Brooke Roberts

I don't exactly remember what happened after we left the warehouse. As soon as Raffi helped me sit in the back seat and the car started moving, I blacked out. Sleep overtook me as if I had been unplugged. I have a vague impression of Kyle carrying me into a building and laying me down on a hard, uncomfortable bed, and then I realize where I am.

The next thing I notice is a tall, blonde man in a white lab coat—Dr. Young, if I remember correctly—who appears to treat me. Essentially, everywhere he touches hurts, and after several X-rays, he confirms that I had indeed broken three ribs.

The doctor approaches with a syringe in his hands, my breathing quickens and I start to tremble.

"Brooke, it's a medication to help with the pain," Raffi says, holding my hand. I nod in agreement. I feel a tear slide down my cheek as the needle pierces my skin.

"Aside from the ribs, there are no other fractures. The dressings on your fingers need to be changed daily to prevent infection..." he says, but his voice seems distant, and I think the painkillers must be starting to take effect. "The cuts have been cleaned and the deeper ones sutured. I also need you to keep an eye on them. Watch out for any..."

Everything goes dark and the pain fades away; I feel as if I'm floating on a cloud.

***

I wake up with my heart racing and sit up startled. It’s completely dark, which frightens me; I had always woken up in the chair before. Where have they taken me? My breathing accelerates, and then my senses kick in, and I realize I’m free. A movement to my right catches my attention, and I turn in time to see Kyle turning on my bedside lamp.

The sob that shakes my entire body escapes me. I’m home. How could I forget?

“I’m here, Sunshine.” The mattress sinks as he sits down and carefully adjusts me against his chest. “You’re safe, you’re home,” he says, running his hands through my hair. “It’s going to be okay, you’re safe, you’re home,” he repeats.

“It was so dark,” I manage to say between sobs. “I thought they had taken me somewhere else, far away, and that I’d never come back.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll keep the light on from now on. Are you in pain?” he asks, continuing to soothe my hair with his fingers.

“A little,” I reply after a moment.

He reaches for a glass and two pills and hands them to me.

“Take this, it’ll help,” he says. I do as he asks, handing back the empty glass afterward. After placing it on the nightstand, Kyle settles back down, carefully hugging me. “You need to sleep, Brooke. You’re safe and not going anywhere.”

My eyes grow heavy after a while, and I’m embraced by darkness once more. I spend the next hours or days waking up for brief moments, one of them always there, soothing and comforting me. The lamp’s light always on.

***

"Been out for a while, haven’t you, bitch?" the disgusting voice asks, pulling my hair and forcing me to look at his repulsive face.

No. No. No. They came, I went home. I can’t be here, let me die.

"NO!" The scream tears from my dry throat.

A pair of hands grips my arm.

"Brooke?"

Quick footsteps approach.

"What happened?" someone asks. No, not someone, Raffi.

Relief floods through me as I open my eyes. Seth is holding my arm, a worried expression on his face, with Raffi and Kyle standing at the foot of the bed, sharing the same look.

"I had a nightmare," I admit, relieved. That’s all it was, just another nightmare.

Seth sits beside me, carefully draping his arm over my shoulders to avoid my ribs.

"You can sleep peacefully, I’m not going anywhere, Abelhinha," he says, kissing the top of my head and helping me settle back into the pillows.

"Call if you need anything," Kyle says, turning to leave the room, and Raffi follows him.

"Don’t go." The words leave my lips before I realize I spoke them aloud, but I don’t want them to leave. I spent so much time wondering if I’d ever see them again, if I’d endure long enough for them to find me.

The two turn back to me, glancing at Seth, who shakes his head, and walk to the other side of the bed as Seth lies down beside me.

"I’ll lie on the other side," Raffi announces.

"And why you?" Kyle questions, holding his friend’s shoulder.

"Because I said so first, Thorne," he says with a smile, shrugging off his hand and settling beside me, draping his arm over my waist.

"This is ridiculous, this isn’t how things work," Kyle grumbles as he lies down. "We need a bigger bed."

"This is a super king size," Raffi responds.

"And I’m still falling off," Kyle protests, making me laugh, causing my ribs to hurt. I close my eyes, breathing as deeply as I can without moving them too much.

"Add it to the shopping list, Thorne, and shut up," Seth says, bringing his face close to mine and placing a kiss on my forehead. "Sleep well, Abelhinha."

I’m almost falling asleep when I feel a weight on my legs.

"Oh, no. Cerberus, get out of here," Raffi scolds the dog. I open my eyes and see him lying at the foot of the bed, followed by Banguela, who settles on Seth’s legs, and Apolo barking before jumping on the bed, as if to say he wouldn’t be left out.

"Let them be," I say, feeling a joy so intense that it drives away the fear and brings a smile to my lips. "What wouldn’t I do for you, babygirl?"

***

Three days later, I wake up feeling the warmth of a body next to me, a hand gently resting on my neck, and I open my eyes to find Seth asleep beside me. Since the day I asked them not to leave me, the three of them have been taking turns sleeping with me. I still wake up from nightmares, but the frequency has decreased. Feeling their presence constantly, even when I’m in deep sleep, helps.

I try to get out of bed without disturbing him; it’s so rare to see him sleeping. But as soon as I move, his eyes open, and the tenderness in his gaze is breathtaking.

"Good morning, Abelhinha," he says in a rough voice before leaning in to press our lips together.

His tongue glides over my lower lip, a request I quickly accept, and he explores my mouth sensually. The hand that was resting on my neck moves to caress my cheek. His movements are slow, deliberate, as if we have all the time in the world. My hand grips the back of his neck, pulling him closer, and I bite his lower lip, wanting more. Seth obliges. He hovers over me, supporting his weight with one arm, while the other hand slides along my side, and a moan of pain escapes my lips when he touches my ribs.

"Sorry," he says, pulling away, but I pull him back once more, giving him a quick kiss.

"It’s not your fault; I can’t wait to get better."

"Oh, really? And what is it you’re so eager to do when you’re better?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Breathing without feeling sharp pains would be a good start," I tease, and I get up.

"Fair enough."