Fractured Hearts (Shattered Lives, Book Three) (29 page)

Startled awake in the middle of the night, Quinn discovered Gunther seemed to be having a nightmare. Along with a healthy dose of grumbling, his body trembled and twitched.

“Gunther?” she whispered and shook him a little. “Gun? Lover? Wake up.” With a kiss to his cheek, he groaned, but his body was still trembling and twitching. “Hey…” Quinn shook him again, his eyes popping open. “Hey, lover. You had me worried.” She leaned down and kissed his lips, but he didn’t respond to her. “Gunther?”

She jumped up and grabbed a flashlight sitting on the desk that was serving as a nightstand. Flashing it into his eyes, she panicked, “Oh god. No, no, no!” They were so much grayer than she had ever seen them before. “It’s going to be okay, lover. Fight it. I’ll be right back.” She ran out of the room and went to Henry’s, pounding on the door repeatedly, screaming until he opened it.

Not again
, I thought, staggering to the door in my boxers. I would have enjoyed a twenty-four hour span without drama. I cracked the door open and Quinn was panicking.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Gunther…” Her voice was shaking. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him!”

I closed the door, and a couple seconds later, I exited with shorts on, Sig in one hand, shirt in the other. We sprinted to their room as I pulled my shirt on.

I burst through the door and ran to Gunther’s side. He was writhing around in the bed, groaning and grumbling. His vacant eyes were darting all over the room.

“Shit,” I quipped.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s turning.”

“What!?” Quinn screamed. “Fix him!”

“I don’t know if I can, Quinn.”

“You have to try! Please!” she pleaded.

“Go get Josie and Thomas!” In haste, Quinn ran out of the room. “Stay with us, mate. I know you can hear me. Fight it.” I looked around the room for Gunther’s pack, spotting it on the desk. Seconds later, Josie, Thomas, and Quinn blew through the door. “Sit. I need a bag and vials.”

“Hook me up for a bag,” Josie said, tears in her eyes.

“Hook Josie up while I get Thomas started.” She looked lost. “Quinn! Snap out of it! I need you to focus.”

“Sorry.”

She grabbed the supplies and tried to hook Josie up. Her hands trembled, and every time Gunther groaned, she jumped. “Momma Quinn…” Josie touched her face. “Calm down. It’s going to be okay.” Quinn shook her head. “Yes, it will. Take a deep breath.” She did as Josie instructed, then hooked her up.

She darted back to Gunther. “Henry, why is this happening?”

“I don’t know,” I muttered out of fear and frustration.

“What do you mean you don’t know?!” she cried.

“Quinn, I only have so much knowledge!”

“Both of you shut up and change this vial!” Thomas yelled.

I turned around and popped off one, plugging in another. “Here! Force it down his throat!” I yelled as I shoved the vial toward Quinn.

“Come on, lover. Open up.” Gunther’s stare was blank. “Come on.” She muscled open his clenched jaw and poured the blood in. She held his jaw shut and coaxed him to swallow. “Please. I know you’re in there somewhere. You can’t leave me. Remember what we were going to do in the morning?”

The tears ran from her eyes and down her cheeks, dripping onto Gunther’s face. He groaned again. I had hope he was trying to respond. “Here!” I shouted, shoving another vial at Quinn.

She muscled open his jaw again and poured it down his throat. His body was still twitching. “Come on, lover… Think about the three of us,” she murmured in his ear, loud enough to be heard through the commotion.

Three of us?
I didn’t have time to try to figure it out. I gave her another vial and she repeated the action. “How’s he looking?” Just as I asked, Gunther’s body went limp and he stopped breathing.

“No! No! Gunther!” Quinn screamed and pounded on his chest. “Please, don’t take him.” She begged, “Please, don’t take him! He’s a good man. He’s remorseful for what he’s done.” She grabbed at me when I rushed over. “Do something!”

“Quinn…” I stood silent, knowing what I had to do. I just put a bullet in Elaina’s brother’s head. Now I had to do it to my best mate, as well? “Quinn… You need to leave the room.”

“No!” she screamed.

