Hold My Hand || J.Seresin

Chapter 14

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling a pain emanating from my head. Everything was a little blurry forcing my eyes to blink multiple times trying to clear away the fog. The events that led to this came rushing back to me. Jake's truck was on the larger side, but the car that hit us must have been going incredibly fast.
"Jake." I mumbled, trying to find my voice. Since opening my eyes, the pain on my head seemed to intensify.
"Lila." He called out, his voice filled with worry. His eyes met mine, "Hey, you're bleeding." He said, his hand coming to rest on my cheek and get a better look at my head injury. Jake reached down and unhooked my seatbelt, "Can you move?" I followed his question, readjusting better since the seat belt wasn't on. I let out an involuntary wince,
"What's wrong?" Jake asked, his eyes scanning over me for injuries.
"Just my head, I'm fine." I reached for the door handle, but the latch wouldn't release. I tried again with more effort, but it must have been jammed.
"Jake, I can't get the door."
"Shit, let me check mine." Jake was able to get his door opened. He stepped out of the truck, only losing his balance for a second. When he reached my side, it took a couple attempts to get the passenger door open.

Once out of the car, I could fully take in the scene. The front end of Jake's truck, specifically the passenger side, was crushed. The car that hit us had worse damage though. The entire front end was completely crushed in. It didn't look like anyone was still in the car, but I couldn't tell where the driver was.
"You're okay, right?" I asked Jake, turning to look at him better.
"Yeah, I feel okay. We need to get your bleeding under control though." He told me. He was looking around, trying to think of what would work as a temporary bandage when I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a hug.
"We're okay." He said gently. I didn't let go of him though. His arms around me made me feel safe. My years in the Navy had prepared me for stressful situations, but I'd always connected those to mission incidents, like my accident five years ago, not a car accident.

"Are you two alright?" A voice called out. I turned in that direction and saw a woman in her 40s approaching us. Jake spoke before I could, keeping his arm fully around my waist,
"Yeah, I'm fine. She has a cut on her head, but we're okay."
"I called 911." The woman started, "The other driver is out of their car, but they seem in worse condition. An ambulance should be here soon." I moved away from Jake slightly, wanting to grab my stuff from the backseat, when I got dizzy. Jake was beside me in an instant,
"Let's move off to the side and sit you down." I nodded in response, still feeling light-headed.

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later. Jake had insisted I get checked out by the EMTs. I thought for a moment they'd just put a butterfly bandage on the cut and tell me to follow up with my own doctor, when Jake let them know we were both in the Navy. Since Jake's car was being towed to an auto shop, he joined me in the ambulance. I wasn't mad at Jake per se, but I was a little annoyed about having to go to the base hospital.
"See, I think it was good we get you checked out at the hospital - your face is in a permanent scowl." Jake joked, grabbing my hand. I turned my scowl on him,
"This facial expression is for you. I feel perfectly fine and the EMTs agreed until you brought up the Navy." I responded, irritation evident in my voice, but I didn't let go of his hand.
"You could have a concussion." Jake reasoned.
"I don't have to worry about flying anytime soon. You do though."
"I don't have a head injury though, so there's no worry about a concussion." My facial expression still didn't change, unamused with him. Jake leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my temple on the side where there wasn't dried blood.

A few hours later, I was just waiting for discharge papers when I heard a familiar voice approaching.
"Oh crap." I muttered. Jake didn't even get a chance to speak when the door opened and Dad walked in.
"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked, rushing over to me. Jake had been sitting in the chair next to the exam table and scooted backward. He looked a little nervous, which I wasn't used to seeing.
"I'm fine, Dad. Just a little cut on my head, I don't even have a concussion." He glanced at the cut on my head, surveying over me. His eyes caught on Jake, who looked like he wanted to blend into the wall.
"Sir," Jake started, standing up.
"What's he doing here?" Dad asked, looking back at me and ignoring Jake.
"We were together, in the same car."
"I'm gonna grab your discharge papers, Barbie." Jake interjected, making sure to address me by my callsign.
"I thought you didn't like him." Dad questioned. I gulped, trying to think of the right wording since I didn't want to tell my dad I'd been on a date.
"I don't, not all the time at least. We were in the same Top Gun class. He asked to hang out and he picked me up, which is why we were in the same car."
"And he doesn't have any injuries?" He asked, suspiciously.
"The car would have T-boned us, Dad, if Ja-" I paused, catching my words, "if Hangman hadn't hit the breaks. He has a big truck and the other car was smaller, but was going fast. There really wasn't much damage to the car, I just hit my head on the doorframe. But I'm fine; the doctor cleared me and I don't have a concussion."

