“But why? Why would my son attack her? Was she speaking about her make-believe brother again? Is that it, Bailey?” Shawn’s voice sounded off and I could hear how worried he was, and I opened my mouth trying to speak, but I could only make a small croak.
“Bailey, shh,” Coop spoke and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Dad, it wasn’t that at all.” I noticed he didn’t correct his dad’s assumption about Louis but ignored it as he continued. “Zane’s been using drugs for a while, you knew this. He went crazy and called Bailey a demon.”
Shawn’s face appeared over mine.
“Bailey, is this true?” I nodded gently, grimacing as the simple movement sent a wave of pain shooting down my neck. Coop’s hand put gentle pressure on my shoulder, and I moved my eyes to look at him. His face was tight and pinched in pain, but he shook his head at my questioning look.
My mom appeared over me, holding a glass of water.
“Cooper, can you help Bailey sit up.” Coop’s hand moved from my shoulder and I wanted it back. It was the only thing keeping me calm. He moved closer to me and my heart rate accelerated, but not in desire, but in fear. I didn’t want to move, moving sucked. I was right to be scared, as Cooper’s gentle hands slid under my back, Shawn slipped his hands over my shoulders and Coop pushed me up tenderly. When I was up enough, he slipped in behind me and I leaned on his chest.
My mom glared at him but didn’t say a word and as soon as I was in position, Shawn left the room, slamming the door.
“Cooper, she needs to drink all of this. The doctor said this will help. Can you make sure she drinks it, please? There are pain meds dissolved in the water.” A shudder rocked down my back as he nodded. My lips tightened as agony shot through me again. He reached for the glass and my mom nodded at us.
“Bailey, Cooper will watch you for now. Don’t leave this room and…” She shook her head and turned, walking out and closing the door. As the door clicked, Coop leaned his head on mine. For a moment he didn’t move, but then he raised the straw to my lips.
“Bails, drink, please.” His voice sounded thick with tears and his body shook as I leaned on it. I hissed out a breath as every shudder he took caused the agony in my throat to rise.
He sucked in a deep breath and offered me the straw again.
“Please drink this.” He didn’t say anything else, and the silence between us was thick with unsaid words. I opened my mouth and croaked a moan as my lip burned. Closing my mouth on the straw I sucked in a small mouthful of water. As I tried to swallow, my throat burned as though it was acid I was drinking. Tears rolled from my eyes and down my cheeks.
Breathing hurt, drinking hurt, but mostly I was hurt because my stepbrother had turned on me; he’d called me a demon. I managed two swallows before I drifted back into unconsciousness. Before I slipped off, Coop whispered in my ear, “That was the scariest moment of my life. Bails, your face… I can’t even…” He sucked in a breath and shuddered causing a wave of pain in my neck.
“Coop,” I managed in a hoarse whisper, “quit moving… hurts…”
“Sure thing,” he whispered as he pressed his lips to my head and as he breathed evenly in and out, I drifted back to sleep.
I woke again a few hours later to the soft sound of Coop’s breathing under my ear. As I listened to him sleep and the gentle thump of his heart, the pain rushed back to me and I shifted uncomfortably. Coop stirred as I moved and I froze; he needed sleep. I wasn’t sure how he was coping with everything that had happened, but I knew he’d been hurt too.
I tried to sit up and his arms circled my waist.
“Bails,” he whispered, “stay, please. I need you to stay here with me.” I leaned back down, and he held me tightly as he broke down. His sobs broke my heart, but he’d trapped my arms, so I couldn’t touch him. My eyes filled with tears at the pain because his pain was my pain.
“Coop, I…” my hoarse voice crackled painfully, “I’m so sorry.”
His arms moved, and he gently rubbed my arms whispering as he did.
“It’s not your fault. Bailey, I’ve never been as scared as I was when I came through that door. Your eyes were rolling back in your head, and your lips were turning blue.” His body tensed and an image of Zane’s face flashed into my mind. “I was scared, so scared for a second…” He gasped in a breath and my heart shuddered. “I thought I was too late.”
His voice cracked and his tears fell. I turned, ignoring the pain that shot through me, and after working them free, wrapped my hands around him, kissing his chest over his heart. I whispered brokenly into his chest, “Thank you for saving my life,” and I pressed another small kiss into his chest.
“Bails,” he began but the door handle jiggled, and he spun me back around ignoring my hiss of protest.
“Close your eyes,” he breathed as the door opened and I closed my eyes, breathing loudly and ignoring the shooting pains from my throat.
Gentle hands lifted my arm and there was a sharp scratch against my skin before the magic morphine was plunged into my vein. A familiar voice spoke, but I couldn’t place whose voice it was.
“She’s going to be sore for a week or so. We should deliver intravenous morphine over the next day or so to help with the pain and administer Advil orally to help with the swelling.” Cold hands pressed against my neck and I jerked a little as pain prickled through me. Coop’s hands steadied me under the covers and the person turned their attention to him.
“We should move her. It can’t be comfortable for Cooper…” The voice spoke again, and my mom answered.
“I’d rather not wake them tonight, Nixon, but thanks for being here. Can you and Cate stay for a few days? We don’t want this to become public.” They sounded further away, and the door gently clicked closed.
I wanted to open my eyes but struggled with the morphine in my system.
“Coop,” I slurred, and I heard him laugh a little as he answered.
“Yeah, Bails, what is it?” His fingers traced a pattern on my cheek, and I leaned into his hand.
“I looooves you…” His voice when he answered was lighter than before, and he pressed his lips to my nose.
“I know. I love you too. Now let those magical drugs help you sleep.”
I wanted to stay awake in his arms, but the medicine was too good, and I slipped under, smiling as I did at the fact I was sleeping in Coop’s bed and it wasn’t an issue for anyone.
With the morning came all the problems that had been left at the door the night before. Shawn returned and was furious with my mom for letting Cooper and me sleep in the same bed. Their argument woke me up and Coop wasn’t even in the bed with me anymore. The door to his bedroom was open slightly and I watched the argument through the small crack in the door.
“Shawn, we’ve been in and out all night. Nixon needed to keep an eye on them both, so it made sense to have them sleeping in the same room.” My mom was firm and sounded furious. “She needed her friend and they’ve become friends recently, and he needed her. His brother attacked them both and regardless…”
Shawn cut in, livid, “Regardless of NOTHING! THEY ARE RELATED!” My mom gasped and stormed away from him, slamming a door. I glanced around catching Coop standing open-mouthed at the bathroom door as Shawn threw open the door of Cooper’s room.