“Quinn…,” I whispered, touching her shoulder. The familiar icy feel made her shiver.

She knew what I needed to do. “Just let me be with him for a minute…please.” Quinn rested her head on Gunther’s chest as she sobbed.

Stepping back and watching from afar, I had my Sig ready. I wiped the tears from my face, truly broken up.

Sobbing behind me curled into herself, Josie was still filling a bag.

Quinn whispered into Gunther’s ear. I was honored to witness such a loving, private moment. When she laid her head on his chest, he inhaled sharply, making her stand in fear.

“Quinn, go now. Take Josie and Thomas.”

“No, please don’t,” she begged.

Roughly, I said, “I don’t have a choice.”

Gunther let out a garbled groan, and Josie went from sobbing to hysterics. I felt such a deep sadness, knowing I was about to end the life of the only father figure she had left.

He groaned again. Quinn looked at him, then kneeled and kissed his forehead. When she pulled away, his eyes popped open, causing her to gasp.

There they were…the brilliant emerald eyes.

“Henry…” I squatted next to her. “Is he back?” she whispered.

“Maybe… Gunther?”

The next morning, Quinn’s thoughts were dark as she traced the edges of Gunther’s Sig sitting on the desk next to her. Henry made her promise she would have a gun ready, just in case.

She hadn’t slept, only nodding off a few times in the chair, but was startled awake as soon as her head would list or bob. The exhaustion she felt was overwhelming, and the nausea was relentless. Resting her palm on her lower abdomen, she wondered if there was a little Gunther growing inside her.

Henry checked on them a few times during the course of the night. He helped Quinn force a bag of blood down his throat, while she continued to coax him to swallow.

It was evident Henry was worried the situation would turn out badly. He explained he had only heard of one case of deep suspended animation in the program, and it didn’t end well. So he felt if they could continue to keep forcing Gunther to swallow, maybe his outcome would be different. Henry knew Quinn would come get him if need be, but he still worried something would happen.

Cora knocked on Quinn and Gunther’s door. When she woke in the morning, Josie had filled her in on what had happened.

Dragging herself away from him, but keeping her eyes on him the entire time, Quinn answered the door. She was afraid if she looked away even for a second, something would happen.

“Hey, honey. How’s he doing?” Cora pulled Quinn into her body as she fell apart.

After several minutes of crying, she was finally able to speak. “I don’t know. He isn’t responsive. He has groaned a few times and his eyelids have flickered. It’s like he is in a coma or something. Henry said he thinks he’s in some sort of deep suspended animation.”

“I’m so sorry. He’s strong and he will fight this with everything he has.”

Quinn wiped the tears from her face—eyes swollen and bloodshot. “I love him so much.”

“I know you do, sweetie. And that love for him will pull him through.”

Cora held Quinn for a few more minutes before Quinn said, “I need your help.”

“Whatever you need, I am here for you,” Cora offered.

“Can you go with me to the clinic?”

“Of course. Do you want me to grab Josie so she can stay with him?” Quinn nodded.

Cora left and, minutes later, came back with Josie, who settled into the chair next to Gunther. Her eyes glanced at the desk next to her where Gunther’s Sig was, ready for use.

“I’ll be back shortly. I need to run to the clinic for a few.” Quinn motioned toward the desk. “It’s there if need be. If anything does happen, please come get me or Henry.”

“Take your time, Momma Quinn,” Josie murmured.

They headed to the clinic. Closing and locking the door behind them, Quinn struggled about whether or not she should tell her what was going on. She fidgeted with her hands, wondering if Cora would judge her.

“I need to find something,” she said.

“Tell me what you need so I can help you look.”

“I think I need a…a test.”

“A test?” Quinn looked at Cora with a raised eyebrow. “Oh…
test
. Gotcha.”

Cora sifted through the medical supplies in the closet. “Found one. Actually…there are a few in here.” She stepped out of the closet and handed Quinn the test.

Her hand trembled as she took it. The thoughts were taking over her mind. “Cora, what if I am and he dies?”

“I don’t know, sweetie.”