Jake returned a few minutes later with the paperwork, clearly wanting to put some space between himself and my dad. I was beyond ready to get out of here. I signed the paperwork and grabbed my stuff, beckoning for Jake to follow.
"Well, Dad, we're gonna go, but I'll see you tomorrow."
"I was going to drive you back to your house."
"You drove your motorcycle to North Island. How are three people gonna fit on that?"
"I was with Ice and borrowed one of his cars. And I was just dropping you off." Dad looked confused,
"He needs a ride to base quarters." When his facial expression didn't change I continued, "His car is at the shop, Dad. It'll take you five extra minutes to drop him off." I moved past him with Jake following, although he stopped for a moment,
"Thank you, sir." Jake told him.

The car ride to base quarters was awkward to say the least. It was a short car ride considering we'd been at the base hospital, but it gave me the flashback feeling of having been busted by my dad in high school. Dad hadn't implied or seemed like he suspected something more going on between Jake and I; I just don't think he was overly pleased I had an injury and Jake didn't. Although if he was using his instructor brain, he'd be glad at the situuation since Jake was part of the special detachment training and I wasn't.

Our goodbyes were cordial and said in the car with my dad hovering. There was a lot more I wanted to say, but couldn't.
"I didn't realize you and Hangman were such good friends." He said, breaking the silence in the car as we left the base.
"We've known each other for a long time. We haven't seen each other since Top Gun, so he just wanted to catch up. I'm really only close with Banjo from my Top Gun class, so it was good to catch up with a familiar face."
"Hmm," Dad mused. I wasn't sure if he believed me, but there was no way I was going to elaborate.
"How'd you know I was at the hospital?" I asked.
"Looks like I'm still your emergency contact." He responded with a smile.
"I wouldn't call a small cut on my forehead an emergency." I retorted.
"One of the doctors called to let me know just as a heads-up about Hangman and mentioned that you were there as well."
"Oh."
"If you're not feeling well tomorrow, you don't have to help with the team bonding activity."
"Dad, I'm fine. For the last time, I don't have a concussion. I'm just tired, but I can still help you tomorrow. Just text me the time and I'll be there."
"I can pick you up."
"Daddy." I started sternly, "I'm a big girl and I can drive myself. The doctor didn't advise me against driving, so I will meet you there." I breathed out a sigh, looking out the front window, "You've gotten worse since moving to Mojave; way more overprotective than you used to be."
"I'm your dad, Lila, it's my job to worry. And when they said you were at the hospital too, I thought it was bad like last time. I don't want you to get hurt again."
"Daddy, this was nothing like that." I told him, grabbing his hand to reassure him, "Really. It was just a little car accident."

Dad pulled into my driveway and I bid him goodnight. Once inside, I changed, slipping on loose sweatpants and a sports bra before pulling Jake's sweatshirt back on. I grabbed my phone texting Jake that I was coming back over. I wasn't worried about being alone, we'd just had such a good day together and I really didn't want it to end with us sleeping in separate beds. I checked outside before heading out, worried that my dad was still going to be in the driveway. Luckily, he wasn't, so I grabbed my keys and got in my car, driving back the way I had just come in one of Uncle Ice's cars.

Jake had texted that the door was unlocked while I was driving, so I let myself in. He came out from the hallway when he heard the door close.
"Everything go okay with your dad?" He asked, approaching me and pulling me close.
"Yeah, he's just overprotective. Sorry if that was weird for you; you looked a little nervous. He can be a little intense sometimes."
"I was not nervous. His reaction seemed understandable, he was worried about you."
"Worried over nothing. But seriously, you're gonna look me in the eye and say you weren't nervous. I have never seen you react like that before." I teased him.
"As an instructor and a fellow Naval officer, I'm not intimidated by Maverick. When he's your dad though and I've been fucking his daughter for years, he scares me." I laughed a little. "If you tell anyone that-" I cut him off.
"I wouldn't tell anyone, Jakey." I responded, kissing him lightly.

When I pulled back, he pulled me back in kissing me again, this time with more intensity. I felt him begin walking us further into the house, ideally leading me to his bedroom. He stopped and pulled back from me, making eye contact,
"Nothing's happening tonight, but I couldn't not kiss you again."
"Jake, I'm fine."
"You need sleep. Honestly, we both do." He kissed me again lightly, pulling me into his room. He might have had his ideas for the night, but I had mine and Jake could easily be persuaded to stay up a little longer.