool at his son. A young, pretty girl in scrubs came to the window and smiled at Riker, then she pointed to the door and made a motion for him to come in.
“He’s been waiting for you, I think.” She said softly to Riker. “Your family has been in holding him, but he’s a restless little guy. No one can seem to be able to get him to sleep and when he does sleep, he doesn’t stay asleep long enough.” She frowned. “He’s doing great otherwise. His color is good, he’s taking the bottle and his breathing is stable. But babies, especially those who have had to face the kinds of challenges your little guy has gone through? They require lots and lots of sleep to help them grow. I’m not quite sure what’s going on with him, but this lack of sleep is unusual and it’s going to catch up with him. I set up a sleep journal that you can take home with you. Bring it to his first well baby care appointment.”
Riker nodded thinking of his nieces and nephews that’s all they did in the beginning was piss, poop, drain a bottle and sleep for hours and hours on end. He felt himself filling with worry-based anger.
“Maybe there’s something else wrong with him. Like maybe he’s in pain or something.” Riker shot out.
You’re the doctor. Figure it the fuck out. He narrowed his eyes at this idiot who looked more like a Victoria Secret model or a classed- up version of a waitress at Hooters than a member of the medical staff. And on closer examination, she was way too young to boot. She was wearing Winnie the Pooh scrubs under a white coat. Around her neck was a stethoscope which rested on a set of double D breasts. On her hip she wore a lanyard with her hospital identification card… Dr. Kay.
“You have got to be kiddin’ me.” Riker growled. “You got a guy somewhere who can handle this? Somebody older than the last piss I took? Somebody who looks like they cracked a book instead of spending the night waitressing at Johnny B’s?”
Dr. Kay didn’t blink an eye a
t the strip club reference. She sighed with equal amounts of resignation and boredom. Then muttered. “Like I’ve never heard that before.” The young doctor gave Riker a long, slow look from head to toe. “I would think that a guy as big as you are, as mean- looking as you are, and as inked up as you are, would know better than to make snap judgements based on someone’s appearance.”
Riker folded his arms across his chest. “Well, you sure as hell don’t inspire a whole lot of confidence. Hard to believe you’re an M.D. You look more like a junior pageant queen with big knockers.”
“Yes, Mr. Devlin, I have big knockers and I’m younger than 90% of the staff here. I also graduated from Harvard Med at twenty-one years old and have an IQ of 145. If you have a problem with my age or my appearance, then I can get you a doctor who is older than I am, uglier than I am and male. But I can guarantee he will not be as persistent as I am, as determined as I am, or as intelligent as I am.” Dr. Kay mimicked Riker’s stance by folding her own arms against her ample chest. “It’s your call.”
Then she waited.
He scrubbed a hand over his chin. “You really that smart?”
“I’m fucking brilliant.”
“Okay, let’s do this.” Riker nodded.
With that Dr. Kay sprang into action. “I have a whole bagful of samples, booklets and helpful hints that I put together for you to bring home. Now, I thought that you and I could spend some time together this morning before you take him home. I’m going to help you bathe your son and show you the best way to feed him and burp him.
“Ah, okay.” Riker pulled a hand through his hair.
Dr. Kay looked at him with a measure of sympathy. “You’re going to be just fine, Mr. Devlin. Babies are more resilient than you think.” She gestured towards the rocking chair. “First time holding your son you probably will want to be sitting. Now, make sure you support his head. That’s right, gently, just cradle it. That’s perfect.”
Raising Riker (Hells Saints MC) Page 16
