Bondage (27 page)

"Careful, that cane is still within my reach." Bradford's threat was softened by his smile and light laughter. "It is special. But we're not discussing this tonight, you cad. We'll discuss it when I call you to invite you to his collaring."

Nikki was making his way back down the hall with Noah. "They're nicely settled, sir," Noah told Tobias.

The conversation effectively ended with Nikki's reappearance, Bradford grinned smugly and gave Tobias' arm a pat. "Tea?"

"Bastard," Tobias said fondly. "Honestly, you're worse than me. Off to the safe room with you, then; there are more first aid supplies if Nikki's back looks bad when the bruises come up, and you can help with Luca if he gets sleepy. My boys and I will be along shortly."

"We're on our way. Come along, Nikki." He took Nikki by the hand as they made their way down the hall.

Noah appeared at Tobias' elbow and offered him a bottle of water. "Thank you, pet," Tobias said, taking the bottle gratefully. "How are you feeling?" Behind them, he could hear Phan moving things out of the way and preparing to clean the floor and equipment.

"Wonderful, sir," Noah said, leaning on him a little. He sighed. "Light, free, a little sore -- I love that flogger."

"Good," Tobias said with a smile. "You were beautiful, sweetheart." He kissed Noah's cheek and gave the boy a quick grope. "Help Phan clean up, pet. I'm going to get the tea ready; when you're done you two can come to the safe room and relax for a bit."

The rest of the evening was slow-paced and full of light conversation and banter. Noah continued to keep the tea coming and Phan was on towel duty as people rotated in and out of the tub.

Luca and Danny left first; after a long soak they were both half-asleep. Phan arranged a cab for them, and Tobias made sure their goodbyes were short. Bradford and Nikki left a bit later, because after a second treatment to his stripes, Nikki had fallen asleep with his head in Bradford's lap and Bradford didn't want to wake him.

The house seemed unusually quiet after all the company had gone. For a few minutes, Tobias wandered through the halls thoughtfully. Finally, he sat in the overstuffed armchair in the living room, a piece he'd handpicked just for the brownstone, and listened to the clinking dishes, running water, and soft voices coming from the kitchen as his boys cleaned up after dinner. He felt utterly content.

When Noah and Phan were done they joined him, going to their knees silently. He smiled at them and stood without a word. In the bedroom, they undressed and exchanged sleepy kisses, and then Tobias put both boys on the floor with their collars and chains. He was feeling particularly smug about how well the party had gone as he drifted off to sleep.

Tobias was at the clinic doing the last of his paperwork after a long night in a barn when his cell phone rang. He looked at the clock, wincing when he realized how long it had been since he'd checked in with his boys. He was so busy these days that he was counting it as a huge blessing that there were two of them; they weren't alone.

"Hello?" he said, not bothering to check which one of them it was calling in to touch base. It was Wednesday, part of him noted. He hadn't seen Phan since before his therapy appointment the day before.

"Tobias Vincent?"

He sat up a little straighter, something cold blossoming in his belly. "Yes. Who's calling?"

"Officer Gibson, sir, from--"

"Noah?" Tobias stood up and reached for his coat.

"Officer Dolan has been involved with a shooting, sir. He'd like you to meet him at Saint Mary's--"

"On my way." Tobias thumbed off the phone and dropped it to pull on his coat. "Dee!" he yelled, stuffing the phone in his pocket and walking out the door. "I'm going to the hospital, Noah's hurt."

She ran out of her office just as he reached the main door. "What happened?" she asked, grabbing his arm.

"Shooting. Call my place -- no, I'll do it. I'll call you tonight."

She stared hard at him. "Can you drive?"

"Yes," he insisted, pulling away. "I'll call you."

"Tobias. I hope he's okay," she said softly.

"Me, too." He went to his truck and sat there for a moment before calling Phan.

The phone at the house rang twice before Phan answered. "Hello, sir," he said cheerfully. "Wondered where you were."

"Phan, we need to... I need you to call a cab and meet me at Saint Mary's," he said gently. "Right away."

There was a long pause and then Phan said, "Yes, sir," in a whisper. "Sir, the local news said there was an armed hold up--"

"Then you know more than me," Tobias said, starting the truck. "He needs us, dear. Come quick."

The line went dead and he turned off the phone.

The drive to the hospital went unnoticed; Tobias parked and ran to the emergency room, almost getting hit by an equally rushed cab. He wasn't terribly surprised when Phan bounced out of it.

"Tobias!" Phan yelled, throwing money to the cabbie.

Tobias waited for him, one hand extended. "Let's go," he said grimly. "Find him."

They walked into the triage area and Tobias descended on the checkin desk. "I'm Tobias Vincent, looking for Officer Dolan. He asked for me."

"Yes, Mr. Vincent, one moment. I'll have someone escort you." The nurse at the desk was on the phone, had a file in her hand, and was trying to help someone else at the desk at the same time.

Two men in police uniforms came in, flashed badges at the nurse behind the desk, and continued on down a long hall to the left. Tobias watched them go, and on impulse grabbed Phan's hand, dragging him along as they followed.

