“Listen, son, I know you think there’s no way out,
but there is.”
“Chris, don’t.”
“You think I won’t shoot you?”
“It’s not too late.”
“Chris, don’t.”
“We can all still walk away from this.”
“Get down! Get down, Chris!”
“This is Special Agent Vincent Tanner, serial number
045Bravo673Gilligan. I have an agent down with a GSW to the chest and a suspect
unconscious. I need immediate medical assistance at…”
“Copy that, Agent Tanner, an ambulance has been
dispatched to your location and will arrive…”
“Ah shit, Cowboy, don’t you fuckin’
die on me too, don’t you fuckin’ dare!”
* * * *
Across the table from him, Vin looked everywhere but at Chris, the heat
of embarrassment nicely flushing his face. Chris couldn’t stop grinning at the
accidental admission the other man had just made. “So…you like my eyes, huh?”
“Ah hell,” Vin
muttered, running a nervous hand through his hair. With an irritated glare, he
finally looked at Chris and confirmed defiantly, “Yeah.”
“Any
particular reason?” Chris questioned innocently.
The glare
heightened and Vin snapped, “Likin’ them less and
less, Cowboy, especially with that look in ‘em.”
Laughing
softly, Chris reached out and brushed his knuckles over the back of Vin’s hand.
As first dates went, this one was going pretty damn well.
* * * *
Buck and JD ran down the corridor, dodging patients, visitors, and staff alike and not stopping until the reached the waiting area outside the ER. Buck stopped short, searching the area and finding a blood splattered Vin huddled in on himself by the doors that led into surgery.
“Jesus. There’s so much blood on him,” JD breathed.
Grim, Buck couldn’t help but nod as they closed the
distance to their teammate. Vin didn’t seem to notice them, even when they stopped
right in front of him, and Buck quickly took in the signs of shock, silently
cursing the staff who probably thought that, as an agent, Vin would be able to
take care of himself. In a soft, soothing voice, he greeted, “Hey, Vin, are you
okay? Are you hurt?”
Because it would be just like the quiet sharpshooter
to ignore any and all injuries to himself to make sure that Chris was taken
care of first.
Vin’s eyes snapped up to Buck’s, startled, and the
younger man answered, “No, I’m fine.”
Like hell, Buck thought. He reached
out and carefully gripped Vin’s shoulder, then guided him towards a chair.
“Let’s just set you down before you fall down, okay, partner?”
“Sure,” Vin agreed easily.
Once that was taken care of, Buck gave JD a
significant look and the kid nodded sharply, hurrying off to get a doctor.
Sitting beside Vin, Buck asked, “Can you tell me what happened? Have you talked
to the police yet?”
Vin shook his head and answered, “Haven’t seen
anyone yet, ‘cept you. It’s only been twenty minutes.
How’d you know?”
“I’m his next of kin,” Buck explained. “Got the call
when they needed to know about allergies and stuff.”
“Oh. Does, does he have any?”
“Nope. So what happened?”
Vin swallowed convulsively, fingers tightening on
each other into a white-knuckled grip, but he replied, “We, we had supper
together after work. Finished some late paperwork while we were eating. You
know he’s got, he had that director’s conference to sit in tomorrow since
Travis is still outta town.”
“That’s right,” Buck prompted, when Vin fell silent.
“Ah, well…”
“Chris,
don’t.”
“We stopped to, uh, get some supplies on the way
back to his place and walked right into a hold-up.”
“Get down! Get
down, Chris!”
“Chris thought he could talk the kid down, but I could see he was on his last string, you know? His gun hand was shaking, pupils fixed, he was ready to pop, but Chris wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Chris,
don’t.”
“I knew he was gonna get shot. I jumped on the kid,
but I was too late. The gun went off just before I got him. I knocked him out, kicked
the gun aside, then went to help Chris, who was on the floor. The bullet went
in right above his heart, too close for me to mess with, so I put pressure on
it and prayed.”
“Ah shit,
Cowboy, don’t you fuckin’ die on me too, don’t you fuckin’ dare!”
