The Beat of Love

Chapter Fifteen

The doctors came in and ran tests on Xavier. Apparently the damage done, when he hit his head, had caused hearing loss. The doctors were fairly certain the injury would heal and Xavier's hearing would come back as the healing began, but for the time being he was deaf. Ty had gone out and gotten Xavier's phone fixed, the screen having been crushed in the accident. While he was in the hospital, we used his phone to help communicate with him. His father and brother came into town immediately. My family followed, since Robbie had called them all after seeing the news on social media. They were all there to help and support Xavier and I. Food was always provided for us, and they bought me anything to help with my stay in the hospital as well. I had refused to leave until Xavier was released.

As the days went by, Xavier's hearing didn't return. The rest of his injuries were beginning to mend, according to the doctors, and they prepared him for discharge. Everyday in the hospital, he woke up and tested out his hearing. And everyday, I watched the light in him begin to dim. Sometimes he'd try to play music but, once he found his hearing to still be gone, he'd push the phone away from him and lie back down, closing his eyes in despair. He was an artist, stuck in a world where he could no longer experience his art.

Tatiana had been tested in the hospital and they found rape drugs in her system. The police were investigating the incident, but she was being detained for the time being. The police found that she hadn't been in the club, based on camera footage, but she'd been placed in the car by someone and left outside of the club. Her phone was beside her and numerous messages had been goading her to come after me for all her pain and suffering. The police were tracking the messages, but they didn't know who had sent them nor who had drugged Tatiana. Because of the uncertainty, both Xavier and I had gotten beefed up security. Gerald had insisted and he'd arranged it while Xavier was in the hospital.

"It's only temporary, X." Ty tried to explain to Xavier when we got to his house in Seattle. He'd decided that being near his family was best for now and I was moving in with Xavier. Ty and Rhonda had both taken steps to get a specialist to help Xavier with every day life. Rhonda had been working just as hard for Xavier as Ty was and I loved to see it.

"I don't care." Xavier replied, his tone normal. We'd worked with him during his hospital stay so he could talk to us normally. "I'm not learning all this shit." He threw the packet Ty had given him back at him.

"Then how will you communicate?" Ty huffed.

"I'm talking to you right now, aren't I?" Xavier snapped. "I know how to fucking talk, even if I can't hear myself."

I took Xavier's hand. "He's doing really well reading lips, Ty. It's what we end up doing on stage, since we can't hear a lot out there. He's used to reading lips. And we've worked on his voice. He sounds normal. A lot of the skills we pick up as performers are working now. Muscle memory helps a lot with his voice."

"What about outside of reading lips and talking? What about people visiting? What about going out and fans approaching him with bright lights? What about when he can't see someone's lips? Or when we talk too fast for that?" Ty rattled off.

Xavier rolled his eyes. "What about if you shut the fuck up and get out of my house?"

Ty was unmoved. "What about his music?" There was a pause. "This specialist will teach you tricks to be able to connect with your music again."

Xavier swallowed. "Until I can hear again, I can never truly connect to my music."

I turned his face to me. "That's not true, and you know it. Music is deeper than just what our ears hear." Pulling his hand to my throat, I said, "It's about what we feel." I let him feel the vibration of my voice.