Brother Remembered - Black Dagger Brotherhood FanFic - Sumter Colony 2

Chapter 18

An incessant beeping drilled into Rhet's consciousness, which sucked because he was floating along all nice and comfy. That all ended the moment he had the fleeting realization that he was waking up. He snapped his eyes open to find himself staring at the fluorescent light inset into the ceiling and immediately regretted it as pain pierced into his brain.

He groaned and raised a hand to rub his temples but felt an unusual tug on his forearm. He saw the IV, then followed it up to find himself surrounded by medical equipment, including the one that had just about reached the end of its beep-beep-beeping life if he had any say.

"You're awake!" a soft female voice off to his right proclaimed. He looked in her direction and saw Nayah, one of Hatrhed's bonded mates, set her book aside as she stood from the chair she'd occupied.

He squinted. "Where am I?"

"At Vicktor's clinic. Do you remember anything?"

He closed his eyes and laid his head back on the pillow. "Hatrhed invited me over to dinner." He scowled. "I got there okay, so I didn't have a wreck." He looked at the IV again. "Why am I here?"

Nayah stopped at his bedside. "You had a... reaction. From a great shock." She was hesitant to simply blurt out what had happened. "Let me call in a nurse now that you're awake." She pushed the call button, and, almost immediately, a female in scrubs with a stethoscope came in the door.

"Awake, huh? We thought you might be out a little longer."

Nayah moved to the foot of the bed while the nurse checked him over, asking him questions to check his lucidity. He wasn't entirely tracking everything, but he knew his name and the date, so there was that.

"The last thing I remember is climbing the stairs of the farmhouse. What happened after that?"

"You went inside," Nayah explained, "You saw someone you hadn't seen in a long time. Someone from your past."

Rhet scowled, straining to remember. A face flashed in his mind, and his heart skipped a beat, literally, before taking off. "My father. Night. Son of a bitch."

"Take some deep breaths for me, Rhet," the nurse ordered. "Let's get that heart rate down."

"Fuck that," he swore and tried to sit up. "I want out of here." Dizziness washed over him, and he collapsed with a groan.

"Yeah, your blood pressure is wanky, too. So, be prepared to be here for as long as it takes to get you more stable. Then, we'll talk about discharge papers," the nurse explained.

Rhet knew that he had no choice. Even sitting up was a no-go. "Fine. Just don't let him come in here."

"Got it," she said as she adjusted the IV drip. "We've got some good meds for your system. Should get you straightened out."

He gave in, sinking into the pillow. "Okay. Whatever."

"In the meantime, that IV should help with the BP and dizziness. We need to get you up and moving when you feel up to it."

He nodded.

"Do you need anything?" Nayah asked. "Some water or something?"

The nurse finished her check and adjustments of all the machines, noting the readings in his chart. "He can have some ice chips. I'll send some in for him." She looked at him. "You behave. I don't want any trouble from you!"

He grunted at her humor and listened to her shoes as they squeaked when she left.

He stole a look at Nayah. "Why are you here?"

She grabbed the chair and dragged it to the side of the bed. "Hatrhed told me to stay with you. She said she'd come by once they were back."

"Back from where?"