It's a Good Life

by Carol Lynne

  Staring up at Sonny’s window, Garron became sleepy. “Night, cowboy.”

  * * * *

  Garron’s phone woke him several hours later. Disoriented, he sat up and fumbled around for his cell. He found it on the floorboard and snatched it up. “Sonny?”

  “No, man, sorry, it’s Ranger.”

  “Oh.” Garron rubbed his eyes. “Am I an uncle?”

  “Yep. Lilly gave us two of the prettiest little girls you’ve ever laid eyes on.”

  Garron thumped the roof of his truck with his fist. “That’s fantastic. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.”

  “How’s everyone doing?” Garron asked.

  “Good. Lilly’s worn out. She said she hopes we’re happy with three girls because she’s done, but I think that was the pain talking. The twins are small, one more so than the other, but the doctor thinks a few days in the NICU and they’ll be fit as fiddles.”

  Garron could hear the pride in Ranger’s voice, but he also detected a hint of worry. “They’ll be fine. You Goods are resilient. Speaking of, before I left the hospital last night Sonny told me to remind you that Rangina was a damn fine name for a little girl.”

  Ranger chuckled. “I love my brother, but that’s a horrible name.”

  “So what have you named them?” Garron turned his truck on and cranked up the heat.

  “We haven’t officially given them any yet, but I’m sure we’ll settle on them today.” There was a brief pause. “So how’s Sonny?”

  Garron wiped the fog off the inside of his windshield and stared up at Sonny’s room. “His room’s dark, so I assume that means he’s sleeping.”

  “What? Are you still at the hospital?” Ranger asked.

  “I couldn’t sleep in that hotel bed, so I spent the night in my truck.” Garron stomped his feet in an effort to get warm.

  “Sounds more comfortable than the hardback chair I spent the night in,” Ranger countered.

  “I also had a better view,” Garron joked.

  “Oh, don’t even get me started on that. It’s the singularly best and worst thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” Ranger whistled. “Let’s just say I’m glad I’m not a woman. Makes me wanna cross my legs just thinking about it.”

  Garron smiled. He’d seen a few births during his years as a cop, so he knew exactly what Ranger was talking about. “Yep, it’s quite a sight.”

  “What time’s Sonny’s surgery?”

  “Eight, but they’re taking him down at seven-thirty.” Garron adjusted the heat and wished he’d brought another blanket.

  “And it’ll last around five hours?” Ranger asked, confirming what Sonny had told him.

  Garron knew Ranger and Ryker would try to make the trip, but they had a wife and two premature daughters to worry about. “Yeah, around there, but you should stay in Lincoln with Lilly and the girls. I’ll update you as it goes along, and if, God forbid, the surgeon runs into a problem, the two of you can come then.”

  “Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. You’re only an hour away. I can leave Ryker here and shoot to Omaha for a few hours. Lilly’s fine, and they say the girls are, too, but Sonny’s not, so that’s where I need to be.”

  Garron rolled his eyes. Having a hard head was also a Good family trait. “All right.”

  “Rawley and Jeb left here an hour ago,” Ranger said. “They’re gonna sleep a few hours before taking care of the chores, but they plan to be in Omaha by nine or so.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll probably head back to the hotel and clean up. I’m hoping they’ll let me in early enough to see Sonny before the surgery.” Garron had talked to the nurse about it and she’d said it always depended who was on duty, but she’d leave a note for the staff with his request.

  “Flash your badge,” Ranger suggested.

  “I will if I have to,” Garron agreed. He took the blanket off his lap and reached for the seatbelt. “Go get a few hours of sleep. If you change your mind about coming up, I swear, no one will think less of you.”

  “I will. I’ll be there, with or without Ryker.”

  “Okay, see ya then.” Garron hung up then sent Sonny a quick text about the newborns. He didn’t expect a response, but before he could put the truck in gear, his phone beeped. Retrieving the phone, Garron smiled.