Buck could see that the pale blue eyes staring into space were watching the internal replay of the hold-up and not really looking at the empty chair across from them. Before he could do anything else, though, JD arrived with a doctor.
“Agent Tanner? I’m Dr. Reynolds. Do you mind if I
check you out?” the older man asked.
Vin looked up at the newcomer and countered, “Any
news on Chris?”
“None yet, Agent Tanner, it’s going to be another
hour, maybe two. If you’ll just follow me so I can look you over?”
Vin looked to Buck, who gave an encouraging nod and
said, “Go on, Vin. I’ll make sure someone gets you if there’s any news before
you get back.”
Almost docile, Vin allowed the doctor to get him on
his feet and followed the man through a different set of doors.
“Damn, Buck,” JD exclaimed softly, dark eyes wide
and uncertain.
Buck pulled him in close, wrapping his arms around
the younger man and holding tight. JD’s arms went around him as well and they
stood there for a few minutes, just taking in the fact that they were both
alive and unhurt. Finally, Buck sighed and pressed a small kiss to JD’s temple
before pulling back. “Let’s get to the gift shop and buy Vin some new clothes.
Maybe he can grab a shower in one of the locker rooms here.”
JD nodded, but didn’t let go of Buck altogether,
holding onto the other man’s jacket as they left the waiting area.
* * * *
“So you think
we can really do this?” Vin asked, hesitant not for the first time that night.
Chris smiled
and answered, “I do.”
“What about
the others?”
“They’ll get
used to it.”
“Just like
that?”
Chris’ smile
broadened and he said, “I expect we’ll get some razzin’
for a few weeks when they find out, and truthfully, I’m not sure how Nathan and
Josiah will react, but we’re a team, Vin. I doubt there isn’t anything we can’t
get through together.”
The worry in
Vin’s eyes didn’t fade away altogether, but it did lessen. “I suppose.”
“I know it,”
Chris assured him. “We’re going to be fine, all of us.”
Vin’s lips
twitched into a reluctant grin. “Not like you’d let us be anything else,
Cowboy.”
“And don’t you
forget it.”
* * * *
The new clothes were starchy and uncomfortable, but
at least they were clean. His own clothes had been taken to be thrown out with
the biohazard trash. Vin had gone over his statement with the local PD three
times now and his patience was seriously wearing thin. If Buck hadn’t been
standing right beside him each time, Vin probably would’ve lost it and done
something stupid.
It always
seems like there’s more time, he thought, rubbing his eyes.
“More time for what?” Josiah asked softly.
Startled, not having realized that he’d said it out
loud, Vin looked over at his friend and gave a tired grimace. “Everything, I
guess.”
“He’s going to be fine, Vin,” Nathan said from the
other side of him. “Doctors should be out any minute now with an update.”
It had been almost two full hours since Chris had
been rushed into surgery. Nathan, Josiah and Ezra had arrived about a half hour
after Buck and JD had, all of them living further away and having to fight traffic,
even at ten o’clock on a Thursday night.
As if his words had conjured the doctor, a
dark-haired man in his early thirties stepped out and called, “Buck
Wilmington?”
Buck and Vin were on their feet simultaneously, and
in front of the doctor only a few seconds later. Buck asked, “How is he?”
“Mr. Larabee is a very
lucky man,” the doctor began. “One of his arteries was nicked by the bullet,
that’s what took so long to repair. We almost lost him twice, but he’s in
critical, if stable, condition now. I’m going to have him monitored in ICU for
the next twenty-four hours, but he’s a strong man, so I don’t expect
complications.”
Vin nearly collapsed in relief, his soured stomach
relaxing for the first time since they’d walked into the robbery.
“Thanks so much, Doc, you don’t know how relieved we
are to hear that!” Buck exclaimed, slapping the man heartily on the back.
The doctor grunted and answered, “My pleasure,
believe me, Mr. Wilmington. You can see him for a few minutes if you like.”
“Ah, is it okay if Vin here goes instead?” Buck
asked.