“I don’t know what to do,” she cried.

“Take the test, and we’ll go from there. One step at a time.”

Quinn fumbled with the box, trying to open it. Cora took it from her and opened it, then held out the stick to her. The uncontrolled tremble grew tenfold as Quinn grasped it.

She stepped into the clinic’s bathroom and lowered herself onto the toilet. It took her several tries before growing the courage to urinate on the stick. Setting it on the sink, she hurried out of the bathroom, not looking at it once. Sitting next to Cora on the cot and pulling her knees into her chest, they waited in silence for the test to finish.

All Quinn could think was,
What if he dies
?

Cora broke through the mournful thoughts. “You want to look, or do you want me to?”

“You.”

Cora got up and went into the bathroom. She picked up the stick and, with extreme clarity, saw two lines. She took a deep breath, worrying about how Quinn would react.

With the test in her hand, Cora stepped out of the bathroom. One look at her and Quinn knew right away. She choked as the sobs rattled her whole body.

“Shh… Don’t cry,” Cora consoled. “This was meant to happen. It never happened before because it wasn’t meant to be. You two love one another so much. You are very blessed to give him such a miracle.”

“But what if he never wakes up? He’ll never know.”

“He’ll know.” Cora pulled Quinn in and let her cry. “No matter what happens, he’ll know. I will be there for you every step of the way. That’s my promise to you,” Cora reassured. “Come on. Let’s get you back. Maybe he will sense your presence and wake up.”

Cora took Quinn’s hand and they headed back down the hall. Upon turning the corner, Henry and Elaina were exiting their room.

Lying in bed, my hands behind my head, I stared at the ceiling. I hadn’t slept yet. Elaina mumbled something in her sleep, rolled over, and rested her head on my chest. I sighed and pulled her closer. While trying to figure out what to do with James’ group, I glanced down at my black-haired beauty and decided to wake her, needing advice.

“Love…? Love…?”

“Hmmm…,” she moaned.

“Love, wake up. I need to talk to you.” I pushed myself up, forcing her to move.

She let out a groan and sat up. Yawning, she asked, “What’s so pressing?”

“I need to figure out what to do with the others. Gunther and I were going to release them this morning, then they would be on their way.”

“Well, then that’s what you should do.”

“That was before all this drama with James.”

She reached inside the desk on her side of the bed, pulled out a brush and a hair tie. “Do you really think Gunther’s going to want him here?”

“Elaina… It’s not looking good for him. The last time I saw this happen, the recruit turned.”

“But you gave him blood.”

“I know. That’s the only way I can think of to keep him afloat. I don’t know what else to do.” I sat forward and rested my elbows on my knees, watching her brush her hair in a tedious fashion, ensuring every strand was smoothed out before she tied it back in a ponytail.

“Well, maybe you should talk to Quinn. Find out how she feels about it.” She tossed the brush on top of the desk. Her eyes followed mine, as I stared at the brush. Her hand snaked out, grabbed it, and put it back in the desk.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

Elaina muttered, “It’s just a brush, Henry. It doesn’t have to be in the same spot every time. What if I moved it here?” She pulled it out of the desk and set it on the bed.

I closed my eyes, working hard not to look at it. I sucked in a hearty breath. “Elaina, don’t. Just put it away.”

“I don’t understand why it’s an issue,” she sighed.

“Elaina, pick it up. Please.”

“Why?”

“Because if
I
pick it up, I will lap this room three times and adjust stuff before I can leave here. It’s bad enough I’ll be straightening the bedding three times before I feel I can leave it for the day.”

“Sometimes you’re a pain in the ass.”

“Likewise,” I muttered. “And, please, don’t purposely try to throw me to the wolves like that. Christ, you’ll send me into an anxiety-driven downward spiral.”

She grabbed the brush and chucked it back into the desk. “Done. Now, let’s go talk to Quinn.” I glared at her. “What?”

“If you weren’t a girl and if I didn’t love you, I’d kick your ass.”

She swatted at me. “Oh, stop.”

“Why must you poke?” I shook my head and stood.