"Sir?"

"Shh, boy. We're going to get some facts." He sped up a little. "Excuse me," he said, a little louder.

One of the men turned to look at him, but didn't stop walking. "There's hospital security if you need help, sir, we're on police business," he told Tobias in a curt but polite tone and turned away again.

"So am I," Tobias said firmly. "I'm looking for Noah Dolan."

"Oh." The cops glanced at each other, stopped walking, and looked at Tobias and Phan. "Yeah. You're related? There was a robbery, and a shooting... we don't have all the details yet ourselves, but I heard it was pretty bad. We're headed that way," one of them offered.

The other officer added, "Just follow us," before they continued down the hall.

It wasn't a very long walk. Tobias squeezed Phan's fingers and the followed silently. Phan was holding up better than Tobias had expected; better than he was. The two cops stopped by one of the ER rooms and looked in through a glass window. There wasn't much any of them could see, just a hospital bed surrounded by a curtain, a lot of wires and equipment and feet. A nurse came out from behind the curtain with a clipboard and spotted them. "Hello, officers," she said, opening the door for them. "It was touch and go for a bit there, but everything went just fine. You're looking for Officer--"

"You have to let me see her!" A voice shouted from a room across the hall. It was followed by a loud crash and cursing. "Fuck."

A quieter male voice answered him. "I'm afraid we can't yet, sir, she's in surgery. But--"

Tobias turned and pulled Phan with him, heading to his lover.

"What about Dr. Vincent, I gave you his number; did you call him?"

"Yes, sir--"

"How long ago?" It was Noah's voice, no question, and he sounded more than a little agitated.

"I'm here," Tobias said, using the most firm voice he could. No one was going to keep him from his boy, and he was going to keep his boy together.

"Tobias!" Noah started to move toward him but the orderly that was with Noah stopped him.

"Your IV, sir."

Noah swore again and tore the needle out of his arm. He looked a little pale but otherwise seemed fine. It wasn't until he got his arms around Tobias' waist that Tobias noticed the bandage at the base of his skull.

"Shh," Tobias said, letting go of Phan's hand to hold Noah. "I'm right here. We both are. What happened?" His hand fluttered over Noah's head, the bandage.

Noah winced as Tobias touched it. "He's trying to sedate me."

The orderly sighed heavily. "I am not, Mr. Dolan." He looked at Tobias for help. "He needs to calm down, Dr. Vincent. He has a mild concussion and he's been--"

"Tell them I need to see Carol." Noah interrupted. "I heard shots and then everything went black and I don't remember anything until after. They shot her, there was blood, and she has kids and I couldn't help! They took my gun. She's my partner, Tobias, I'm supposed to look out for her! I need to see her. I need to see if she's okay. Please."

Tobias nodded. "Take a breath," he said calmly. He looked at the orderly. "Can you find out his partner's status, please. I'll calm him down."

The orderly looked relieved. "I'll be right back," he promised. "I'll find a nurse..." He left the room, leaving the door open.

Tobias looked at Noah. "I need you to breathe, pet. Deep and calming, now. Good boy. I heard the doctor say she's going to be fine, but we have to wait a few moments." He rubbed Noah's back. "On the bed, boy. You can't do anything right now but try to calm down."

Noah seemed reluctant, but he let Tobias help him back into bed. He took a number of deep breaths, staring at his blankets and was much more even-keeled when he started to speak again. "We were there on a robbery call, no one told us they were armed. They started shooting as soon as we arrived, and Carol..." He sighed, speaking slowly. "She took a couple of bullets, one went through the side of her neck, one stuck in her vest. I saw it but then everything went black. I woke up to ambulance sirens and EMTs. They said the assholes that shot her took off." He looked up and caught sight of Phan, maybe for the first time. "Hey, Phan, sorry about all of this."

Phan blinked. "Oh, shut up, kiddo," he said. "Don't be stupid."

Tobias almost smiled. Almost. "We came as soon as they called. Were you shot?" He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for Noah's hand, eyeing where he'd torn out the IV needle. "Phan, find me a jar of cotton balls and some gloves, please."

"No, no, I wasn't. I was out cold, I guess they figured that was good enough. I don't even know what they hit me with." Noah looked down at his arm as well and shook his head. "Okay, that was stupid." He sighed, seeming much more like himself now.

"Very," Tobias said dryly. "However, fairly understandable. Thank you, Phan." Tobias took the purple latex gloves and snapped them on, looking for something to clean the wound with. He swabbed it with rubbing alcohol and put a Band-Aid over it, then sat down again and trashed the gloves. "You have to let them help, pet. Understood?"

Noah looked like a chastised child. "Yes, sir." He sounded like one, too.

The orderly came back in right then. "Mr. Dolan, your partner is out of surgery. She is stable, her husband is with her, and the doctor says she is doing very well but has advised against other visitors for the moment. She asked about you and I told her you were fine and asking about her as well."

Noah stared at the orderly and ignored the nurse that stepped around him to put Noah's IV into his other arm. "Thank you."

