Surge (51 page)

“Olivia?” I ask excitedly and sprint for the bed.

Cory’s whispering to her, as if it were her ears are what were injured, but fuck that. I’m much too wound up for that shit. What I really want to do is bounce onto the bed, hug, and kiss every inch of her. Definitely can’t happen, so I resume my seat and stare at her like a creeper.

“What happened?” Her voice is nothing more than a scratchy whisper. “Where’s Tommy, is he alright?”

“Don’t talk, Livs,” Cory orders. “Tommy’s fine, and I don’t want you straining yourself.” Olivia opens her mouth to deny it, so I hold up my hand.

“Hold that thought, I have an idea.”

I leave them looking at me curiously as I race out of the room. Sliding to a stop in the kitchen, I rip open every drawer until I find a pen and scrap paper. At least it’s scrap now. I mean, who needs a deed to the house anymore? And who the fuck leaves it in a kitchen drawer? Someone can steal it.

Taking my quarry with me, I jog back to the room to find Olivia clutching the blanket to her chest. When Olivia sees me with my goods, she waves me over with her eyes flashing steel. Approaching the bed quickly, because I’m sure if I don’t, she’ll start screaming and really damage her throat. As soon as I’m within range, she snatches the writing materials out of my hand and starts scribbling furiously. It only takes about ten seconds for her to stab the pen on the paper a dozen times and spin it around.

“What the fuck am I wearing!!!”
That couldn’t have been any clearer, even if she
had
screamed it.

“Your clothes were covered in blood,” I reply and see Olivia grip her throat, so I nod. “That’s right, you were injured, and we had to take off your clothes to get at the wound.” Her eyes widen with fright, and she pulls the blanket tighter.

“Not us, Livs,” Cory revises with a glare thrown my way. “Whitney did it. You remember her?” Olivia shots him an
‘are you alright?’
look. “So you remember her, my excuses, but you didn’t recognize me.”

“She was in
shock
, you bitchy bastard.”

Cory ignores me in favor of being coddled, and that’s only what it can be called. Olivia has his head tucked to her chest and is patting his hair back like he’s an injured child. What she doesn’t realize is that by abandoning her modesty to baby Cory, the blanket is now around her waist and giving me one hell of an eyeful.

Not wanting to have to retreat with a woody that’s currently growing in my suddenly tight cargos, I dig through the drawers. This lady had one hell of a lingerie selection, but I eventually find a drawer that doesn’t contain corsets, thongs or garters. Pulling out a sweatshirt that says PINK on it, I walk over to the bed and wait for Olivia to look up at me.

“Can I put this on you?” I ask and damn my voice for sounding husky.

Cory turns his head to show me the murder in his eyes, but come on. Don’t hold it against me, I’m battling a generous amount of cleavage from this angle. There’s no way to avoid seeing it, but I keep my eyes trained on hers, even though my dick wants me to focus with my peripheral vision on those natural melons that would more than fill my large hands if I were to cup them.

Watching her jerk her chin in a single nod of consent, I see Olivia hold her breath before I even begin. I keep my eyes locked with hers and my movements slow and precise as I drape it over her shoulder. She tenses a bit, but manages to slide her arm through when I hold it out. Olivia pulls it closed under her chin because she can’t zip it while Cory’s busy using her bountiful chest as a pillow. I so want my head on that chest right now, but it sure as hell wouldn’t be used as a head rest.

Need to abort erection stat! Dead puppies, Gran’s bowel movements, wheezer buffets, Olivia’s haunted eyes. That last one popped a hole in my inflating penis. There’s no fucking way that I want to be the cause of that look
ever
, so Junior tucks himself away immediately. This then allows me to look back at Olivia without fear of her seeing me with a circus tent my pants and freaking the fuck out.

Olivia rests her pen and paper on Cory’s shoulder so she can write. I know it’s a thank you before I read it, but it still warms me to see it. I acknowledge it with a nod before she turns it back over and writes again. It takes her a few seconds to finish, but immediately holds it up for me to read.

“What happened?”

“You got glass stuck in your throat,” I answer and she shakes her head. She turns the paper back around and writes.

“No, I remember the glass. A wheezer came through the roof and Tommy shot it. He took control of the wheel, so I could put pressure on the wound. I don’t remember much after that.”

