Left Behind (11 page)

I saw the ambulance coming down the long driveway. I popped out of my seat, excited for them to finally be there. Troy called to the nurses to come help the EMTs get Tory in.

Toby hopped out of the back as soon as they stopped. I ran over to him, so I could be with Tory the whole way. When they got him out on the gurney, I couldn’t believe it. It barely looked like him; he’d lost so much weight.
He had so many tubes and IV bags, it really hit home.

Tory was in a coma. They had told me a thousand times, and I heard them and understood, but for some reason, seeing him like that made everything real. This wasn’t going to be some fairy tale. My Tory was hurt and I didn’t know what to do.

“It’s going to be ok
ay
, Pea.” Toby said, wiping the tears away that I didn’t even realize were there.

We wal
ked beside the gurney until we
got to the steps of the porch , then we fell in behind the EMTs following them through the entry way, past the living room and dining area, to the study. I stood in the corner with Toby on one side and Troy on the other, watching as the EMTs and nurses worked together to transfer Tory to the bed. The EMT’s left after the nurses signed the transfer papers.

Jordan and James came in and joined us in the corner of the room.

“Hey, man.” Jordan said to Toby, giving him a slap on the back. “Did everything go alright on the way?”

“Yeah, smooth as silk.” He said
tiredly
.

They talked some more, but my attention stayed on Tory. When all was set, the nurses left to talk to Toby and Troy in the other room. James and Jordan left to give me time alone with Tory. I couldn’t talk to him, so I just went to the bed, climbed on the left side away from the monitors and IVs, and put my arms around him to hold him while I cried and prayed for him to wake up. I hadn’t prayed for a long time before I found out about Tory, never felt myself worthy of prayer, but I knew he was. God would listen for him. I would get my Tory back. After all the tears were extinguished, I fell in to the first dreamless sleep I’d had since escaping Blain. In my Tory’s arms.

I woke up more refreshed than I’d been in so long. I hadn’t dreamed at all that I could remember. I looked around and saw that it was night time. There was a lamp on in the corner on a table between two wingback leather chairs, currently occupied with heavy breathing Toby and a snoring Troy.

The last time we had all slept in the same room was after a pool tournament we’d had up in the loft. All six of us, including my brothers, got smashed and just ended up sleeping wherever we’d fallen. I had woken up the next morning drooling on Tory’s chest. I had been mortified, but I played it off, teasing him about the ‘spit bath’
I had given him .

Tory and I had always played like that. Thinking of him, I turned back to face him. He looked so peaceful, like he was just asleep a nd would wake anytime, but I noticed how hollow his eyes looked. He was thinner, but still in no way small. I saw that he had a scar on his face just like mine except that it ran from his temple, over his eye and down to his chin, long ways, while mine was more across the side of my face.

I knew I shouldn’t, but I had to check him for any other injuries. I slid the blanket off of him, and saw three recent looking pinkish red scars that looked like gunshot wounds.
There was what looked like a stab wound that was completely healed, looking like it was an older scar.
Other than some normal cut and scrape scars on his legs, I didn’t see anything else. He had boxers on, and I wouldn’t stoop as low as to pull those off.
As I covered him back up, I heard shuffling coming from the corner of the room.

“You finally got some sleep, I see.” Toby whispered coming over to where we were laying. “We didn’t wake you for lunch or dinner because James told us you hadn’t slept like that in years. None of us wanted to disturb that.” He put his hand on Tory’s arm and started rubbing absently, I think just to reassure himself that he was there. “So, were you molesting Little brother here?” He smirked.

I blushed, but I was too lazy to
use
my hands to answer, so I just pulled the blankets back down to where his chest was uncovered, and put my fingers softly on his scars, looking back at Toby.

“Yeah, I know. That happened this last time that put him here.” He said pointing to the most recent of the scars. Pointing to the others, he said, “This happened about a year and a couple of months ago.” He had this faraway look in his eyes as he was telling me. He was looking down at Tory, but not seeing him. “He had been caught, and he was held as a shield in front of the enemy. Luckily this is all that happened before someone from his team snuck up from behind and took the man out. It could have been a lot worse.”

I nodded. I realized that I was a very lucky woman to have them all still here. Even if Tory was in a coma, he was alive, which meant that there was hope. I just lay there, running my fingers over his hair that someone had obviously just cut into a buzz-cut style.

Toby looked at me. I could tell he
was
debating whether or not to say something to me, so I just rolled my hand in the air with a ‘come on and spit it out’ kind of motion. “I was going to wait until you felt comfortable coming to me to talk about things, but its killing me, and I have to know what that bast…” He looked away taking a breath before turning back to me. “What did he do to you?”

I looked down, trying to stop the tears that had gathered in my eyes from falling. I knew that I would eventually tell them. Maybe not all of it, but most. I just couldn’t yet, but after looking at Tory’s scars, I knew that they wouldn’t think I looked ugly with all my scars. I knew they had reacted better than expected to my face and throat, but my body was worse. I wouldn’t show the carvings or my back. I wasn’t ready for that, but I did pull my flannel shirt out of my jeans and showed my stomach. It was the least scarred part of me. I hadn’t even showed my brothers. They had seen some of it in the hospital, but not all of it.

With Toby’s reaction, I’m glad I hadn’t. “Son of a bitch!!” He yelled, making me jump, and I fell out of the bed.

Troy came running asking what happened. They both came, I thought to help me up, but Toby just ripped my shirt open to show Troy what he’d seen, which showed them my chest also . I couldn’t look at them, and I was crying full out now, but I heard Troy’s gasp. A couple of seconds later I heard a loud crash . When I looked up, I saw that Troy had punched a hole in the wall.

