I Almost Lost You...
Cameos from all the boys~
3.8K words. Lightly proofread. Angst/fluff. cw: hospital, injuries, surgery, Sylus being worried, healing, Zayne in doctor mode
Sylus didn’t get spam calls. He owned the cellphone company his phone was run through and he made sure he wouldn’t get any call that would waste his time. So when he got a call from a local number he didn’t recognize, he answered it.
He knew you were going into the No-Hunt Zone today so he was extra vigilant. Maybe your phone died and were calling from an outpost or borrowing a coworker's phone. You had a bad habit of letting your phone die. So he knew any random phone number to most likely be you.
He didn’t expect a man’s voice on the other line when he answered.
“Is this Skye?”
Sylus’ hand stops writing on the document in front of him. Skye was the name you used to protect his identity from the Hunter’s Association. Whoever was calling, was calling about you.
“Yes it is.” He confirms.
“This is Doctor Li at Akso Hospital,” he tells Sylus he is calling on your behalf. “You are listed as her emergency contact.”
Zayne. Sylus knew him. You’d talked about him often, being a good friend you grew up with and your primary care physician. He was unaware you had listed him as your emergency contact. Later, he will have time to be honored. Now, something had happened and he needed to get to you. He stood, already heading for the door.
“What happened?”
“She sustained nearly fatal injuries on her mission today. She was brought in in time and we were able to stabilize her, but we are taking her into surgery. We encourage you to come and wait for updates.”
He’s outside, on his bike, revving it up by the time Zayne finishes speaking. He tells him he is on his way before hanging up and speeding off.
He gets to the hospital in under ten minutes, ignoring any and all speed limits. He knows which roads to take in Linkon to avoid getting caught. He barely shuts off his bike and doesn’t even bother standing it properly. It falls with a loud clang.
He doesn’t care. He will fix it or buy a new one. Nothing matters right now except for getting inside and finding you.
He scares the nurse at the front desk when he says your name like a threat.
“S-Sir, are you Skye? Her emergency—”
He cuts her off. “Yes. Where is she?”
He doesn’t have time for pointless questions. And they sure as hell better not make him fill out any paperwork. He might just raise the whole hospital if they try him beyond taking him right to you.
Too scared to ask any of the usual questions, she has another nurse lead him to the family waiting room for the operating wing. There are few other families in there, huddled together. Some look beyond worried while others simply look bored. Sylus didn’t know what he looked like, but he knew it wasn’t pleasant. Based on the scared side eyes he was getting.
He didn’t care. And he didn’t sit. Flat out refused when the nurse offered him a seat or a drink. He stared her down as she tried to escape back through the door.
“Tell Dr. Li, I'm here. Bring him to me.”
She tried to tell him Zayne would likely be busy with patients, but he ignored her, leaving no room for argument or excuse. He knew he was being cruel. Better yet, he knew you wouldn’t like him behaving like this. He would make up for it later. Apologize and offer the staff he terrorizes new cars or something else extravagant.
For now, he claims a corner of the room where he can see every little movement. He stands, back pressed against the conjoining walls, and stares at the ‘Authorized Personnel Only’ door.
When Zayne finally comes to see him, he has to break Sylus out of his trance.
“Skye.” He says with a little force. He’d said it a few times already and Sylus hadn’t moved.
This time, his gaze shifted to the doctor. He noticed he looked rather distressed, himself. He knew of his fondness for you. The friendship you shared and the history you two had. Sylus had grown to accept he was not the only person that cared about you. How could he be? You shined everywhere you went. People are drawn to you and the amazing light you give off. But now in this moment, seeing Zayne subtly disheveled, irked him.
Zayne knew who he really was. He was decent enough to keep up appearances in public, but he’d made it known he doesn’t care for Sylus. Doesn’t trust him with you or your safety, given how dangerous of a life he lived. He claimed it was his ‘doctorly concerns’ but even he couldn’t hide behind such a facade. A thick layer of tension was always between the two men.
“What happened to her?”
Zayne lets out a small sigh and speaks quietly. “According to her partner, while they were in No Hunt Zone 14, they encountered a powerful Ignitus Wyrmlord. Stronger than they’d seen before. He was able to take it down, but she was thrown against a tree and crushed under a large branch that fell. She sustained a concussion, several broken ribs, right collarbone break, left shoulder dislocation, and a cracked pelvis.”
