You Play the Field - I Play the Strings

Chapter 50

"He's waking up!"

"Mya shhh, we don't want to overwhelm him."

"I'm going to go let Conner know."

What happened? Why is it so hard to open my eyes? I grip the blanket over my body and grimace at the pain that shoots up my body. I feel cold. I feel so cold. I hear familiar voices, but it takes a second to click. Madeline, Mya, and Kadeline? Kyan just left. Why are they here, and what are they going to tell Conner? What happened again?

Fuck. Cash— he had a knife! A knife that was inside Conner when I suddenly passed out. My eyes fly open as I sit up, taking a huge breath through my mouth.

"Conner— he was hurt. Is... is he okay?" I suddenly feel out of breath and collapse against the bed I'm in. My eyes dart around the clean and very white room. Hospital.

"Conner— please— please tell me he's okay." I try to sit up again when a doctor rushes in, gently pressing her hand to my chest to keep me down.

I cooperate, my eyes traveling to Madeline. I look over all her features, searching for any sort of message. I keep my hopes up, considering she doesn't look completely devastated. Both her and the girls seem to be teary with eyebags to match, but I mean, who wouldn't cry if their older brother or son had been stabbed and taken to the hospital? That being said, why are they in this room with me?

"You're doing good, Callum. Thank you for staying calm for me." I nod, the tears bringing my eyes again.

"Nobody will answer me." I start to cry, and the doctor startles, taking a step back and nodding, looking over my body.

"Well, I'm sorry, dear. I didn't hear your question, and I'm sure they didn't mean to ignore you. It's just such a happy feeling to have a family member wake up, no matter how long they have been out." She starts to explain, but I shake my head.

"We aren't—" I go to tell her the hard truth. My family probably doesn't even know I'm here. 100 percent my mother is my emergency contact, and she probably made sure I was alive and then hung up. Definitely don't tell my dad or brother. I was just stabbed and practically held hostage. Then again, they couldn't have afforded a flight out here, so maybe it was for the best.

"Yes, it is. I'm so glad both of our boys are up." Madeline cuts me off, tears in her eyes. She looks right at me when she says it, though.

"Both? So he is alive?" I ask, finally really relaxing against the bed. "Thank god." I lift my hands to my face, just breaking down.

"I'm so sorry this happened to him." I continue to apologize as Madeline rushes to my side.

"Don't you dare be sorry. It wasn't your fault. The wound was deep, but it hit nothing important, and he basically got stitched up and given some pain meds. He's limping around his room right now, waiting to come see you." Madeline explains, and I hear a scoff from the doctor.

"Yes, he definitely should be laying down, but seeing how his father was when he came barreling into the hospital, I decided not to fight it since his injuries are fine. Just no more working out for him for a bit." She reminds his mother, who blushes clearly embarrassed by how obnoxious the boys in the family can be.

"My apologies for that." She explains while the doctor picks up the chart at the end of my bed, marking a few things.

"Appreciate it. Call if you need anything?" The doctor nods to the mother in the room before looking at me.

"Water, please." I ask, realizing how raspy my throat feels.

"I will get that to you real quick. I just want to let you know that the stab to your back was very minor and barely pierced all the skin layers. Then your side was a bit deeper, an inch more, and it would have hit more vital parts. So all in all, you are stitched up and all better. Be very careful about your movements, and you and Conner will need to clean your wounds to stop any infections." She explains as I rub at my watery eyes, trying to forget what just happened, I assume yesterday.

"Got it. Thank you." I say, and she nods again and leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Within seconds, the twins rush to my sides, leaving me shocked and wide-eyed.

"Uh, hi." I manage to get it out. Mya loses it first. She quickly starts to sob, laying her body over mine. I hesitantly reach forward to rub her head.

"It was so scary. Conner called us and said—said you got stabbed. You were passed out. And he was up, so it seemed okay for him, but you..." She blubbers, causing her sister to join her soon, blubbering and crying on my other side, which just leads to me crying.

"I'm okay—I am okay." I repeat it over and over again, trying to convince myself as well that it is okay. Madeline moves closer, comforting her two crying daughters.

"Let us all be thankful that both the boys are OK." She speaks softly, and I nod, trying to agree with her.

"Do you think you can let my dad know what happened? Try to find my phone and contact him?" I ask her as she scoots her way in between Kadeline to be closer to me.

"Yes, of course, dearie." She leans over and pushes the hair out of my face to kiss my forehead, making my body just give out on me. I feel loved. I feel really loved.

The door handle starts to move, and all of our eyes turn to the door. Madeline stands back up, and I pull my hands away from the girls who had stood as well. I instinctively reach for the blanket, trying to pull it over me more for some sort of protection. What happened to Cash?

The door opens, and immediately I hear Kyan groaning as a nurse chews him out.

"Listen, I'm tired. I'm sorry. I'll pay extra for our troubles. I'm sorry—he got it from his mother—" Conner stumbles in, hooked up to a drip, scooting the IV along with him. I just start to cry again. Once more, I'm sitting up, the twins helping me this time. Fuck, it hurts.

"Conner, I'm sorry—"

"Hey, don't apologize. God, I'm so glad you're up. Are you okay? Where does it hurt, baby? You may right back down. I can get you whatever you need, okay?" He drags his IV over with him and lays me right back down, pushing past his little sister and laying me back down, wiping my own tears before quickly wiping his.

His sister, Kadeline, holds onto his arm, and he turns his head to kiss her head before elbowing over to kiss my cheek. I just stare, awestruck, opening my mouth and shutting it. Over me five grain like a damn fish.

"You look tired." I reach up, my arm shaky. My hand rests on his cheek, and I let my thumb swipe over his obvious eye bags.

"Yeah, they've been trying to get me to sleep since they brought me in, but I wasn't tired—"

"Bullshit, you were being a whiny little brat and kept saying not till Cally wakes up, gotta make sure he's okay." His father calls him out, making Conner turn and glare at him, his tan ears pinker than before, obviously embarrassed.

"Shut up—now, you answer my questions. Does it hurt anywhere still, and is there anything I can do for you?" He asks again. Madeline's hand comes back to my forehead, just stroking my hair.

"I mostly feel sore in a way—the doctor will be bringing me water soon, so I'm okay... I'm okay." I say it twice.

"Kyan, girls, let's give them some alone time." Madeline spells up. The girls sigh, hurrying to give their brother another hug. Kyan joins, kissing his down head and squeezing my shoulder.

"I'm glad you're okay." He tells me, and I just sniffle softly in return. Once the door closes behind the family, Conner steals the chair, getting as close as possible and resting his head on my lap.

"What happened to him?" I ask, not daring to say his name.

"He's here. In the hospital. I fucked him. Should have fucking killed him—once he's stable, they're sending him away to have a psychiatric evaluation because he had lost it." He explains as I nod, the tears falling again just at the thought of him.

"Thank you for saving me, Conner. I'm sorry I got you hurt." I start to sob, reaching forward for him. He gladly lifts himself from the chair to get closer to me.

"I would save you every time, and I would take a knife to my heart for you. This is nothing. You know why? Because I love you, Cally. My love." He confesses, kissing me once. Once he sits back, I grab his hand, letting him lay his head back in my lap. With my free hand, I gently start to rub through his hair, watching his eyes flutter shut.

"I know I'm not the strongest or bravest, but I would do the same for you, Conner. I love you, too. I'm glad you're here with me. I'm just glad it's you I have."