Springsteen

Chapter 21

GRACE'S POV

Luke's heartrate monitor speeds up and he inhales loudly.

His eyes fly open and he sits up, panicked, eyes wide.

I grab his hand. He looks at me.

"Grace." He whispers.

"Shh." I kiss his forehead. "Don't have another panic attack. They'll come in here and knock you out again."

The doc said he has had three panic attacks. His doctor from Springsteen is here. He gave him the okay to turn to his regular activities with the surgery, but with the cut, he's stitched shut and he's on crutches for a while.

His hand touches my hand and my hand and arm.

I look at our family. "Can you guys give is a minute?" I ask.

Everyone nods and walks out of the room.

Doc says once he calms down he can go on crutches and go home.

"I thought I lost you." he whispers.

"I know you did." I whisper.

"I tried to get them to kill me, but they wouldn't. I went crazy without you. What happened? Tell me everything. Get in bed with me."

He rolls on his side, his bad leg not bothered. I climb in bed with him.

"Did he rape you?" he whispers.

"No. He didn't do anything he hasn't done before."

I tell him every little detail. He closes his eyes and plants multiple kisses on my head.

Doc walks in.

"Want me to leave?" he asks.

"You're fine." I say.

Everyone comes back in with him.

"Is he dead?" Luke whispers.

Slowly, I nod.

"He bled to death in the hospital. I saw him and he tried to apologize to me."

The Doc is disconnecting him from things. He gives me a stack of papers to sign without asking if Luke wants me to do it because he knows the answer.

Luke pratices the crutches.

"Uh, Luke." Casey says.

"What?" Luke asks.

"The back of your gown is open and you don't have any underwear on." I look up to see Luke's bare ass. I snicker.

"I don't have any clothes that aren't bloody.

I grab my backpack.

"Can I shower?" Luke asks as I get him clothes out.

"Now?" the doctor asks. "You need someone on there with you. I'll get a nurse."

"I don't want another women seeing me naked." Luke says. "My fiancé can accompany me."

"Can't you shower at home?" I ask.

"No. My ball sack is greasy." He says.

"Are you sure that's grease?" I mutter under my breath.

Mom is near me. She heard, and instead of getting pissed like I thought she would, she laughs.

I sigh though, and grab his sweats and his boxers, and I get behind him, grabbing the back of his hospital gown. I hold it closed as he uses the crutches to the shower.

"I hope you need a shower." Luke says. "I'm not going to be able to stand up." He warns. I take the bandages from the doctor and scoff.

"Yeah, yeah." I say, shutting the door. I shut the toilet seat. "Sit down." I say. He struggles, but manages to sit.