Finding Sebastian

Chapter 22

"Sir, we found Sebastian," Gino informed Oliver who was lying in the hospital bed. He lay above the blankets in with a hospital gown covering his upper body and ending just above his knees. Parts of the white gauze tape that covered Oliver's thighs peeked out from under it. Dark circles lay underneath his eyes. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and sighed in relief.

"Where was he?"

"Silvano's nightclub. Also known as The Kitty Walk," Gino replied. He didn't go into any further details. He knew that Oliver would have flipped his shit if he knew that there was a contraption that, when the timer went off, would trigger a gun that was pointed right at Sebastian's head.

Oliver didn't to know, either. He figured he was better off knowing that his child was safe. Even if he did find out, what could he do? Pietro and Silvano were dead men that were buried six feet under by now. "Where is he now?"

"With Talia. They're both sitting in the waiting room."

"What about Marcia?" Now that he knew Sebastian was safe, he needed to know about his wife. All he could remember was seeing her being rimmed into the wall while Silvano was trying to get her off. Then the shot came.

Gino looked down. Marcia was fine. The baby growing inside of her? Not so fine. I  fact, the little fetus was no longer alive. The doctors said that the stress and the amount of bruising and physical abuse terminated her pregnancy. "Marcia is currently recovering."

"The baby?" Oliver inquired.

Gino didn't know if he knew about the baby; that's why he didn't say anything. Gino couldn't make eye contact with his boss. Not only his boss, but his best friend. How could he tell him that Marcia had lost the child? Even he cried over the news.

Oliver got the hint. He too looked down and tears welled up in his eyes. He pushed them back. He couldn't mourn over something that wasn't even a proper baby yet. Even so, it was going to be their child. A traitorous tear left his eye. He quickly wiped it away. He wasn't a weak man; he wasn't going to start now.

"When can I see her?" Oliver sat up with his elbows supporting his weight. The shifting caused pain to shoot through both thighs. He groaned in pain and closed his eyes.

Gino was by his side, helping him to lay back down with his hands on both shouoders. "When she awakens. Her body went into shock. Her mind is recovering."

"When will she awaken?"

Gino ran his fingers through his hair. Oliver couldn't sit still for a moment. He tried getting up again. "Listen, Oliver. I'm not telling you this as your second in command, but as your friend. You need to let your body rest. You've undergone a lot of stress these past couple of weeks."

Oliver sighed in frustration. He couldn't just sit still as his wife and children were in two separate rooms. He needed to be with at least one of them, of not both. "Can I at least see my son?"

Gino shook his head. "You need to rest."

Oliver's patience was thinning. "Let me see him."

"Oli-"

"Dammit, Gino! Bring my son in here!" Oliver erupted.

Gino was unfazed but relented. He turned his back and headed out of the room to allow Oliver to cool off. Minutes later, Talia came in with Sebastian in her arms. Oliver's anger dissipated at seeing his son. Like a child, he held out his arms so he could hold his baby.

Talia smiled softly at Oliver and handed Sebastian over.

Oliver looked down at Sebastian in awe. Green eyes reflected his own as he stared down at his child. He pulled down the blanket that covered the bottom half of his face. "Sebastian," he breathed out.

Upon hearing his name, Sebastian smiled brightly. The image of his father above him made him ecstatic. He missed his mother, but being in his father's arms made him feel safe and secure. A shriek of joy erupted out of his lips.

Oliver chuckled at his reaction. "I love you, you know that, right?" Another shriek of joy escaped his lips. The blanket was loose enough for his hands to peek out and clap together. Oliver couldn't help the smile that stretched his lips.

Oliver tapped Sebastian's nose and tickled his stomach. He made cooing noises as well. Sebastian let out bits of laughter and smiled up at his father.

Both Gino and Talia watched in awe at the two of them together. Like son like father. Talia's heart constricted in joy as she noticed the pure joy and happiness of them being together.

Gino felt the same way. Seeing his best friend and boss this way made him realize that he wasn't such a heartless man after all. "He has a heart," he whispered to himself.

Talia heard him. She had to agree with him. If he he knew one thing about Oliver Ricci from these past few days of knowing him, she would have to say that he did on fact have a heart. He kept it walled up in a steel barrier for no one to penetrate.

She guessed he wasn't counting on having Marcia waltz into his life, and definitely was caught off guard by the little child he held in his arms. Although, she had to say, it made his a special man. Marcia and Sebastian were lucky to have a man in their lives who would fight for them and love them.

Oliver began to grow tried. Gino and Talia could tell. "Oliver, you need to rest now," Gino advised.

He let out a big yawn. "I can't." He yawned again. "I need to stay with my son."

"Mr. Ricci," Talia softly interjected. Oliver's head popped up and met her eyes. "I promise you that Sebastian will be in good hands and will be in one piece when you wake up."

Another yawn. "O-okay." His eyes slowly began to shut. He tried to keep his open, but his body was too exhausted to fight off the sleep. His eyes finally shut with Sebastian in his arms. Sebastian also started to shut his eyes. He too fell asleep next to his father.

Talia and Gino couldn't help but soften their gazes. The two were practically inseparable by now.

"Should we take him?" Gino asked.

"No," Talia replied. "Let them sleep for a little while. I feel like if we tried to take him now, Oliver will wake up and use his claws to kill us."

Gino chuckled at Talia's words. Talia seemed like a genuine woman and was surprised that she was the mother of Pietro. When he first found out, he was close to slitting her throat. When she explained she knew nothing of Pietro's plans, he believed her.

Her eyes were wise and possessed years of knowledge.

"Thank you, Talia," Gino said.

She looked over at him. "For what?"

"For helping them. I don't know what would have happened to them if either of them were killed." Gino stuffed his hands in his back pockets of his jeans. "He's already gone through a lot of shit. Excuse my language."

Talia smile softly at him. "They are good people. You are, too. Good people don't deserve bad things to happen to them."

"Yeah, I agree," Gino sighed. "Unfortunately, bad things happen to even the best of us."

Talia turned to him with inquisition in her features. "You have experience?"

He chuckled humorouslessly. "You could say that."

She didn't budge on the subject. She knew better than to push something that caused someone to feel uncomfortable. Instead, she drew him into a hug. "You good people, too," she whispered into his ear.

Gino wrapped his arms around the elderly woman and decided then and there that she would become part of their family.