Just Breathe

Chapter Thirty-Two Gavin

I can’t tell you how I made it back to the apartment. Everything was a blur around me. The only focus is getting to Bailey and Logan. I can’t remember if I turn off the truck or not. I swing the door open and Zeus speeds right out of the driver’s side. I run as fast as I can and swing the lobby door open. Zeus is like lightning, speeding up the flight of stairs to get to Bailey’s.

I reach her door and find Zeus biting into some man's leg and dragging him. My eyes catch a figure laying just a few feet away. It’s as if everything happens in extremely slow motion. I hear the pounding of my heart as if on surround sound, and the blood rushing in my ears. My feet move, but I feel like I’m stuck in the same spot. I drop to my knees and reach for her, but I’m frightened to touch her.

“FUCK!” I roar out the anguish I feel looking down at her. That fucker! What did he do her?

“Bailey!” I call out to her as I notice one of her eyes flutter open or tries to at least. Her right eye is swollen shut and there’s a big gash just above it. Her face is covered in blood, swelling up, and already turning a very dark blue or purple. She tries to move ever so slightly, but her movements are so weak, and from the soft cry she lets out, she is in some excruciating pain. I notice her one eye begins to close again. NO!

“Bailey! Stay with me, baby! Don’t you dare close your eyes!” I’m shouting but I don’t know how to help her. I want to pick her up, but I don’t know the extent of her injuries. I look back to the front door to see if Uncle Marcus is here and that’s when I notice Hunter holding Logan. Fuck!

“Lo… Logan” I look back down, and see she’s struggling to stay awake long enough to hear the answer.

“He’s safe. Hunter has him. Just stay awake!”

One moment I’m kneeling down next to her, the next I’m being pushed aside so the paramedics can get to her. Then I hear Logan screaming for his mom, and Zeus trying to be restrained so the cops can take that piece of shit, excuse of a human, away. 

“Gavin!” Uncle Marcus shakes me some to get my attention.

“You got to get Zeus and meet us at the hospital. Now!” I nod my head in agreement and call out for Zeus. He’s hesitant at first, but when he notices that the paramedics have Bailey he comes to my side.

I reach for Logan and he comes willingly into my arms and wraps himself around me like a koala, and sobs into my neck.

“I want my mom, Gavin.” He cries into my neck. I should have never left them.

“I know buddy, but the doctors are gonna take real good care of her, okay. Let’s get going so we get there at the same time as she does.” He just nods his head but doesn’t look up from my neck.

“I’ll call Ash and have her meet us there.” Hunter squeezes my shoulder before we make our way out.

                            ~

It’s been four hours since we’ve arrived at the hospital and no one has been able to tell me anything about how Bailey’s doing. All I know is that she had to undergo emergency surgery. That was three and a half hours ago. Logan passed out in my lap about an hour after we arrived. Poor kid. He’d been terrified when he heard that his mom had to undergo surgery. Yes, Bailey is his mom. She’s the one who has raised him, and protected him with her life. Her life. He tried to stay awake, but the adrenaline had worn out and he crashed. Zeus was half laying on my lap, the rest of his body was on the seat next to me. Every so often he’d look up at me and let out a soft cry. He was suffering all over again, just like me. Looks like fate had a grudge against us.