Vin was shocked at the too-generous offer and felt
the heat of discovery burn over his face as the others gave him speculative
looks.
The doctor nodded and agreed, “That’s fine. Just for
a few minutes, though. The nurse will bring you in.”
Nodding as well, Vin followed the young woman
through the double doors, down a hall, turning a corner and down another hall.
It was only a few minutes later that he was in the room with Chris, though it
felt like an eternity.
“I’ll come get you in ten minutes, sir,” the nurse
told him, closing the door behind her.
Vin crossed over to the bed where Chris was hooked
up to monitors and an IV, and set on the chair beside him. He carefully took a
limp hand and brought it to his lips. “I won’t waste time on an ‘I told you
so,’ but next time, maybe you’ll listen to me when I tell you not to do
something. I can spot a junkie on the edge at fifty paces, living where I do.
Anyhow, just want to say that Buck’s here, he just let me visit with you first.
Everyone’s here, actually, and waitin’ on you to get
better. Especially me.”
Falling silent, Vin struggled to figure out what to
say. It hurt almost physically to see Chris so still and pale in the hospital
bed. He was so used to the other man’s vitality and motion and strength that
the lack of it, was painful.
“Once you’re awake, I need to tell you something
pretty important,” Vin continued slowly. “I ain’t been completely truthful with
you and I guess before this goes any further between us, you need to know
what’s gone on before. I just hope you don’t hate me once I’m done talkin’ to you about it. In the meantime, though, you just
rest up and get better. I’m always gonna be here for you, Cowboy. I always have
and I always will, no matter what you might think.”
He paused for a few seconds, then sighed deeply and
brought the lax hand to his lips, kissing it gently before saying, “Damn,
Cowboy, we sure do have the worst luck.”
Vin fell silent again, all his words used up as he
thought about the coming confrontation. It was only a few minutes later that
the nurse returned to escort him out.
* * * *
“So how long’s that been
going on?” Josiah asked curiously.
Buck shrugged. “Pretty much since the beginning, on
Chris’ part. Told me that Vin still wasn’t too sure about going forward with
it, but things were going a little smoother.”
“Not anymore,” JD muttered.
Tossing an arm around the younger man’s shoulder,
Buck comforted, “It’ll be fine, kid, don’t you worry. Chris is strong as an ox
and more stubborn than a mule.”
“Well, I reckon we should head out, since there’s
nothing else we can do,” Nathan said with a sigh.
Buck nodded and offered, “I’ll keep you all updated,
don’t worry. Which reminds me, I need to call Travis.”
“I’ll do it,” Ezra said.
Arching an eyebrow at the other man, Buck repeated,
“You’ll do it?”
“Director Travis and I have recently become
acquainted on a more personal level,” Ezra explained.
Which was really no explanation at all, so Buck
demanded, “How’s something like that happen?”
Scowling faintly, Ezra replied, “I advised him at
Santa Anita, last weekend and we have, since then, shared a few conversations.”
Buck snorted. “You really think it’s a good idea to
be advising the boss’ boss about horse racing?”
With a wolfish grin, Ezra countered, “It is if he
wins.”
“Well, thanks for the offer, but I’ll give him a
call,” Buck said, shaking his head in amusement.
Vin came into the waiting area just then, looking a
little less shell-shocked than when he’d gone with the nurse, but not by much. He
stopped between JD and Buck and said, “He was unconscious, but breathing on his
own, so that’s good, right Nathan?”
Nathan nodded and confirmed, “Definitely.”
There was an awkward silence before Josiah rumbled,
“I suggest we all head home. We still have work to do in the morning.”
“Good point,” Buck agreed. “I don’t mind if y’all
show up a little late, but we got to keep going forward on the new case.”
They all headed out of the hospital together and,
once outside, split up to get to their individual cars. Buck insisted that Vin
go home with them, that he not be alone and, thankfully, Vin was still in
enough shock from the night’s events that he only put up a token resistance. JD
crawled into the tiny seat in the cab, letting Vin stay up front with Buck for
the drive to their house.