  When can I see them? Sonny texted.

  Soon, Garron replied. They should be out of the hospital around the same time UR. No word yet on Rangina as a name.

  I miss you, Sonny texted back.

  I’m right outside in the parking lot because I missed U2. Do you want to call me?

  I’m not supposed to have this on in here, and I swear these nurses have superhuman hearing.

  That’s ok. I can talk like this.

  Texting wasn’t the same as hearing Sonny’s voice, but it was the next best thing.

  Hang on, Sonny typed. Within moments, a dim light in the hospital room turned on and Sonny appeared silhouetted in the window.

  ICU, Garron typed.

  ICU2, Sonny answered back. U should sleep. I’ll get a long nap later. U won’t.

  I can sleep tomorrow. Now you hang on.

  Garron put his pickup in gear and moved closer to the building. He parked, got out and went to stand under a light.

  Sonny pressed his palm against the window and Garron held his hand up, lining the two perfectly from his vantage point. A snowflake landed on his cheek and he stared up at the sky before going back to his phone.

  It is snowing.

  IC that. Good sign?

  The best. Garron had to maintain his optimism. I love you. Going to shower and change. I will CU soon.

  Love U.

  Love U2.

  When the snow began to come down harder, Garron climbed in his truck.

  U sleep. I’ll B back.

  OK.

  Garron didn’t put the truck in gear until Sonny had stepped away from the window. He shoved the phone in the pocket of his coat and reminded himself to grab his charger before coming back to the hospital. He felt better after texting with Sonny, lighter somehow. He hoped the feeling would follow him for the rest of the morning.

  * * * *

  Sonny’s face lit up when Garron walked into the small pre-op cubicle. “You’re here.”

  “I’ve been here,” Garron said, bending down to get a kiss. He ran his hand over Sonny’s bare head. “You had them shave it all?”

  Sonny nodded. “Well, they shaved the area for the surgery, and I thought it looked ridiculous, so I had them take it all.”

  Sonny’s freshly shorn head drew more attention to the dark circles under his eyes. The combination had been shocking to Garron when he’d first walked in, but he was proud of himself for covering his reaction as well as he had. He rubbed his cheek across the top of Sonny’s head before straightening to his full height. “Good decision.”

  Sonny gestured to his groin. “They put a catheter in, so the blow job’ll have to wait a day or so.”

  Garron tried his best to keep the mood light. “We’ll make up for it later.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” Sonny warned.

  A nurse came in and held up a syringe. “I have a little something to relax you.”

  “Two, please,” Sonny ordered, holding up his fingers.

  Garron tried to move out of the way, but it was almost impossible in the small space. “I’ll just step outside the curtain until you’re finished.”

  “Actually, we’ll be taking him in just a few minutes, so it would be best if you said your goodbyes,” the nurse said.

  More time. Garron needed more time to say goodbye, and he definitely didn’t want to do it with an audience. He squeezed back into the cubicle and bent to kiss Sonny once more. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  Despite the IV in his arm, Sonny reached for Garron and pulled his head down again. “I’m scared I won’t see you again, and if I do wake up, I’m afraid I won’t be the same person. What if I don’t remember our wedding
again?”

  “Then I’ll keep marrying you until you do.” Garron brushed the tears from Sonny’s pale face. “Dream of me and know that I’ll love you no matter what.”

  “Sir,” the nurse prompted when two others showed up. “They need to take him now.”

  Garron didn’t bother to speak to the woman—his entire focus was on Sonny. “I love you, and we’ll all be here when you wake up, and Ranger will have pictures of the twins to show you.”

  “Their names?” Sonny asked.

  “I’ll let Ranger tell you when you wake up.”

  Sonny made a face. “Not fair.”

  A throat cleared and Garron was forced to step back. “See ya later, cowboy. I love you.”

  “I love you,” Sonny mouthed as Garron was herded out of the room.