“You passed out,” I reply. “Akio said from blood loss and you’ve been sleeping ever since.” Turning the paper back over, she raises her eyebrow at me and points to the official markings. “Congratulations. You’re proud new owner of this ranch.” I point to the paper. “And legally this time.” Olivia rasps out what I think is a laugh and it’s confirmed a second later.

“Quit making her laugh, asshole,” Cory hisses. “It’s hard enough for her to breathe.” My eyes snap to Olivia, but she shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, I can feel you struggling with each breath.” Her eyes widen and he nods. “What did you think I was doing, taking a nap? No, I’m listening to your heart beat but can’t hear it with the goddamn hitch in your chest, which I can only assume are your lungs fighting for air.”

“I-I’m not s-struggling,” Olivia heaves out in a rasp that reveals the lie exactly for what it is.

“Listen, Stevie,” I begin, and smile when she picks up on the reference to
Malcolm in the Middle,
with a scowl. “Cory heard it by leaning on your chest, and I just listened to it. So quit arguing, lay back, and use your goddamn deed to write your words.”

Olivia huffs, but lays back against the pillows. Since Cory’s no longer laying on her chest, she starts to zips the sweatshirt. It only goes up halfway, but she keeps jerking it to try and stuff breasts that weren’t made for such small fabric, to fit inside. She’s near hyperventilation when Cory takes her hands away and covers her with the quilt.

“Cheap bastards,” he mutters. “Couldn’t spend an extra penny for an inch more fabric.” I’m guessing that they would need more like a yard to cover her double D’s, but don’t say anything, because Olivia smiles at his comment. “No wonder you were always raiding mine or Travie’s closets. Victoria’s secret was that they don’t like real women.”

Olivia starts silently laughing; her eyes shine blue flecks in the candlelight, and her beautiful lips curve upward. I’d think she was faking it if she didn’t start wheezing a few seconds later. Cory rips her forward like a rag doll, pounds a hand on her back and raises Olivia’s arms as if she’s a toddler choking, but it works. Once she starts taking slow, deep breaths, his terrified eyes meet mine and he rubs her back gently.

“She good?” I ask trying to contain my own panic.

“She’s fine,” he says for show.

Cory mouths over Olivia’s back, that’s laid across his lap, for me to
‘get the fucking doctor
,
’
before returning his attention back to her. I was already planning on dragging his ass here, so I leave the room in search of Akio. Tommy’s on watch, and surprisingly Leonard is still awake with him in the living room. When they see me, both of them stand abruptly and crane their necks to peer down the hall.

“Is she alright?” Leonard asks at the same time Tommy asks, “How’s L-livia?”

“She’s awake,” I answer and hold up my hands to stop their rush down the hallway. “She’s fine, but she needs rest. And I need Akio.”

“Why do you need the Doc if she’s fine?” Leonard asks suspiciously. Tommy crosses his arms and nods as if he too wants to hear the answer to that question.

“She is,” I repeat and force as much confidence into my voice as I can when even I don’t believe it. Obviously, I’m not doing a great job convincing them either, since they scowl and make a motion to move around me. “Alright, she’s having a little difficulty with her stitches. Happy?” They give me a somewhat appeased nod, before I continue. “So, where’s Akio?”

“Did that quack do a half-assed job on my girl?” Leonard demands as his face flushes with anger.

“No, not at all,” I deny. Retracing my steps before Leonard stresses himself anymore and winds up laid out on the bed beside Olivia, or lays an elderly smack down on the Doc, I bull shit a little more. “She’s sore and needs a shot of pain meds, but Cory and I don’t know which one, so we need Akio.”

“Last room on the left,” Leonard says with a wave. “But I want to see Olivia to judge her condition for myself.”

“Tomorrow then,” I agree. “She’ll be up for visitors tomorrow.”

“I want to see her with my own eyes tonight, or I won’t sleep a wink,” Leonard refuses.

“Fine,” I give. “But only if she wants to see you.” Leonard looks offended that I even dared to think that Olivia might not want to see him, so I revise my statement. “If she’s up to it, and Akio says it’s alright.”

“Then go wake the quack,” Leonard says with a shooing motion.

“And you Tommy,” I ask. Now that I know the reason for his solitary nature, I plan on making him open up in little intervals, like singling him out when no one else is around. Besides, Lenny’s here for moral support. “You got any orders for me?”

“N-no,” Tommy answers and flushes a little after he recovers from his shock.

