* * * * * 

I'm not surprised when Nikolai comes in a short while later and sits by Landon's side without a word, taking his hand and leaning into his shoulder. I'm not even surprised when Frankie and Ellis come in, trailed by Mateo and River – those three are friends of Gabriel's after all. 

Dexter is sheepish when he comes in, being led by Dae. 

"He insisted," he shrugs at me. 

"He's one of us, Master Dexter. We stick together," Dae's face has it's customary sulk, but he's clearly made his mind up, despite, to my knowledge, him not even knowing Gabriel. 

 Amir and Owen are next, and I'm beginning to wonder if the whole club is going to be transposed into this, thankfully spacious, hospital room. Owen stands by the head of the bed, looking down on Gabriel's bruised face. I go to stand next to him. 

"I used to see him, you know, coming in with Master Sawyer. He always seemed frightened, right from the beginning, and I felt sorry for him. Master Sawyer used to let him dance with us sometimes, upstairs, but Gabe would whisper at us not to touch him – he'd say the punishment would be worse if we did, he said that's why he had to dance with us. I asked him why, you know, why he'd stay with a Master who scared him. He'd just say he had to, he said Master Sawyer needed him." 

I look down at the young man laying in the hospital bed, face smooth and innocent despite the bruises, looking as peaceful as I've ever seen him. I just hope I can keep him safe, although I see I will have help in that quarter. Suddenly, Chase bursts through the door, a gust of life in this somber room. 

"Sorry, had to get parked. How is he?" 

"Still unconscious," Landon intones, with a scowl at Chase's lack of gravitas, but that's him all over. 

The youngest of the Doms, he's only twenty-six. Maybe it's our babying of him that encourages his immaturity, though I do wish he'd take some responsibility in his life. He has a successful job – a wunderkind finance broker, effortlessly making billions for his employer, and millions for himself, but, despite his status as a Dom, earned and valid, he's an unpredictable wild-card. The subs love playing with him – he's fun in all the senses, but he's refused to take anyone on long term, despite Frankie's requests and claims it would be good for him. 

"Why are you here?" I ask, sitting by his side, but I'm not being judgmental, merely intrigued. 

He shrugs, "Not sure... How well do you know Gabriel?" 

"I don't, not really. He's come to me for help twice, though I'm not sure how much help he was capable of accepting. Ellis, and Mateo, and River, they know him better. If you want to know something?" 

"I don't know if I do. It's just- I'm sorry I was flippant earlier. I'd noticed it too. You know? How vulnerable he was. I guess I figured there's nothing I can do to help him. You're in a much better position to do something for him." 

"I don't know if we can, even now. It's going to be down to him. But if he's willing to accept my help I'll give it. If he is willing, then I'm sure he'd appreciate your help too." 

Chase shrugs again, as if wondering what that means, but I don't even know myself. 

* * * * * 

I don't know how many hours we sit there. Some quietly talking, the occasional trip for bad coffee or the restroom. Patient. 

I think all of the subs feel an affinity; like Dae said, they stick together. In different circumstances, any of them could have been drawn into something negative, could have trusted the wrong person. It's a unique vulnerability. It's the opposite side of the same coin for the Doms. The idea that someone would abuse their power like that is abhorrent. We're in a position of trust, and that comes with responsibilities. 

I'm feeling nauseated from too much over-brewed coffee when Landon's ER doc friend comes in, looking strangely panicked. 

"Doctor Johnson, do you know a Sawyer Mitchell?" 

Landon glances at me, and then back at the cute but wild-eyed young doctor. 

"Yes, I do, why?" 

He just holds out a leather wallet. Shit, is that blood staining the brown leather? Landon takes it from him, flipping it open. He slides a bank card out. Yes, it's Sawyer's. But how has the doctor made a connection to Landon? He seems to recognize our confusion and points wordlessly to a silver-colored card, which Landon slides out to reveal as a La Maison Platinum membership card. Landon raises his eyebrow knowingly and the young doctor blushes. 

Landon looks at him, "Your RTA?" and he nods soundlessly. "Did he make it?" 

"No. I'm sorry." 

We don't bother telling him not to be but he sees it in all our faces anyway, glances away from us to the young man laying supine in the comfortable hospital bed and back again. 

"I'll check him out again, although the nurses have been doing everything required. It's usually a matter of time now. Everything else seems fine." 

He does the usual pulse-taking and machine-reading before leaving, re-stating about needing to allow time. 

"So, how did young Doc Hottness know about the club? And you being a member?" I ask.

He shrugs, "He was trained at the club, used to come quite often, though you probably don't remember him as it was a couple years ago," and I was loved up with Liam in the early days of our relationship. "We played a few times, but then he got himself a boyfriend and stopped coming." 

"Still with him?" 

"No, actually. They only dated for about a year, I think. Don't know why he didn't come back again. We say hello, but we're not really on those kind of terms for personal questions."

 * * * * * 

I doze off on the hard pleather chair, my neck at an awkward angle, and am awakened some time later by a rapid beeping. 

"He's waking up," I hear Owen say, but he's not talking about me. 

As I look around, I realize morning sunlight is streaming through the large window, and my friends are still here, all watching the bed as Gabriel's hand is twitching on the blanket. The beeping has brought a doctor in – not the cute one from the ER, but an older, grizzled man, who matter-of-factly flips through the notes on the clipboard, before taking Gabriel's vitals. 

 "Why are there so many in here? It's meant to be immediate family only." 

"We are his family," Dae stands with a hand on his hip, daring the doctor to challenge him. 

The doctor glances between Dae's northeast Asian skin-tone and Gabriel's much paler tones. 

"Have you never heard of adoption?" Dae spits, and the doctor sighs, sensibly deciding the fight isn't worth it. 

"Anyway, he is waking up, but it will be a slow process. He's likely to be groggy when he first comes to. And too many people may alarm him. And he isn't going to be in a position to take part in conversations for a while. We'll have to run more tests when he wakes properly, but in the meantime, everything looks okay." 

When he's gone, I turn to my friends, all looking pale and tired. 

"I'll stay, but I think you should all get home and get some rest. I'll let you know once he's awake." 

"Where will he go? He can't go back to Sawyer's on his own," Chase insists. 

"He can stay at mine. Amir, when you get back, will you ask Mrs Miggins to make up the third bedroom and make sure the bathroom is stocked?" 

"Why you?" 

I look in surprise at Chase. 

"I mean," he blushes, "you already have Amir staying. I have plenty of room at my place." 

"Yes, Chase, I do have five bedrooms though, I think I can spare another one. Plus, my housekeeper will be there all the time to take care of him while I'm at work. How many hours to you work on an average day?" 

Chase looks at me with a strange light of defeat in his eyes. Strange, because I'm not battling him and I'm not sure why it feels like he thinks I am. 

 * * * * *