The Princess And The Criminal

20

SAWYER

I smiled at Noah's sleeping body next to me.

It was late and we had finally fallen asleep after taking a shower together. The silence was grating and although I had an almost painful urge to get up and do something else I lay still, running my hand through Noah's hair.

When I sighed Noah groaned and pushed herself closer into me. "What's wrong?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You've been sighing a lot for a while."

I looked up at the ceiling and blinked before sighing again.

"Babe?"

I huffed and sat up. "I'm just feeling a bit shifty I guess."

Noah blinked a bit, adjusting to the darkness in the room.

"Well, now that I think about it you've been really busy since you got out..."

I sighed and got up from the bed, pacing while running my hands through my hair and tugging.

"It's just been different I guess. I feel itchy when I slow down."

"Itchy?" Noah frowned.

I sighed again. "Yeah, itchy. God I used to love to just sit and think, now if I'm not busy for five minutes I feel like I'm going to break out in hives."

Noah hummed and stood up to join me. "What do you think... well what do you want to do right now?"

I huffed. "That's the problem. I don't want to do anything right now... fuck."

Noah smiled sadly as I sank to the floor, against the side of the bed.

My phone began to ring and Noah and I frowned. As I reached for my phone Noah's phone went off.

"Forrest?"

"Sawyer–" There was some noise. "Dad's in the hospital."

My heart dropped. "What?"

"He had a heart attack."

"Oh.. he– a heart attack?"

Forrest was panting on the other line. "Yes, get here now!"

He hung up and I lowered the phone from my ear. A heart attack. My dad had a heart attack. He was in the hospital.

"Sawyer, baby." Noah called.

I blinked at her, frowning. "My dad... he–"

"I know, baby." She smiled sadly while rubbing my cheek. Her hand trembled. "We have to get dressed and go to the hospital okay."

I nodded. "Okay."

The hospital was as quiet as it was the day Morgan gave birth, but this time there was no sense of calm and composure. I felt lost and really fucking scared.

My dad may have always been the clear bottom in my parent's relationship but he was one of the strongest people I knew. All of our strengths and instincts we learnt from our dad.

If my dad–

I blinked away tears that threatened to fall. I'd cry when he was alright. Bailey Brun was a strong man. He would not–

"Sawyer."

I couldn't hold it any more when I saw Shepherd's tear stained face. He rushed to me, burying his face in my neck and sobbing.

I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight while tears leaked from my closed eyes. "He's gonna be okay."

"He was foaming at the mouth, Sawyer." Shepherd sobbed. My heart broke at that. Had Shepherd been the one who found him? Oh fuck.

Hunter, Walker and Caesar had red rimmed eyes. They were huddled together. Not hugging like Shepherd and I were but clearly taking comfort in each other's presence.

I blinked when I heard Viper's angry voice. "I don't care if it's not allowed, I want to know how he is! I demand to know what's going on."

She was yelling at a nurse. The nurse looked remorseful but made no move to fulfill Viper's wishes.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, it's hospital policy."

Viper's shoulder's bunched up.

"Come here mom." Hunter mumbled.

We all stared at him in shock, except Shepherd who was too consumed with weeping to pay attention to anything else.

Viper, tears moving down her cheeks allowed Hunter to hug her to his chest.

More tears left my eyes when a tired Forrest came with his twins in his hands.

Caesar took Lillian from Forrest and Walker took Lily.

I eventually moved Shepherd and I to sit. My muscular brother sat on my lap and cried till he slept.

Caesar helped me move Shepherd to lie down on the cold hospital chairs so I could breathe a little.

When the doctor came out he had a sad smile on his face. "Mr Brun is going to be alright."

We all collectively sighed in relief.

"He's very unstable though so we're going to have to keep him here. We have no idea how long he'll need to be here but if his condition doesn't improve he'll need a stay at home nurse."

"Bailey Brun, I need to see him."

"Sir are you family?"

I looked over to the lean man in round glasses desperately begging a nurse to see dad.

"Oslow."

The man–Oslow–turned to face Viper. A look of relief washed over his face.

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah." Caesar smiled.

Oslow sighed with his hand on his chest, his long hair was a mess on his head and his last few buttons were left open on his shirt. He was also in pajama shorts.

He looked at me and smiled. "You must be Sawyer, it's a shame we aren't meeting in better circumstances. I'm Oslow Montgomery. Bailey's boyfriend."

I smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you Oslow."

"Well he's still asleep but as soon as he wakes up you can go see him. Only one at a time we don't want to overwhelm him."

"You go first." Caesar nodded to Oslow.

"Oh you're his kids I don't want to–"

"Go." Hunter waved.

When Oslow left, Shepherd woke up. "Sawyer?"

"He's alright big guy."

Shepherd blushed and sat up with his chin tucked. "Can I go see him?"

"In a minute." I rubbed his hair and stood up.

Noah followed me outside.

"Fuck." I whispered. Noah frowned at Marley approaching.

"I heard about you father."

"We aren't friends Marley."

He smiled like I had genuinely made him happy. "I just needed to make sure it was a heart attack and not poisoning."

"What?" Noah frowned.

"I believe there are no heart problems in your family, well heart attacks can attack anyone but at a time like this questions must be asked."

"A time–"

"I told the two of you. Jonathan Reed is a pest. And he will stop at nothing till he has destroyed what he hates."