Chapter 264: Consequences
*I don’t want to be that guy anymore, mom. I want to take a different type of chance this time. – Chance*
Chance left the clubhouse with no idea of where to go. He cruised the streets of East Vale without any thought. Then he found himself in Ridgeview pulling into the Memorial Hospital parking lot.
He had never come on his own. Had never thought about it. But as he parked his bike, he hoped that they would let him in. Carrying his helmet, he went straight to the elevator and then the nursery.
Not remembering the weekend nurses’ names, he simply waved as he went by. The nurse at the desk smiled back as she picked up the phone. The door to the back nursery clicked as he approached, and Chance went through.
Inside he stowed his helmet, hung up his cut and t-shirt, and washed his hands. Then he went inside and snuggled the little guy against his chest.
Nurses came in and checked on their patient. Staff came in and emptied the trash and restock supplies. An aid brought him a bottle. And then another.
Michael no longer had any tubes. No IV, feeding tube or oxygen tube. Even most of the monitors were removed. Chance was changing the diaper and singing the only song that he could think of. If Rye could sing Five Finger Death Punch, he could sing Imagine Dragons.
“Do either of you know any lullabies?” Mark asked from the doorway.
“Not really.” Chance answered moving back to the rocking chair. “At least I don’t.”
“Hey, momma, I found him.” Mark said and when Chance looked up, he found the older man on his phone. “He’s fine. He’s here with Michael. I’ll tell him. Okay. Love you too, momma.” He ended the call and put his phone into his scrub pocket.
“Call my mom.” Chance said adjusting Michael after he moved slightly.
“Or go tell her why no one can find you.” At the confused look he got, Mark cocked an eyebrow. “People have been calling you for about three hours. No answer.”
“It’s in my cut pocket.” Chance replied. “I don’t ever bring it in here.”
“You know the nurses think that you two are a couple.”
Chance stayed quiet and his focus remained on the infant in his arms. Michael was looking up at him with wide eyes that were so innocent despite everything his short life had already endured.
“Laquetia has not helped with those rumors. She told everyone that she tried to get your attention for a mid-shift tryst.” Mark added.
“I don’t remember her doing or saying anything.” Little fingers wrapped around his pinky, and he smiled.
“She said you never even looked at her.”
“Guess I had more important things to do.” Little eyes stared at him as little lips smiled. “Yes, I did.”
“How long has it been since you were with a woman?”
“I don’t know.”
“Would it help if I told you what time it was?”
“No.” Chance looked at his brother-in-law. “I quit counting after a while.”
“What happened?”
“I came here with Rye. And I found it.”
“What did you find?”
“What was missing.” He looked back at the baby. “I looked at Rye watching me holding Michael and she was looking at him with absolute love.”
“And you wanted someone to look at you like that.”
“I kissed her.” Chance whispered.
“Excuse me?” Mark asked surprised.
“I kissed her.”
“I’m surprised you remembered how.” He grinned.
“To be perfectly honest, so am I.” Chance looked up again. “I kissed her in the front area of the Shack.”
“Which leads us to why all your brothers, blood and otherwise, are looking for you.”
“I’ve never met a woman like her before.” Chance admitted.
“You’ve never met a woman who didn’t try to fuck you.” Mark corrected.
“That’s true.” He admitted with a grin. “I don’t think she likes me much right now.”
Standing up, Mark grabbed a plastic tube and a medicine vial. “Michael needs his breathing treatment. It’s a good time for you to go talk to your mom.”
“Why?” Chance asked placing the infant back inside the incubator. Mark launched into the reasons for a breathing treatment. “Shut up, smart ass. Why am I going to go talk to my mom?”
“So, she can tell you everything you’re doing wrong.” He replied starting the nebulizer and adding the medicine. “Then, I would advise talking to Molly. You may have been the pussy whisperer. But he knows the secrets of their hearts and souls.”
Chance agreed as he left and redressed in the little hallway. He called Werewolf on his way out of the hospital and then headed to his mom’s house. She did indeed tell her son everything that he had done wrong. But gave him hope by reminding him that all great stories begin with a problem.
“I can’t think of a single story, that I want to hear, which starts with I was sitting at home eating a salad and watching a documentary.” Alana told her son. “Hell, your dad and I started off rocky.”
Chance decided that at some point, he would need to ask about his parents’ story. But right now, he needed to save his own.
If he couldn’t save his own love story, the rest of his stories may all start off with a salad and a documentary.
And he was not a fan of either.
Chance called Molly later and then went to his compound for dinner. The whole day, he wanted to go to the little bungalow over on Finch Street. He wanted to check on Rye. Both his mother and cousin advised that he give her room and space. He did, but only begrudgingly.