Sylus listened intently, not even blinking or taking a breath. Each word was like the sword in his chest all over again. His girl. His precious gem was broken and shattered. She was in pain and he wasn’t there to help her. He would have caught her. Blasted the tree into a million splinters before it ever had the chance to touch her.
Her partner. Xavier. He would be having words with him.
As if he could hear his thoughts, Zayne continued. “Xavier brought her in immediately. If he hadn’t acted as quickly as he did, she likely would have died. But they stabilized her and the operation is going well. I have been getting regular updates from the nurses. She is going to be okay, Skye.”
Despite his apprehension of Zayne as a person, Sylus trusts him as a doctor. He believes that you will be okay. But until you are awake and in his arms again, he won’t be able to relax. Even then, he will just think about how close he came to losing you again.
Sylus nods. “How long will it be?”
“Likely up to three hours. More if there are complications, but things are steady. They will come and get you as soon as she is settled in the ICU.”
He nods again, mumbling something that resembles a thank you and goes back to staring at the door. Zayne understands the conversation is over and leaves the room to return to his work.
Sylus stands and waits. Every time the door opens and the nurse talks to another family, his jaw clenches. Hours pass and when the nurse comes through the door and looks right at him, he’s pushing off the wall and following immediately.
He’s led through the ICU, all the way to the end where they say your bed is. His heart is beating loudly in his ears. All other noises fade and time seems to slow. Like an unmoving nightmare, he is walking as fast as he can, but not getting anywhere. The pathway is so long and you are at the very end of it. Why did they put you so far away? You are the furthest from the nurse’s station. Did they even care if you were alright?
The nurse is speaking to him, but he hears none of it. He’s overtaken her strides now and is finally just a few feet away from your little corner with the closed curtain. He grabs at the fabric and draws it back with a force that surprisingly did not rip the hooks from the ceiling.
And there you were. Bandaged. Bruised. Broken. Your hair is a mess, tangled and dirty. You’re hooked up to IV and oxygen, tubes strung all over the place. And the heart monitor beeps like a cruel mantra.
He walks to your side, scanning over your figure. You seem to be wrapped up efficiently. His heart clenches at the amount of pain you will be in when you wake up. He will make sure you have what you need to ease the pain as much as possible.
He leans down and presses the most delicate kiss on your head, very careful not to make you move even a millimeter.
“I’m here, kitten. I won’t leave your side. I promise.”
Sylus watched you for a long time, finally taking a seat right next to your bed. As painful as this was, he wanted to commit it to memory. To make sure nothing like this ever happened again.
Nurses came in and out regularly, never speaking to him. Nor him to them. He just watched and made sure they did their job properly. In the quiet moments, he would look at his phone to send a few texts. Mostly to Luke and Kieran who were almost as worried as he was. He told them they could come visit when you were awake and settled into your recovery room.
He also sent a few emails, cancelling his meetings and appearances for the next month. Longer, if that’s what it takes. He said he wouldn’t leave your side and he meant it.
He only sleeps when exhaustion takes over. It renders him helpless and forces him into a catnap. The longest it lasts is maybe twenty minutes until another nurse comes in to do their rounds. He curses himself for falling asleep and orders another cup of coffee.
You wake up early the next morning, just when the sun is beginning to peak over the horizon. Sylus notices your breathing started to change just a few minutes before that so he was already watching you, waiting to see a change.
Your brow furrows and a small groan barely leaves your lips. Your body shifts and your eyes flutter open. Sylus is the first thing you see. He’s sitting as close as he can to you, his hand placed next to yours on the bed, touching just barely.
You open your mouth to speak, but he shakes his head.
“Shh, kitten. Don’t speak. You are safe. You’re at Akso. You got really hurt on your mission and had to have surgery. But you pulled through, my brave kitten. You are going to be okay. Here, drink.”
He grabs the water cup on your table and holds the straw up to your mouth. Weakly, you manage to take a drink, but he can tell it causes you pain. But you definitely need the fluids so he encourages you to drink as much as you can.
“Good girl. There we go. You’re going to recover in no time. Your doctor friend will be here soon to explain more to you.”
