Chapter 2

“Rayne tells me father is quite up the wall over my use of vacation days. Not that he has much say in the way I run my company. This is the first time I have ever taken any time off work since he retired and made me CEO.” Quinn can picture the look Skylar would shoot him at that. The lidded glare of ‘really Quinn’ that he had come to know quite well. Quinn huffs in response to the image his mind conjured. “No, don’t give me that look, Sky, this is considered a vacation.” He smiles softly to himself and quietly adds, “Any time spent with you is.”

He’s not entirely sure what Skylar would say to that, though he would never admit it out loud to the man. It is a little too close to the truth, and no one knows that. Well, except Rayne, but Rayne is a harpy of a sister with the cunningness of a hawk and the deviousness of snake. She saw everything, even when Quinn himself didn’t, and even now she refuses to stop dangling it over his head. Though she let up enormously after…after that night.

Quinn rubs soothing circles onto the back of Skylar’s bandaged hand, the steady beep in the background calming him. After the many days and nights he spent right here, at Skylar’s bedside, he’s sure every one of their friends must know by now. It doesn’t matter though, none of it does. All that matters, is Skylar and his recovery.

“I—” Quinn begins, intent on rambling again about some mundane thing. But his mind takes a more sober turn and he finds the words spewing forth unbidden, “I’m sorry, Sky. I know I let you down. It’s my fault for not seeing it earlier, for not helping you when you needed it. And I’m sorry I never told you. Maybe things would be a little different if I had. Maybe this never would have happened, I don’t know. Or maybe I would have made things worse. It doesn’t matter now, can’t change the past.” He chuckles softly, without humor. “But I promise I will be here for you from now on if you want me to be. I love you Skylar and I just want you to be happy.”

He gives Skylar’s hand a small squeeze, closing his eyes and letting his mind wander. He feels emotionally drained, worried and helpless in the face of this problem he has no solution to. All he can do is wait and hope and wait some more, and it is killing him.

Quinn’s startled out of his reverie as the heart monitor suddenly starts beeping frantically, its constant steady slow pace shattered in a panic. He opens his eyes and looks at the machine in surprise before launching to his feet and focusing on the bed, hope bubbling in his chest.

“Sky?”

A second passes in stillness before Skylar’s eyes shoot open, wide with terror. He struggles trying to take a breath, gasping and gagging around the ventilator still lodged down his throat and begins to thrash, hands scrabbling weakly at the wires and tubes snaking in and around his body.

Quinn surges forward, lightly grabbing Skylar’s wrists to stop him from pulling out the necessary wires.

“Hey, Sky,” Quinn makes sure his voice is calm and soothing. “Skylar it’s okay, you’re okay. Just relax, you’re in the hospital. Skylar?”

But Skylar doesn’t relax. His eyes widen further with alarm and terror as he looks up at Quinn. He struggles and fights, gasping around the ventilator, twisting and pulling and bucking, trying to wrench himself free of Quinn’s grasp.

“Skylar? Skylar please, it’s me, it’s Quinn.” His words are falling on deaf ears, he knows it, but he is caught now and can’t let go for fear of Skylar truly hurting himself. In a frenzy himself, Quinn turns his head toward the door and shouts for Rhys. For anyone, really.

He looks back at Skylar. Tears leak out of Skylar’s eyes as he tried to wrench himself free. Quinn’s heart breaks at the sight.

“Skylar it’s alright, you’re okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” Whether Skylar hears him or not, he keeps up a steady litany of soothing reassurances until Rhys and a petite brunette nurse burst in and take control. Rhys pushes Quinn aside with a gentle but firm touch, and all he can do is watch as the two nurses hold Skylar steady and sedate him. After a couple of seconds, Skylar’s movements get slower and slower until he is slumping against the pillows, eyes closing, falling back into unconsciousness.

Rhys eases him into a more comfortable position before turning his attention to Quinn. “You alright?”

Quinn blinks the gathering tears from his eyes, finally tearing his gaze away from Skylar. Rhys is shooting him sidelong, concerned looks as he and the other nurse slowly start taking Skylar off the ventilator.