  Garron joined their family and friends in the waiting room but didn’t speak. He sat in the chair where he’d set up camp earlier and leaned his head back against the wall, eyes closed.

  “You okay?” Jeb asked.

  Garron blindly reached for his brother’s hand. “The nurse told me he had another seizure right before they brought him down this morning. That’s an episode every day for the last few days.” He opened his eyes and glanced at Jeb. “I just pray this surgery is successful.”

  “It will be,” Jeb soothed. “Rawley and I brought doughnuts. We even managed to find those apple cider cake doughnuts that you like so much.”

  “Thanks. I don’t think my stomach will hold anything right now, but maybe in a bit.” Garron needed to get the fear in Sonny’s eyes out of his head before he could even think of eating something. “Have you heard from Ranger or Ryker?”

  “Yeah, Ryker called Rawley and said they’d be here around ten. They wanna talk to the neo-natal doctor before they leave the hospital.”

  “Understandable.” Garron hadn’t believed the brothers’ presence would turn out to be so important to him, but despite the twins’ own family drama, Garron really wanted them at his side.

  “Would you do me a favor?” Jeb asked.

  “Sure.”

  “I know that I have no right to ask, but I’m really worried about Rawley. He didn’t sleep a wink last night. Instead, he stayed up and looked at the photo albums that were Evelyn’s.” Jeb shook his head. “You’re going through hell right now, so I don’t expect you to reassure him, but I think he feels helpless, and Sonny’s seizure yesterday really freaked him out.”

  Garron glanced at Rawley, who was standing in front of a large TV mounted on the wall. With his hands jammed into his pockets, Rawley’s face was devoid of expression or emotion. Yeah, Garron knew exactly how the oldest brother felt. “I’ll talk to him.”

  “Thank you.”

  Garron stood and approached Rawley. “Help me get these people some coffee to go with the doughnuts you brought.”

  “Sure,” Rawley said, turning away from the television. “The little kiosk in the main lobby wasn’t open when we came in.”

  “I thought we’d go to the cafeteria. I like fancy coffee, but right now some strong black sounds good.”

  “I’m with you there.” Rawley followed Garron out of the family waiting room they’d been assigned to and down the hall.

  “Jeb told me Sonny’s seizure freaked you out,” Garron began.

  “He was fine, talking and laughing then suddenly he was on the floor.” Rawley shook his head. “I was standing five feet away and couldn’t reach him in time to catch him before he fell.” He took off his ever-present cowboy hat and raked his fingers through his hair before re-settling it. “I can’t imagine what it must be like for him. No wonder he’s been so flaky lately. He has absolutely no control over the simplest aspects of his life.”

  Garron had been so busy trying to keep Sonny from hurting himself, he hadn’t fully looked at the situation from Sonny’s point of view. “You’re right,” he said, surprising himself. “Although Sonny’s only complained about the activities that he can no longer do, I would imagine the prospect of dropping to the floor with no notice has to have weighed heavily on his mind.”

  “I’m the oldest. With Mom and Dad gone, it’s my responsibility to take care of my brothers, but I struggle because I’m not in the position to be able to do that anymore.”

  “Of course you are,” Garron argued, pulling Rawley to a stop. “I would never try to take your place in Sonny’s life. He looks up to you. You’re his big brother. I’ll never be that.”

  “I’m not going to lie to you, Garron. Part of me wanted to demand to see him before he went into surgery. Jeb managed to calm me down, but I was ready to take you on.”

  Instead of getting upset, Garron was comforted by Rawley’s vehemence. “You wouldn’t have won that battle, but I appreciate the love that went into the anger.”

  Rawley groaned. “Goddammit, I’m trying to pick a fight with you.”

  “I know, but I also know that getting mad won’t help. Believe me, if it would, Sonny wouldn’t be here right now, because I’ve been pissed for a long time and it hasn’t helped.” Garron laid his hand on Rawley’s shoulder. If Rawley needed to be needed, Garron had the perfect job for him. “I do have a favor to ask.”