It took about a half hour to get home, then another
half hour to set up the couch and show Vin where the bathroom and necessities
were located. JD hovered until they got him bunked down for the night, then
followed Buck to his room. Buck wanted to hold him and reassure him, but he had
to keep it together until after the call to Travis. If he gave in to the
temptation, Buck knew he’d be no good in making the report at all.
JD scrambled onto the bed, sitting cross-legged as
he watched Buck grab the phone and dial. “You callin’
Director Travis now?”
Buck nodded and waited as the phone rang on the
other end. It wasn’t until the fifth ring that it was answered and he grimaced,
knowing it was almost
“Travis.”
“Sorry to wake you sir, it’s Buck Wilmington,” Buck
greeted.
The Director immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Chris was shot in a robbery tonight,” Buck informed
him. “He’s going to make it, but he’s in critical condition. The suspect is
under guard at the hospital with a severe concussion given to him by Agent
Tanner, who was with Chris at the time. Agent Tanner wasn’t injured.”
There was a brief silence where Buck could hear the
rustle of covers and the creaking of a bed as Travis probably sat up, taking in
the information. He finally said, “He’s going to be all right, you said?”
“Yes, Sir,” Buck assured him.
Travis exhaled loudly and muttered, “The man’s got
more lives than a cat.”
Grinning, Buck agreed, “He does at that, Sir.”
“You all set to take over the unit while he’s
recovering,
“Yes, Sir. I’ve already been in touch with the rest
of the team and they’re all good to keep going on their assignments, getting
ready for the sting.”
“Good, good. All right then. Keep me informed. I’ll
be back on Saturday and I’ll see you then.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Travis hung up without a goodbye, but that wasn’t
any more than Buck would expect. Sighing himself, Buck tossed the phone aside
and collapsed on the bed, face first. Not seeing Chris was both a blessing and
a curse; he couldn’t see how bad the damage was in reality, but his mind was
more than making up for it in his imagination. He started when strong hands
began rubbing and squeezing his shoulders. Turning his face so that he could
half-see JD, Buck asked, “You want somethin’ kid?”
“To help you,” JD answered simply.
Buck opened his mouth to protest that he didn’t need
any help when JD straddled him and started massaging his back in earnest. The grip
he used was just shy of painful, JD’s hands working him over so good that Buck
was groaning inside of twenty seconds and limp within thirty.
Well, mostly
limp, he
thought with a lazy grin.
It had only been twenty-four hours, less
technically, since he’d woken on the couch with JD curled up in his arms. He
still didn’t remember falling asleep, but they’d both been stretched out and
snuggled down good together come dawn. JD had been extremely not freaked at
finding himself sprawled over Buck like a second skin and they’d had a
leisurely make-out session before getting ready for work.
That led him to wonder about JD’s experience,
naturally, and while he didn’t figure the innocence to be an act, there had to
be a reason why JD was so shy around the guys but not with him, one on one.
Enjoying the brief respite, as well as the hands working magic on exhausted and
tense muscles, Buck observed, “You’ve been with guys before.”
JD’s hands paused for a few seconds before starting
up again. He was silent for a long minute, then he answered, “Sort of.”
“Sort of?”
“Well, it wasn’t like this. You know, you and me.
There were a few guys who figured out easy how much I wanted...contact...and kinda took advantage of that. Not of me,” JD hastily
assured him. “I was willin,’ Buck, I swear they
didn’t force me. More like, they knew I wouldn’t say no. I guess that makes me
a slut? I dunno. But I never let them have me for
real. Just blowjobs and hand jobs. And I never swallowed, just to be on the
safe side, all of us being foster kids and all, you just never knew. Not like
we could get tested or nothin’ without getting lots
of questions.”
It saddened him, hearing how lonely JD had been, and
how desperate for affection. It infuriated him, too, knowing now that the kid’s
father had been around and just didn’t care to raise him. Made him look back on
his own childhood with something like fondness. Didn’t matter how dirt poor
he’d been, or how many men his mom had taken in, Buck had always been loved.