Hearing that Zayne has been looking after you makes you feel better, but you still have a lot of questions. What you know more than anything is you hurt. Everywhere. And Sylus has been by your side, likely the whole time.
You lift your left hand enough to place it over his. He looks down and notices you starting to tap a pattern against the back of his hand. He recognizes the morse immediately.
X-A-V-I-E-R-?
His lip tugs up. You are always so concerned about others.
“He’s alright. He finished the wanderer and brought you here. I’m sure he will be by to check on you at some point. You are going to be very popular, sweetie.”
You scrunch your nose. Right now, you cannot imagine a bunch of people coming to see you. You are exhausted and in pain. You don’t want to see anyone except Sylus. He chuckles, knowing what you are thinking.
“Don’t worry about that right now. You just need to worry about healing.”
He lowers his head and places a kiss on your hand, smiling at you. You take him in. He looks tired. Really tired. His hair is not tussled in its usual way and there are bags under his eyes. You raise an eyebrow at him and tap his hand again.
Y-O-U-O-K-A-Y-?
He wants to lie and tell you he is fine. To be strong for you so you can worry about nothing while you heal. But he knew you would see through him and he didn’t want to lie to you. He kisses your hand again.
“I’ve been uneasy, kitten. Hearing you were hurt and seeing you like this.”
He swallows, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He looks between your eyes to see if you really wanted to hear his thoughts. You did, he knew.
“It’s not been easy. I’m not prone to feeling so… helpless. I don’t like it. I had to put my trust in the people taking care of you. It tested all of my patience.”
You try not to feel guilty, but it happens anyway. You know he would have some across the entire world to be with you, no matter the condition. And he wasn’t blaming you for any of it, but the black monster of guilt shrouds you.
His voice brings you out of your thoughts. “But what matters is you are here and you are going to be alright.”
You give his hand the tiniest squeeze and smile at him, tapping again.
L-O-V-E-Y-O-U
He smiles back, placing his other hand over the top of yours. “I love you too, kitten. So much. I’ll be here until you get better. And beyond.”
After that, Sylus calls for the nurse and instructs her to get Zayne and tell him you are awake. While you wait, he helps you drink more water and distracts you with some stories of his day before he was called in. The business deal that went well and the owners that were scared of him, as always. It makes you smile, taking your mind off the pain. As you drink more water, your voice starts to come back a little and you can croak out some words.
Zayne comes in soon after, saying your name with a sense of relief.
“Theres the snowman.”
You can tell Zayne is in doctor mode, but his lip does quirk a little at the sound of your voice.
“You gave everyone quite the scare, miss hunter. We’ve gotten a lot of phone calls about you.”
You playfully roll your eyes. “Y’all are obsessed with me.”
Zayne neither confirms nor denies your accusation. He picks up your chart and looks over it. In truth, he has it memorized. He knew it by heart and studied the notes before he came in. But he needs to keep his hands busy to avoid Sylus’ searing gaze.
He goes over what happened with you and your body. What was broken or out of place and what they did during surgery. You nod along, not knowing many of the medical terms, but understanding the truth of how messed up you are. But also that you will make a full recovery. It will just take a long time.
“You’re lucky to be alive.” He finishes with a more serious tone.
You try to shrug, forgetting you can’t move due to how tightly you are wrapped. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I won’t be done in by a damn tree.”
“Kitten.” Sylus gives you a look. One silently asking you to be careful and to listen. You sigh and look back over to Zayne.
“I’m sorry I made you guys worry. And thank you for taking such good care of me, Zayne. You and everyone here at Akso.”
“That’s what we’re here for. We are going to move you into a recovery room later today if you remain stable. I’ll be checking in on you regularly. Call if you need me.”
You thank you again and with a push of his glasses, he leaves the room.
~~~
A few days go by, each one a little harder than the next. You’ve been moved into your recovery room. Sylus makes sure you have the nicest in the hospital. You try to insist that a normal room will be fine, but he doesn’t budge.
Once settled in, your pain levels start to go up. They keep you medicated and try everything they can to make you comfortable, but there is only so much they can do. You can barely move, even when using your phone. Sylus helps you send texts or take phone calls.