  “What?”

  “I know you’ve got your own duties as mayor, but I was hoping I could get you to slip back into your old job on a limited basis while I’m off with Sonny. He’ll need someone to watch him closely for a while to make sure the seizures have been controlled or eliminated. I’d like to take a leave of absence for a couple of months, but I don’t feel right about doing that unless I know you’re in charge.”

  Rawley thought about it for a few moments before answering, “We’ll have to clear it with the city council.”

  “I figured that.” Garron waited for Rawley’s decision. “I can handle some of the paperwork from home, if that helps?”

  Rawley nodded. “I think we’ll be able to swing it.”

  Garron squeezed Rawley’s shoulder before letting go. “Thank you.”

  * * * *

  Garron was sound asleep in the chair when someone shook his shoulder. He jerked awake, eyes going wide to see Ryker standing over him. “What’s wrong?”

  “The volunteer just told us that Sonny’s up in ICU. They’ll let one person in the room for ten minutes every hour until he’s well enough to be transferred to a private room.”

  Garron rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The surgeon had been in earlier to assure them that Sonny had made it through the surgery, and he was optimistic about the results. The hospital wouldn’t let them see Sonny, though, until they’d moved him out of post-op care. Relief had flooded Garron and within minutes of talking to the surgeon, he’d fallen asleep sitting up.

  As much as Garron needed to see his husband, he thought of his previous conversation with Rawley. He gestured to his brother-in-law. “You wanna go up?”

  Rawley shook his head. “I’ll take the next ten-minute spot. Even though he’ll still be asleep, I think you need to see him first.”

  Without another word, Garron was up and on his way to the elevator. His stomach was in knots, as he wondered what he’d face when Sonny eventually opened his eyes. After the shooting, Sonny had been in a nasty, combative mood for weeks, and there had been times when Garron had wondered if their love for each other would see them through.

  He entered the glass-fronted ICU room, and Garron laid eyes on Sonny. In that moment, he knew he had enough love in his heart to deal with anything life with Sonny threw his way.

  Garron had to step around all the equipment in the room to get to Sonny’s bedside. He brushed the skin on Sonny’s jaw with the backs of his fingers as he stared down at the man he loved. “You made it,” he whispered.

  As predicted, Sonny’s eyes remained closed. It would probably be several hours before Sonny was awake and alert enough to recognize him even if the surgery had been a resounding success. He didn’t waste the ten-minute visit studying all the machines hooked up to Sonny. The nursing staff kn
ew what they were doing, and he had no doubt they would let him know if there was a problem.

  He spent the entire time leaning against the bedrail and touching Sonny, first on his face, then his arms and hands. If he had his way, he’d squeeze himself between Sonny and the rail and hold his husband in his arms, but for now, the gentle, reassuring touches would have to do.

  The scar tissue the neurosurgeon had removed was more extensive than they’d thought, but the surgeon felt it wouldn’t hinder the healing process, although he did caution that the scarring could return in the future. Sonny would have to receive regular check-ups, but that was nothing new to them.

  “I hope you’re dreaming.” Garron leaned over the railing and kissed Sonny’s cheek. “My time’s up, but I’ll be back once you wake up. In the meantime, you have three brothers downstairs who need to see you.”

  He hated to leave Sonny’s side, but even the short visit had been enough to reassure him.

  * * * *

  Sonny watched Garron fuss with his lunch tray and kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t easy for him to silently accept Garron’s help, never had been, but things felt different this time. His mind was as sharp as it had ever been. His body would need some therapy, but not much, according to the occupational therapist who had evaluated him earlier in the day. “I don’t want that,” he told Garron.

  “Why?” Garron held up the chocolate pudding. “You love this stuff.”

  “I used to love it before I started eating it twice a day. Now, all I want is a big barbeque beef sandwich with a side of fries.”

  “Tomorrow,” Garron assured him. “For now, you need to eat what they give you.”