This was what I had been afraid of. I lay back down on the floor, curled into a ball, and turned away from them. I was sobbing so hard now; I couldn’t calm down and started hyperventilating. I heard voices around me, but I couldn’t separate who said what. Next thing I knew, I was in Jordan’s arms. He was carrying me to the room he was staying in. He pulled my shirt back on right, laid me down on the bed, and got in behind me and hugged me to him. James had obviously been there too, because got in the bed in front of me, whispering that it would be alright, stroking my hair.

I don’t know what happened to me. Everyone sounded far off and I couldn’t focus on James when I tried to look at him. It was like my vision was twitching. I saw his lips move as I guess he said something to Jordan . The bed dipped and moved behind me as Jordan got off the bed. A few minutes later, I felt a sting on the back of my upper arm. Jordan injected me with something. I couldn’t believe he did that. He knew my fear of needle s and injections, but a minute later, I knew why. My breathing evened out, and I was able to hear what was going on.

“Are you alright now?” James asked.

I nodded, put my arms around him to hug him to me, and rested my head against his chest. He just held me for a while, Jordan getting back in behind me, hugging be from behind. I finally calmed all the way down and was feeling better.

I knew Toby didn’t do that to hurt me. He was just shocked. I couldn’t blame him, I was hideous. I started to get up and my brothers loosened their grip to let me.

‘I’m hungry, what time is it?’
I signed.

“Three fifteen in the morning.” James answered. “You missed a couple meals, but you were finally sleeping so peacefully that me and J didn’t want to wake you up.” He looked at me, and I could see the tears in his eyes that he wouldn’t let fall. I knew he was concerned for me.

‘
I’m
alright,
don’t worry.’

He nodded and gave me a hug. “I love you, Sissy.” He whispered in my hair.

Jordan took me from him and gave me a bear hug, “Let me in on the love, Sis.” He said, making me laugh, which was his intention.

We all headed to the kitchen and I set out to make a breakfast casserole. Toby and Troy must have heard the guys talking because they came into the room hesitantly.
They both smiled at me, but it didn’t reach their eyes. I knew if they ever saw everything, that they’d start treating me different. I was too damaged.

I turned back to the granite counter top to prepare the early breakfast for everyone. I was trying not to think about anything. Too many things had been happening, and I didn’t know if I could handle anymore. I was still planning on using the keyboard so Tory could hear my voice, but after seeing the state he was in, my head was no longer in the clouds. I knew that it would take more than me talking to him to wake him up. What state would he be in when he did wake? Would he be able to get up and walk around, or would he need physical therapy? Would he still have his memories? Would he even remember me? If he would just wake up, I wouldn’t care about all that stuff. Even if he didn’t remember me, I would still do anything he needed me to do. I hated the waiting and the not knowing, and it had not even been twenty four hours yet.

And then there was the fact that Blain was watching me, and I didn’t know which way to go with that. Did I leave and try to get him to follow me away from the guys, or did I do what they wanted and let them watch over and protect me. I knew which option I
wanted
to go with, but that was for selfish reasons. I knew it would be better for them if I left. I decided to wait until Tory woke up and I could see he would be alright before I left.
I would not leave him behind until I knew he would be alright .

I really didn’t want to leave anyone behind. I knew all too well how that felt, but they had their reasons for leaving me then, and now I have mine.

I was so into my thoughts I didn’t hear Toby and Troy approaching until I felt their arms come around me. They each bent down to put their chins on either of my shoulders.

“Please forgive me, Pea. I shouldn’t have done that to you.” Toby said softly. “It’s your place to show whom you will, and I violated the trust you gave in showing me. I am so sorry.”

“And I’m sorry for scaring you.” Troy added. “I was just so pissed at what that bastard did to you…No, that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have blown up like that, and I’m sorry.”

I turned in their arms
, putting my arms around each of them, and kissed their cheeks to let them know I was alright, and I forgave them. Troy ran his fingers lightly down my cheek, and kissed me softly. Then Toby turned my head to him and kissed me, running his tongue on my bottom lip asking for entrance, and I granted it to him.

“Ahhhh, come on, Sis! Not in front of us. That is not an image I want stuck in my head.” Jordan said, making a horrified face while James was chuckling.

The two trips went
back and sat down at the table
so I could finish breakfast .
When I had the casserole out of the oven, and had the waffles ready, I made the plates and carried them to the table along with my bowl of grits. Conversations stopped as everyone dug into the food. I finished my grits and got up to start on dishes, but Jordan stopped me.

“I finished your keyboard last night. I tested it
, and it works great. Sounds just like you.” He said smiling.

I jumped up and down clapping my hands, but stopped and blushed as I realized I was acting like a five year old.
I forgot about the dishes, as I picked it up and walked to the study. When I got there and looked toward the bed, I dropped the keyboard at the sight.

I couldn’t believe it. Tory’s eyes were open, his head turned toward the door. I thought he was awake, but as I rushed over to where he was and pushed the button on my bracelet to alert the guys, I noticed he wasn’t moving. His eyes were fixed on a certain spot, not seeing. I looked at his heart monitor and was reassured when I saw the ups and downs of his heart-rate. The monitor was set on silent and would only alert us if his heart-rate changed ; or his other vitals, like oxygen and blood pressure.

Toby and Troy were the first through the door, but as I was turning to them, I noticed a vase of roses on his side table. I froze. I couldn’t breathe. Toby noticed and came to me as Troy went to check on Tory.

“
W
hat happened, Pea?
”

All I could do is point. How did he get in here, especially with all of us right down the hall? I couldn’t take a breath and my vision was turning dark. I couldn’t take it, and thankfully passed out.