Chapter Two Hundred Eighty-Seven 

Sephie 

I knew I was in a hospital by the smell. That’s a smell that you don’t find anywhere else. I could hear voices in and out. I knew the guys were with me. I felt Adrik’s hand in mine. I could hear Ivan telling them what happened. My body reacted when Ivan was going through the events while we were in that room. I heard Adrik talking to me, trying to calm me, but it wasn’t working. The shaking got worse. I could feel it, but it also felt like I didn’t have control over my own body. There was a disconnect between my brain and my body. I was trying to move, but I couldn’t. 

I felt Andrei’s warmer than average hands under my shoulders and Stephen’s ice-cold hands on my legs, lifting me gently. I could feel the bed dip beside me as Adrik laid down next to me. I could smell him. I just wanted to be close to him. When Andrei gently eased me back toward the bed, I knew I wasn’t close enough to Adrik, but I couldn’t move right. I struggled to turn toward him, hoping they would see. 

I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. But I could hear. And I could feel. Andrei and Stephen did notice my struggle and turned me so I could be closer to Adrik. As soon as they put my head on his shoulder, my body relaxed and the shaking subsided. I wanted to be closer still, but this would have to do for now. 

I was in and out of consciousness throughout the…day? Night? I had no idea what day it was. Or what night it was. It didn’t really matter, to be honest. My body stayed relaxed as long as I was close to Adrik. 

I heard the doctor come in and tell Adrik that he wanted to check me. I felt Adrik shift underneath me and I knew I was going to start shaking again. I tried to tell him, but I still couldn’t speak. Whatever they sedated me with this time was taking longer to wear off. I didn’t like it. I couldn’t control my own body. 

I felt the doctor’s hands checking me over. I felt Andrei and Misha move me. I felt the shaking start once I was, apart from Adrik. I felt Andrei and Misha put me back against Adrik, but then I felt a very weird feeling. It was much the same as when Sal was staring at my boobs and Armando was looking at me half-naked, I didn’t like it. It didn’t last long, however. I couldn’t see and I couldn’t hear him, but I knew Ivan was standing over me. Since we were grabbed, I’d been able to feel him much the same way I could feel Adrik, just not as strongly. He had his own energy signature. I knew he was standing over me, protecting me. It was a different feeling with Ivan. With Adrik, it felt like he was standing with me, beside me, anytime he was being protective with me, With Ivan, it was like a protective bubble that he put me in, while he stood guard against whatever he perceived to be the threat. The weird, gross feeling went away almost immediately and I knew it was Ivan silently daring the doctor to continue whatever it was that was making me have this feeling. I finally felt the doctor leave the room. 

I also heard Ivan’s voice talking to the guys, but it was hard to hear anything except Ivan for a few minutes. I knew Adrik was still with me, but the protective bubble that Ivan put me in blocked everything else out. 

I woke up again, after sleeping for who knows how long. Adrik was still as close to me as possible, his arm hoiding me gently but firmly. I knew he was asleep, because his hand was still. When he was awake, his hand would lightly run up and down my back. I tried to move my body to see if it would work yet. This time I could open my eyes. Everything was blurry for a moment, but the room started to come into focus. I knew I wouldn’t be able to move the arm: that was in a sling and I was laying on my good arm. I tried to wiggle my toes. It 

actually worked this time, so I tried to move my foot, then my lower leg. Everything worked. Finally. 

I stretched my legs and immediately regretted it. Shooting pain through my entire body caused me to let out something in between a scream, a yelp, and a cough. Adrik was jolted awake, as were the guys. Adrik was immediately concerned and we were quickly surrounded by each one of the guys. 

“Sephie, what’s wrong?” Adrik asked. He was looking me over, trying to figure out what happened. He noticed. my eyes were open and stopped to look at me, his wide smile stretching across his face. “I missed you,” he said. quietly. 

I tried to talk, but nothing came out. My throat felt horribly dry. I ended up coughing once, which made me wince in extreme pain. 

“You shouldn’t try to talk yet, spider monkey. You need water first,” Andrei said as he walked to a table next to another bed in the room. There was a small pitcher there, with water in it. He poured a small amount of water into a cup and brought it to me. While he fetched me water, Misha and Viktor helped move me and adjust the bed so I could sit up a little more. Sitting up made it easier to breathe, so I was thankful for the change. 

Andrei handed me the water, saying, “slowly,” with a stern look on his face. I smiled weakly at him as I drank the water. Oh, that felt good. 

“Once you keep that down, you can have more,” Ivan said. “Can you blink?” I blinked my eyes to show him. “Good. Two blinks for yes, one blink for no,” he said. I nodded my head once. 

“Are you in pain, solnishko?” Adrik asked. I blinked twice. He cursed under his breath. 

“Can you breathe better now?” Ivan asked. Two blinks.” 

“Are you nauseous?” Andrei asked. I thought for a minute, then blinked once. I wasn’t happy about not being. in control of my body for so long, but at least I wasn’t nauseous this time. He went to refill the cup with water? He poured a little bit more this time, then handed it back to me. I drank it slowly. My body felt weak. And painful. 

“Do you want to know who won the bet on how long it took them to find us?” Ivan asked, a grin on his bruised. and battered face. Two blinks. “Technically, neither of us. 30 hours,” he said, smiling at me. 

“You were closer,” I managed to say in a whisper. “I’m glad.” I smiled at all the guys and leaned my head toward Adrik. Andrei refilled my cup yet again. This time, he filled it up completely. I drank part of it, but then handed it to Adrik, who finished it. I was sure he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink the whole time I’d been out. He drank it quickly, handing the empty cup back to Andrei. I gave Adrik a sympathetic look for keeping him trapped yet again. 

“Don’t you dare try to apologize,” he said. “I would stay here until the end of time with you.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead gently. 

“How long?” I whispered. 

Viktor looked at his watch. “Right about 24 hours this time, but considering what you went through, I’d say 

you’re ahead of schedule, sestrichka,” he said, giving me a wink and his broad, handsome smile. 

I smiled back at him, but it was weak. Everything felt weak. And painful. So painful. 

“How much pain are you in, princess? On a scale of 1-10,” Ivan asked. I thought for a minute, taking inventory of my body. I held up 5 fingers, then 3 fingers. “So, like a 13 for normal people, then?” Ivan asked, grinning at 

“Do you want some pain meds? The doctor said you were going to be in severe pain for a couple days,” Adrik said. He could tell by the look on my face that I wasn’t happy with that option. He smiled softly at me. “I’m not sure ibuprofen is going to be enough for this time, love.” 

“How much longer do I have to stay here?’ I whispered. 

“You still have a chest tube in, but the doctor said that might be able to come out soon. You have to stay another day after that comes out to make sure your lung stays inflated, then you should be able to leave,” Ivan said. 

I peeked underneath the hospital gown that I was wearing, trying to find the chest tube. “Can we take it out now?” I asked quietly as I was looking. Adrik grabbed my hand, pulling me very gently against him. He was laughing at me, but he was also still concerned about me. He looked at his watch. “The doctor should be coming back soon to check on you before he leaves for the day. We can ask him then.”