He’d always been first in his mother’s life and he knew it.
Rolling unexpectedly, Buck pinned JD beneath him,
straddling the younger man’s thighs as he stared down into the dark eyes. They
were soft with laughter and affection for him, but he didn’t rightly see love.
Not the kind he felt for JD, though it was only to be expected. He was twice
JD’s age and past ready to settle down, no matter what image he put out. JD was
just starting at life, just becoming confident in his own right in many areas
outside of programming.
Book smart and heart stupid, as his mother had
always said.
Buck smiled fondly and bent forward, leaning over JD
and saying, “You have a place with me as long as you want one, JD, you know
that, right?”
Nodding, JD confirmed, “Yeah. And I appreciate that,
Buck.”
“Well. I don’t know about you, but I’m wiped. Thanks
for the backrub, kid, but I’m hitting the hay,” Buck informed him.
JD scowled and demanded “Now? But, what about...you
know...?”
With a grin, Buck climbed off JD and the bed,
standing beside it to answer, “We got work in the morning, JD. When I take you
the first time, believe me, you’re not going to want to move the next morning.”
“Oh,” JD muttered, flushing to his roots.
Laughing softly, Buck headed for the attached
bathroom.
* * * *
Vin knew that Buck and JD meant well, but listening
to them talk and move around together as they got ready for bed only
underscored the ache in his heart. He hadn’t even suspected that they were
involved until seeing them at the hospital together. It was a safe bet that
they’d been more discrete than he and Chris had been.
Which returned his thoughts to the man lying wounded
in the ICU at
Heh. Maybe I’ve got a thing for
people with names starting ‘Ch,’ Vin thought, darkly amused.
Of course, it had never been just a sexual thing
with Chris, despite the physical attraction.
Not until meeting Steve Travis three years ago. Vin
had been hot on the trail of Eli Joe when he’d run into the cop on a mission of
vengeance for his partner. They’d hooked up accidentally in a bar brawl,
instinctively winding up back-to-back and then high-tailing it when the cops
had shown up. That had led to an all-night information swapping session where
Steve had shown Vin a family picture of Chris, Sarah, and Adam.
Vin snorted in self-derision and turned onto his
back as he remembered the gut twist he’d felt, looking at Chris’ picture that
first time. He’d taken the picture from Steve and known that Chris would be a
big part of his future, even if he hadn’t known how at the time. The period
he’d spent on the Kiowa reservation as a teen had broadened his mind to the
possibilities that there were road signs to avoid disaster, that there was love
at first sight, and that sometimes, things happened that you had absolutely no
control over.
But instead of listening to his gut, he’d just
exchanged a pleasant goodbye with Steve come morning and gone back to his
bounty. It had only been three weeks later that he’d read about Steve’s death
and Vin could still remember, still felt, the shame that he hadn’t heeded the
warning to go with the man and watch his back. Shame that he hadn’t even warned
the other man about potential danger, though it wasn’t all that likely the cop
would have listened.
So he’d started a discrete investigation of his own,
forsaking Eli Joe and heading to
Vin had spent a month staking out Chris’ ranch. It
hadn’t been the easiest thing to do, either, considering how far from town it
was. He’d had to dirt bike in and go over the canyon wall to get a clear view
of the house. Buck had been the only visitor, regular or otherwise, in that
time. Chris had looked lost and surly all at the same time as he’d gone about
the mechanics of living; tending the house and the horses. Vin had no doubts
even today that if Buck hadn’t been there, Chris wouldn’t now be living.
Once he was sure that no one was going to go after
Chris, that Steve’s death had appeased whoever had been pissed off, Vin relaxed
a little and looked for work. He’d known that the move was going to be a
permanent one and so hunted up some references from his time in the police
department, as well as bail bonds references to prove he was more than just a
thrill junkie. Vin was pretty damn sure that
And promptly landed the assignment from hell.
Snorting again, Vin turned onto his side as he
thought, Serves you right, asshole. If
you’d been quicker on the draw, instead of so self-involved, you’d’ve been able to save Steve.
