The Final Ride

Chapter 6

Rory couldn't sleep. Her body ached and her mind screamed for rest but she couldn't take her eyes off Knox. She sat at his bedside, head against the mattress, gazing up at him with her hand resting on his chest.

Every hour a nurse interrupted her vigil, checking Knox's vitals and Rory's state of mind, but came and went without more than a few softly spoken words. What felt like the thousandth time the door opened, the sun finally streaming through the blinds, Happy finally entered with concern painted across his face. He stopped at the sight of Knox; his head bandaged, dark bruises under his eyes with monitor wires and IVs leading away from him body. Happy felt his heart fall as the severity of the situation sank in.

"What happened to him?" Happy asked, his voice much weaker than normal.

Looking up from the bed Rory instantly burst into tears, finally allowing herself to break down now they she wasn't alone.

"He fell down the stairs," she wailed as he moved across the room to comfort her. "He was sleep walking again and he just," Rory blubbered. "My baby, Hap. Look at him."

"Where's Tig?" He asked knowing he would most likely not be happy with the answer.

"Home, I think," she shrugged. "He said he had to go."

"He didn't lock his door did he?"

Rory rolled her jaw. "There's no lock on the door, he never put it on."

"I'm sorry, Ror." He smoothed her hair down her back hoping to calm her even in the slightest but he knew it would never work.

"Please don't go," she clutched onto him knowing he wanted to go after Tig. "I need you here. I can't do this. I can't do this again."

"Here," Happy pulled a bag out of his pocket. "Take one."

"What is it?"

Shaking his head he released her from his embrace and moved to the opposite side of Knox's bed to pour her some water.

"Just take it." He urged her. "You need to sleep, I'm gonna be right here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"I'm scared," she whimpered before popping the pill in her mouth. "Happy I can't lose him."

"I'm scared too," he whispered as he picked her up and laid her on the cot Tara had provided. "But that kid, he's beaten worse odds."

"I wish you were his father," she said as the pill already started to take effect.

"Sometimes I wish he was mine too," Happy whispered as he kissed her cheek. "I'm gonna call Agatha and talk to Tara. Sleep now."

Happy waited, holding Rory's hand, until she fell asleep. Once he was sure she was out cold, he slipped out of the room to find Tara was already talking to Jax at the end of the hall.

"You alright?" Jax asked, seeing the noticeable concern in Happy's expression.

"I'm good," he lied. "Rory couldn't really tell me what's going on," Happy looked at Tara. "She's a mess."

Tara nodded. "He's got a skull fracture, a few other minor injuries as well but they aren't our concern. We're going to do a scan in a few hours to check his swelling and gauge his need for surgery. If he needs it, they'll go in and take the pressure off his brain and reset the bone so it heals correctly."

Hanging his head, Happy sighed and nodded. "Is there gonna be any shit after, any kind of brain damage shit?"

"We can't say," she admitted. "But generally, instances of brain damage in accidents like Knox's are low, there's no bone piercing his brain either which is very good."

"Thanks Tara," Happy said with heartfelt sincerity.

"You talk to Tig?" Jax asked as Tara headed down the hall toward the elevators and they moved toward Knox's room. "He had him right?"

Happy rolled his jaw and nodded. "He did but I didn't talk to him yet. I'm gonna beat the shit out of him, Prez. He knew the kid sleepwalks. All she asked was that he put a goddamn lock on his door."

"And it looks like he didn't." Jax sighed, less than surprised. "I'm sorry, brother."

"Tig is gonna be fucking sorry," Happy spat. "I might actually kill him this time."

--

While Rory was finally getting some rest Tig was just waking up. His skin was sticky with blood, not his, and sweat from the fanatical hour he spent beating the intruder inches from death. He'd tried to drown himself in vodka but it didn't help his pain it only masked it for the hours he slept. As soon as his eyes opened Tig's system was flooded with guilt and fear once again.

Not bothering to change or wait for the sun to fully set Tig checked on the man, unconscious but still breathing, before throwing him in the back of his truck. At the time he didn't want anything except for his Harley but he was thankful right then that Rory had talked him into it. It was meant to be for Knox, so he could take him places or pick him, up but now he was transporting a half dead drug dealer around town.

"Ah you little sneaky piece of shit." Stopping short at the sight of his usual dealer at an unusual stop, Tig jumped out of his truck and charged forward. "You almost killed my son!" He threw a powerful punch sending the man to the ground with a thud. "I had the money," he shouted.

"Yo," scrambling to his feet again, the dealer tried to keep Tig from making an even bigger scene. "You got the cash, let's talk."

"Not now," he admitted. "You're fucking enforcer almost killed my boy, now I gotta use that cash for him. His fucking hospital bills and recovery."

"I'm sorry about your boy," he said with a hint of sincerity. "But you knew you had debts."

"You've been watching me," Tig growled. "You came after my family. That's not how we do shit."

"What do you want me to say?" He shrugged. "You owe and my boss already ain't happy with you so I knew I could get away with harsher steps."

"Your boss?" Tig sneered. "Who the fuck is your boss?"

"Henry Lin." The dealer said with a smirk knowing the Triad and SAMCRO recently had their differences.

"You're not Chinese," Tig said with genuine confusion. It was the worst scenario. The only reason Tig hadn't gone to Jax was because of the problems he already caused. He'd just started to feel it was in the past and now he had screwed up again. Tig couldn't go through that again but his grasp on the situation was weak, at best.

The dealer just rolled his eyes. "Now, he gets his money and he'll get over it but he doesn't, and you'll feel it."

"I'm already feeling it," Tig spat. "And so is your guy." Marching toward his truck, Tig pulled the man out and dragged him over to the dealer.

"He dead?" The dealer asked in shock.

"Maybe," Tig shrugged. "Give me some time, I'll get your your money. Just stay away from my family."

"The blonde you mean?" He smirked. "I saw her, she's pissed at you, don't think I'd call her your family."

Tig inhaled sharply. "Leave her out of this and I promise you, if my kid dies, I will make you feel every kind of pain imaginable before I kill you myself."