"You're feeling better, I see."

Noah looked embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"I'd have been worried, too." The orderly smiled and then left the room.

"You think you can leave this one in place, Mr. Dolan, or do I need to strap you to the bed?" the nurse asked, grinning at him. She touched Noah's collar with one finger. "Or maybe I should let your friend here do it?"

"I think he'll behave himself now," Tobias said smoothly, not at all bothered to be seen for what he was. He was, however, concerned about what impression Noah's colleagues were getting.

In the corner, Phan snickered and then looked down at his shoes when Tobias glanced at him.

"Were you saying something?" Tobias asked politely.

"Not at all," Phan said to the floor. "Just glad Noah's fine and Carol is going to be."

Tobias nodded and looked at the nurse. "How long do you need to keep him?"

"Maybe another hour just to make sure he's stable, then he'll probably be released. It's a mild concussion, you'll want to watch for vomiting and disorientation, and keep him awake for about eight to ten hours. Lots of clear fluids, no food." She tucked a blanket around Noah's hips and smiled at him. "You're actually quite sweet when you're not pissed off, Officer Dolan." She looked at Tobias. "I'll be back in a bit."

When she was gone, Noah looked at Tobias and shrugged. "I hate this."

"So deal with it like you deal with everything I make you do -- it's better than being in the sling and not seeing, isn't it? Forget the helpless feeling and just let yourself be." He moved closer, his voice low. "You're safe. Carol is safe. You only need to know that you're mine and I'm here."

Noah nodded and looked down at his hands, tightening his grip on Tobias' fingers. He didn't have much to say after that, they just sat quietly and he rested while they waited for a doctor to come look him over and sign his discharge papers. By the time they let Noah leave, he'd stopped bleeding where he'd been hit and a Band-Aid easily covered his couple of stitches. Carol, however, was still unable to see visitors.

He was just as silent on the way home in the car.

"Safe room," Tobias said gently as they all took off their coats. "We need a cuddle, and Noah can't fall asleep."

Phan nodded. "I'll put some broth on and bring it up. Sandwiches for you and me."

"Thank you," Tobias said, stopping him long enough for a fast kiss. "See you there." He took Noah's hand in his own and said, "Come on, sweetheart. I want to hold you."

Noah allowed himself to be led upstairs, just as he'd allowed himself to be led from the hospital and from the car. He didn't seem sleepy, which was a good thing, just a little occupied in his own mind. Or maybe he wasn't thinking at all.

Tobias only stopped long enough to set the lighting, then he pulled Noah onto the loveseat, holding him close. "Talk to me, sweetheart," he said. "I need to know what you're feeling." He really didn't like Noah closing off from him.

Noah leaned against him. "I'm feeling... I'm worried about Carol. I'm feeling bad for her family. If I were her, with kids and all, I'd never be a cop. Not anymore. It was easy to believe that it was all about helping people, helping the community before... but now -- it's not about that anymore. Now it's different. Dangerous."

"Because the bad guys got really bad?" Tobias asked, confused. "Sweetheart, there's so much more to the job, and what happened today... that's part of what you trained for." He knew that Noah would have counseling in the very near future; it was standard after a shooting, he assumed.

Noah's shoulders grew stiff. "I didn't train to let my partner get shot and be completely useless to her. I didn't train to end up in the hospital not having a clue what the men who were responsible even look like."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it, pet," Tobias said softly. "But yes, let's talk about that. You're being entirely too hard on yourself. Now, if you suddenly had psychic powers and could see out of the back of your head, I would happily let you get worked up about not being able to prevent what happened."

Noah apparently didn't like that response. He pushed away from Tobias and sat up. "You don't know if I'm being too hard on myself. Carol could be dead right now, Tobias, and all I can think about is what I might have done wrong."

Tobias nodded. "Okay. What did you do wrong, Noah? Tell me exactly how this is your fault."

"I should have gone in first. I'm not the one with children. I shouldn't have let her lead in." He seemed fairly certain of his assessment.

"Who's senior?" Tobias asked, suddenly realizing he didn't know.

Noah looked at him. "She is. Technically, anyway, but only by a year."

Tobias leaned back and thought. "So, you arrived, and got out, she's leading. This was typical?"

Noah sighed. "I don't know. Yes? Maybe? We weren't that regimented. Look, I know what you're doing. It would have been perfectly natural for either of us to lead in. She got to the back door first, she led. But it should have been me. It would have been better if it had been me."

"Why? Does it somehow make her more important because she's a mother? Noah, she chose her job. She loves her job. She would have been furious if you were putting your life on the line and denying her that same right just because she's a mother. Not to mention denying her the right to do her job to the best of her ability."

Noah sighed. "She does love her job," he conceded, softly. His brow furrowed thoughtfully and he went quiet again.

"And she was doing it. You were doing your job. And you are both perfectly aware of the risks. Your guilt is misplaced, sweetheart. Can we talk about another part of it? The fear, the anger?" He reached out a hand, almost willing Noah back into his arms. He really didn't want to let go.