At least he didn’t have any taint on him from Sarah
and Adam’s deaths. That would’ve precluded any involvement with Chris the
second the other man found out. As it was, Vin had no idea how Chris was going
to react to the news that he’d been looking out for Chris, that he’d been
spying on Chris, for as long as he had.
His stomach clenched at the thought of being cast
out from the love that he saw shining from Chris’ eyes. It was love, Vin knew,
but whether that love could withstand such a blow...that was anyone’s guess.
* * * *
“The good news
is that I really don’t care,” Chris announced, smirking.
Vin’s eyes rolled and he leaned
on the table. “How can you not care?”
“Because I
don’t. What the hell does it matter if someone’s got astro-turf
on their damn lawn or not? Saves on water, don’t it?”
“The soil
beneath it...ah...Chris, what’re you doing?” Vin hissed.
His smirk grew
as Chris replied, “Distracting you from a dumb topic of conversation. Is it
working?”
Vin swallowed
as Chris’ unshod foot massaged his calf and managed to answer, “Yeah. Ah,
definitely.”
“Good. Let’s
get the check and get out of here, then,” Chris said.
That was
quickly accomplished and they were outside a few minutes after that. It was no
big thing to see two men strolling slowly together down a
Vin shivered
and replied, “Not for nothing,’ considering it’s gotta
be in the thirties, but I definitely ain’t cold,
Chris.”
They reached
his motorcycle then and he sat on it, tugging Chris close, between his legs.
Chris smiled down at him and rested his hands on Vin’s
shoulders, massaging through the leather jacket. For a long time, neither of
them said anything, content just to be in contact. Finally, knowing that it was
getting late, Chris sighed and said, “I should get going.”
Vin nodded
reluctantly and twisted to straddle the motorcycle. “Yeah, I expect so. I’ll
see you tomorrow.”
Chris bent
down to steal a hard, quick kiss before stepping back to say, “Bright-eyed and
bushy-tailed.”
Another heat
flushed over Vin’s face and the sharpshooter ducked
his head, muttering, “You do that on purpose, damnit.”
Laughing
softly, Chris watched as the helmet went over the longish hair. He returned Vin’s wave and watched as the motorcycle pulled away from
the curb. Sighing, Chris murmured, “Wish you didn’t have to go, partner. Wish
you could stay,” then turned to walk to his SUV, alone.
* * * *
Nathan jumped a little in surprise when Josiah leaned against his desk. It was a nuisance, how silent the other man was, always giving him a fright. He swore Josiah did it for fun.
“Something troubling you, Brother?” Josiah
questioned.
It was just the two of them in the office, so he
could answer truthfully if he wanted. Buck was off at a meeting, Vin was at the
hospital, JD was in class and Ezra was off doing whatever it was that Ezra did
without supervision. Sighing a bit, Nathan leaned back in his chair and looked
up, into the pale blue eyes that never seemed to hold anything except support
and understanding. He finally said, “I don’t have anything against gays. And
I’m all for finding happiness in this life, especially after what Chris has
been through ‘til now.”
“But?” Josiah prodded patiently.
“But how’s it going to be, the team leader involved with one of us?” Nathan reluctantly questioned. “How can’t he favor Vin, if they’re in love? And what happens if someone outside the team finds out and reports it? Will we be disbanded, or Chris removed? Maybe Vin gets fired? That ain’t right.”
“No, it wouldn’t be. And I tend to think that Chris
would resign before letting the team be broken up, or Vin fired,” Josiah replied.
Nathan sighed again and asked, “Do you honestly
think that Chris isn’t going to favor Vin now that they’re involved?”
An odd smile surfaced on Josiah’s face as he
answered, “Chris has been in love with Vin almost since the start, I think.”
Startled, Nathan demanded, “What makes you say
that?”
“Just a feeling,” Josiah murmured. “And anyhow, if
you think that Chris’ judgement is going to be
impaired, you should talk to him about it, face-to-face once he’s recovered.
