Page 64 of Mason

“No.” His mother shook her head. “I will no leave my boy.”

“Ma’am…”

“Leave it alone, doc.” His papa?

Mason turned his head to see his father sitting on the other side of him.

“You’ll have to have security throw her out, and I guarantee you don’t want that.”

The doctor pursed his lips but sighed. “Sir?”

Ronin waved the doc away. “I’m leaving.” He stood and leaned over the bed, hugging Mason so tight he couldn’t breathe. “Don’t do that again, boy. You understand me?”

“Yes, Papa,” he croaked.

The doctor talked at him, and he tried to answer, but he was fucking tired. He made Mason follow his finger in more directions than he could count, but when the light hit his eyes from his little pen, it was too much. Mason groaned at the pain and turned away.

“He’s awake, alert, and his vision seems okay, if a little sensitive. His motor skills are weaker than we’d like, but considering he had a traumatic brain injury, it’s expected. We’ll know more later. I want another CT and more bloodwork. But I think I can say he’s on the mend, ma’am.”

“Spaseeba, spaseeba, spaseeba!” Mama hugged the doctor, who looked confused.

“She’s saying…” Mason coughed, his throat dry.

“Thank you,” Mama said and rushed to get Mason some water. “I mean to say thank you.”

The doctor nodded and took his leave.

Mama helped him to take a few sips of water, and just that much exhausted him. He hurt everywhere.

“Mama…what happened to me?”

“Shh, you no worry about that. Just rest now.”

“Where’s Jo? Why isn’t she here?”

Her face clouded. “You just rest,moy sladkiy mal'chik. We talk when you wake up, okay?”

As much as he wanted to argue, he was too tired and felt himself slip away into unconsciousness.

There were no voices the next time he woke up, no hushed conversations. He did see Kade and Nikoli sound asleep in the chairs by his bed. They looked worn out. The windows told him it was night. The snow coming down seemed to be heavy too.

“Kade.” His voice came out more of a whisper, so he tried again. “Kade.”

Nik was the one who heard him and sat up. “Brat?”

“Nik? What’s going on? What happened to me?”

“You don’t remember?”

Mason thought, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t remember a damn thing.

“No.”

“Damn.” Nikoli rubbed at the back of his neck. He kicked Kade. “Wake up, fucker.”

Kade blinked but sat up, prepared for anything. “What is it?”

“He’s awake.”