“Sorry. I’m just trying to lighten the mood.”

“This is serious shit, Elaina! I have people stashed away, my second-in-command is down and we should probably just consider him true dead, I haven’t slept at all yet, and you fucking with my issues isn’t helping, nor is it cool,” I grumbled as I pulled on my cargoes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to upset you. I was just… Never mind. I’ll help you talk to Quinn.”

“Thank you. That’s what I need to hear from you.” I tucked my gun away and pulled on a t-shirt.

After Elaina finished dressing and I did my straighten and re-straighten routine, we stepped out of our room. Cora and Quinn were walking down the hall, hand-in-hand. Quinn looked like she was crying.

We met them halfway. “Is someone with him?” I asked.

With a sniffle, Quinn replied, “Josie.”

“Listen, I hate to do this to you, but I need to talk to you about the others.”

“Why me?”

“Well, yesterday, Gunther and I decided we would just release them this morning and they could be on their way. But now I’m not so sure what to do.”

The look in Quinn’s eyes was death.

“You know…,” Cora said, “I need to go check on my kids. Elaina, come with me?”

Glad to have a minute alone with her, I reached out and rested my hands on Quinn’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could do more to help. I really do.”

She nodded. “I know. I appreciate all you’ve done so far.”

“I don’t want to see anything happen to him.”

“I don’t, either,” she choked out.

Wrapping my arms around her, I murmured, “We will get through this together. I promise. I will do whatever I need to help him.”

“I’m so scared.”

“I am, too,” I admitted. My emotions were twisting my belly. I stepped back and leaned my shoulder against the wall. “Do you want me to continue with our original plan?”

I watched her face as she went through a range of emotions—sadness, hurt, frustration, anger. Then she sighed. “Let them stay. I couldn’t live with the decision of letting them all go. I really don’t want James here, but… It’s beyond me how he showed up here.”

“It’s pretty fucked up,” I added. “I’m going to talk to them. If he wakes, I’m leaving it up to you to tell him about James still being here. You come get me if you need anything.”

“Okay.” I pushed off the wall and headed down the hall. “Henry?” I looked back. “Thank you.”

I smiled at her. “Anytime.”

Next, I stopped by Cora’s room to pick up Elaina…not that I couldn’t handle a mini mob of angry teens, twenty-somethings, a Barbie look-a-like, and some balding douchebag.

As we walked down the hall, we didn’t say much besides me giving her the rundown about what Quinn and I talked about. I was still a little miffed at her for poking at me over my OCD issues.

After I unlocked the gym door and swung it open, everyone was waiting. “Listen up. I know we said yesterday that we were going to make you leave this morning, but after a couple discussions with some of my community members, we have decided to allow you to stay.” I was interrupted by a few cheers and tears. I held my hand up so I could finish. “We have plenty of space. I expect everyone to be a working member of this community. Everything from fetching water to helping in the garden to cleaning. Also, you will continue to be unarmed unless I deem it necessary for you to carry a weapon.”

James stepped forward. “I appreciate this and we will do our best to be a part of this community. I need to ask, though. Quinn’s…” He rubbed his neck. “Uhh… Her boyfriend? Is he okay with this?”

“Well, to be honest, he’s incapacitated at the moment.”

James’ brows furrowed. “I’m sorry?”

“He became ill overnight.”

“It’s not anything catching, is it?” he asked.

“No, but we are keeping him in their room until he’s better, no matter how much he throws at me. He’s pissed and I would suggest steering clear of Quinn,” I warned. “Because that’s one thing that will make him tear the door off its hinges and hunt you down. Consider yourself warned.”

“Right,” he muttered.

“Grab a few gym mats, and you can set up in two rooms down this hall. Feel free to come down to the cafeteria for a light meal. We’ll stop by later with some linens and further instructions.”

Murmurs of “thank you” swept through the small crowd. I nodded and took Elaina’s hand. As I turned, I made sure to lift the back of my shirt enough to expose my Sig and throw a quick glance over my shoulder, securing I was running the ship. Then she and I headed off to the cafeteria for a little breakfast.