You like it when people come to visit. It’s a pleasant distraction, however exhausting it is. Luke and Kieran are the first ones. They show up twenty minutes after Sylus gives them the okay. They brought so much stuff, the nurses almost didn’t let them in.
Candies, drinks, plushies, clothes for Sylus, cute handmade cards, and so much more. They crowded around you so much, Sylus had to tell them to give you room to breathe. But you loved every minute. You missed the boys so much and their energy lifted your spirits so much. They came daily after that, always bringing you gifts.
Your coworkers came, one by one. Sylus was especially rigid when Xavier stopped by. But you thanked him for saving your life, promising him hotpot whenever he wants when you are better. Tara fussed over you, as usual, and Captain Jenna assured you would get all the time you needed to heal.
Rafayel comes, complaining his bodyguard is broken and unable to protect him. He makes you laugh with all the newest gossip from his art shows. He leaves you with a little canvas he painted and infused with some of his evol. When you held it, you felt calm and relaxed. You thanked him for it and told him you would be back to bodyguard duty as soon as you could.
Caleb even manages a quick visit between his Deepspace missions. He brings you flowers and bothers Zayne about keeping him in the loop while he’s gone.
You forget just how many people you have in your life and how much they care about you. You are grateful to have such great friends and family. You keep them updated with texts and pictures of yourself as you heal and get bandages removed.
A month passes before you are discharged from the hospital. Sylus doesn’t leave your side for a moment. Even when you tell him to. Beg him even. So he could get some fresh air or something so he doesn’t go crazy. But he insists he is fine. He busies himself with his laptop the boys brought him. He showers in your private bathroom. And he keeps up a little bit of exercise in the room. Mostly pushups and pullups which you enjoy exponentially. Your EKG machine calls you out during those moments.
But finally, you are able to go home. Sylus pushes you out of the hospital in a wheelchair and helps you into his car. You make sure to thank the nurses as you leave and give Zayne as close to a hug as you can manage. You are thankful for them, but you are ready to be back in your own bed.
Sylus drives you back to the base, insisting on taking care of you further, the slowest and most careful you’ve ever seen from him.
“Sy, a speed bump isn’t going to be my undoing.” You tease.
“Precious cargo, beloved. It requires the utmost care.”
When you arrive, the twins come out with a rather fancy electronic wheelchair for you to use. They’ve decorated and put balloons on the back of it. You chuckle and insist you can walk, but all three of them refute you. You shouldn’t be walking with your busted pelvis, after all. So you get on it and start zooming around the house. Admittedly, it’s quite fun.
Sylus is still never far from you, but now he’s allowing himself to go down to the gym or into his office to get some work done. He’s at your side in a second if you call for him.
The first night you are home, laying in bed, Sylus hesitates by the side of the bed. You’ve been looking forward to having him beside you again as you sleep, but you can read his worried mind.
“Sy, please get in the bed. I’ll be okay.”
He sighs, nodding. He climbs in under the covers, laying on his side to look at you. You see a lot of thoughts dancing behind his eyes.
“What’s up, baby?”
He doesn’t answer right away. “I can’t put it from my mind.”
“Put what?”
“How close I was to losing you.”
“Sy—”
“I wasn’t there. You could have died and I wasn’t there to catch you. Like I promised I would be.”
You cup his cheek, making him look at you. “Hey. I’m here and I’m okay, Sy. You will make yourself sick thinking about ‘what ifs’. You can’t be with me every second of the day, but what matters is you were there as soon as you knew what happened. You’ve kept your promise. Never for a second did I blame you for anything, baby. Please, forgive yourself. Be nice to my husband, I love him too much for you to give him a hard time.”
He sighs, leaning into your hand. He kisses your palm a few times and each of your fingers.
“Okay. Okay…”
He moves closer, his arm wrapping around your hips and nuzzling his nose against your arm. He wishes he could hold you properly, but this is more than he’s been able to do in weeks. He kisses your upper arm and looks up at you again, saying your name.
“I love you.”
You smile, your heart full and fluttering. You love when he says it first. He always returns your I love yous, but hearing him say it first and so earnestly is a real treat.
“I love you more, my dragon.”
You fall asleep that night to the sound of Sylus’ purrs. You are home. You are safe. You are healing. And you are so very loved. You know now more than ever.