“You don’t want me to say anything to Olivia?” I press. “She was asking for you.”

“I-I’ll s-see her m-myself,” he stumbles out. Tommy clenches his fists, maybe because he’s struggling, or maybe in preparation to punch me if I make fun of him, which I would never do. Not only because I’ve been a victim of bullying myself, but there’s also the fact that Olivia would drag her suffocating self out of bed just to stab me if I did, so I decide that’s enough pushing today.

“I’m sure she’d love to see you,” I say and he relaxes, most likely relieved that I’m not teasing him. “As soon as Akio’s done, I’ll take watch and you can visit, okay?”

Tommy nods, so I leave him with his grandfather to find the doctor. Walking down to the last door on the left, I knock and wait for an answer. A scowling Carlos answers. How can I tell the difference between identical twins, you ask? The scowl is a dead giveaway. Not that Carlos is a perpetual scowler, it only comes out when he’s wakened from a sound sleep. Like right now for instance. I glance at my watch, three a.m., so he doesn’t have to wake up for another hour to take over his guard duty. Tough tits toots, I need the Doc A.S.A.P.

“Akio in there?” I ask. His drowsy countenance turns alert in a blink.

“What’s wrong?” Carlos’s sleep ridden voice is heavily accented with his native tongue. Usually him and Oscar only have a recognizable accent on certain words, since they’ve been in the states for nineteen of their thirty years, but it does come out heavier in intervals or words with double S’es.

“Nothing new,” I reply and he relaxes marginally. “Olivia’s just having a little trouble.”

“What kind of
‘little trouble’
is mi mamita having?”

“I’m not exactly sure, that’s why she needs the doctor,” I answer and frown at the endearment he uses.

“Don’t bull shit me, Jared,” he says and crosses his arms to block me from Akio.

I feel like I just had this conversation, oh that’s right, I did. But Carlos could handle the truth better than Leonard could, so I explain her breathing problem in better detail than I gave the others. Having the information he needs, Carlos disappears into the room and returns seconds later with a half asleep Akio along with him.

Carlos drags the doctor past me and immediately to Olivia’s sick room. Maybe disclosing more information to Carlos was a bad idea. Or maybe not, since he gets Akio to Olivia’s bedside faster than I could have, on account of me having to explain the situation for a third time. Not Carlos, he just said,
‘Livia help now
,
’
in his caveman dialect and got Akio moving. When we walk into the room, Olivia’s still sprawled out across Cory’s lap. He looks tense, but calmer now that she’s breathing.

Akio barely has his glasses on before Carlos shoves him toward the bed and says, “Fije mi pequeña mamá.” When Akio just stares at him, Carlos gives him another push and repeats it in English. “Fix my little mami.” Nodding his head, Akio addresses the bed.

“Turn her over,” Akio orders and shoves his glasses up to rub his eyes.

Cory moves slowly to help Olivia gently flip onto her back. She grabs the blanket and white knuckles it in order to keep it closed around her shoulders. Once she’s situated, Cory tilts her chin back and the rasping coming from her throat lessens. Akio steps forward and opens his kit that’s still sitting on the nightstand from earlier. Pulling out his gloves, he looks at Olivia as he slides them on.

“What seems to be the problem?” Akio inquires. Cory gives him an
‘are you fucking blind?’
look.

“She’s having trouble breathing,” I answer. The less beating around the bush, the faster Olivia can be treated, therefore decreasing my own blood pressure away from dangerous heights.

“That’s probably just from inflammation,” he replies. “Having foreign objects in your body disrupts the system, it’s to be expected, and takes time to heal. I can’t really do anything.” When Cory throws the Doc a murderous look, Akio changes his unaffected tune. “But there’s no trouble in taking a look, just to be positive.”

“You just go on and do that,” Cory snarls. Akio pulls out his stethoscope and steps forward.

“You’ll have to remove the blanket and sweatshirt,” Akio says. Olivia starts shaking her head and clutching the quilt to her chest. “It’s necessary or I can’t examine you.” Darting her eyes around like a cornered rabbit, Olivia’s rasping increases.

“Carlos and I will leave,” I tell her. “Cory will stay with you, everything will be fine.” Olivia’s frightened eyes meet mine. “Just trust me, okay?”

Olivia clutches Cory’s hand in one of her own, then nods her head at me. Carlos steps out ahead of me and waits for me to close the door before speaking.