What The Cat Dragged In Ch. 32

"Leave you here alone all night? Not on your fucking life." He kissed her temple. He felt her slip into a deeper sleep. He smiled and turned his eyes back to the kid.

He watched the monitors, watched his breathing and listened to time tick away. Sometimes the frail shifted against him. Sometimes she sighed or arched closer. Holding her made the waiting easier. He could have sat there for hours, as long as she was there too.

Nurses came in and out and did whatever the fuck they did. At six-thirty in the morning, the dimmed corridor lights came up. The frail shifted but she didn't wake. Joe and Anna would be there by nine, but he'd let the frail sleep as long as he could. He closed his eyes and let himself start to drift off to the rhythm of monitors and people passing on whispering steps in the hall.

Something on the edge of that soft monotony pulled at his consciousness. He couldn't say what it was at first, just something that didn't quite fit.

Maybe a little sigh. Maybe something that sounded like the squeak of plastic. Probably the frail, or one of the nurses. They were the only things moving in the room.

It was an insistent little sound. Scent told him that none of the nurses were in the room. The frail was quiet against him. He opened his eyes and saw the kid staring back at him and fucking around with the breathing tube.

"Shit!" He sat up. The frail mumbled something. He never took his eyes off the kid. "Frail, he's awake."

She looked at him and then realization dawned in her eyes. She looked at Cody. "Get the nurse." She was off his lap in a shot. Creed watched her take his hand. "Just a second sweetie, we'll get someone to take the tube out."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Creed stood out in the hall and watched the frail and her grandparents. They were all smiles, but the kid didn't wake up as easy as the frail had. He hadn't said a word in the hour he'd been awake. He hadn't moved much either, but when he did, his limbs shook. The frail sat on the bed with him and he curled up against her side like a child younger than his years. After all the kid had been through, Creed supposed he deserved a little comfort.

The frail was glowing with joy and strength and she was his. Just looking at her made him proud.

Course the others were a part of the frail. Maybe that meant they were his in a different way. Something about the idea appealed to him. Creed smiled a little. The frail looked over at him and motioned him to come in.

Nine months ago he'd gone looking for a shred or two of his humanity. He hadn't had a fucking clue how to go about it and after he found the frail he stopped thinking about it. It all seemed to happen without so much as a pang of uncertainty or a moments' effort. He didn't care whether or not it would last. It had lasted this long, there was no reason to think it wouldn't go on. He was going to damn well enjoy it.

He walked into the room to meet his mate's brother.

*~*~*~*~*~*

This is the end of 'What the Cat Dragged In'. I want to thank all of you for reading and taking this journey with me. I can only hope that you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing for you.