I’m sure he’d rather you question him outright than let something this
important fester.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“So I didn’t.”
“Josiah.”
Grinning, Josiah held up a hand and said, “It’s
something you need to come to on your own, but no, I don’t think Chris is going
to act any different. Might even be harder on Vin to prove that he’s not
playing favorites.”
Something that Nathan hadn’t thought of, truth be
told. And he knew that Josiah was right, as the ex-preacher generally was;
Chris would want him to discuss the matter. Maybe, when he was out of the
woods, Nathan would do just that.
“You want to get lunch?” Josiah suggested, changing
the subject.
Nathan nodded, glad that he hadn’t offended Josiah
with his doubts. “Thanks, Josiah.”
“Anytime, Nathan, anytime.”
* * * *
Something was definitely wrong, but everything was
wrapped in a thick gauze around his senses. It took a lot longer than it should
for the right synapses to fire for him to open his eyes and, when he did, they
were filled with gritty crud. Grunting in irritation, Chris tried to wipe it
away when he discovered his arms were tied down. Fear swamped him and he
started struggling, knowing that he had enough enemies to make being drugged
and kidnapped not out of the question.
“It’s okay, Chris, stop moving,” Vin’s
voice exclaimed softly. “You were hurt, but you’re in the hospital. Close your
eyes, I’ll wipe ‘em clean.”
Relaxing at the other man’s voice, Chris did as
ordered and a few seconds later, a damp cloth wiped at his eyes, followed by a
dry one. Opening them again, he found a haggard Vin smiling down at him. It
took a few times to clear his throat, but he finally rasped, “What happened?”
“You were shot, remember?” Vin prompted.
The memory hit: a junkie on the edge holding up a
convenience store. Groaning, Chris muttered, “Next time, I’ll listen to you.”
Vin chuckled and said, “I doubt that, but thanks for
the thought. Let me get the doc for ya. Hang on,
partner.”
“Wait,” Chris replied. When Vin stopped in his
tracks, Chris questioned, “How long have I been here?”
“Goin’ on five days now,”
Vin answered, not meeting his gaze.
“And you’ve been here the whole time.”
“Yeah. When they let me, since I’m not kin and all.”
That’ll be
changed real damn fast, Chris thought. Out loud, he said, “After you get the doc, you should get
some sleep. You look terrible, Vin.”
A faint smile surfaced on Vin’s
face as he replied, “Feel worse, I bet. I’ll stick around until he looks you
over, then head on out.”
Embarrassed at being so needy, but he really didn’t
want to let Vin out of his sight for long while he was this vulnerable, Chris
asked, “When will you be back?”
Vin smiled and promised, “First thing in the
morning, when they let me. They kick me out pretty regular, but always have to
let me back in, thanks to Buck’s orders. And the doc’s cool, too. Once he knew
we were, uh, involved, he said it was okay for me to be here more often than
regular hours. So I’ll be back around seven in the morning. Can you make it
‘til then?”
Chris glanced at the clock and saw that it was
almost eleven at night. Jesus. Vin’s been here that long every day for five days? What am
I thinking? He needs to get some real sleep and not come back for a day or two.
“Don’t even think about it, Cowboy,” Vin warned in a
low voice. “I’ll be here first thing in the morning whether you want me to be
or not. I’d just, you know, prefer to be wanted.”
Hearing some kind of undertone to the words, Chris
looked at him, but was still too drugged to figure out what was going on. He
settled for a blanket reassurance of, “I always want you with me, Vin.”
Vin didn’t look all that convinced, but he nodded
anyhow and said, “I’ll get the doc.”
He was gone before Chris could tell him not to
again. Sighing, Chris wondered if maybe this had caused the other man second
thoughts, seeing him brought down like this. It wasn’t like he could blame Vin,
if that was the case. If he wasn’t so friggin’
drugged, he could figure out what was going on, but, as it was, he just barely
managed to stay awake to meet the doc. He drifted comfortably during the exam,
then faded back into the darkness of drugs without remembering to tell Vin that
he didn’t just want the other man, that Chris loved him.