Believe (Short Story Random Updates)

Chapter 26

Carina sat up in the hammock and smiled softly hearing the men talking amongst themselves as Marc cooked on the grill. A week had passed since the last doctor's appointment and there was no change in her eyesight. She was starting to feel like this was how she would be but a tiny part of her remained hopeful that it would get better.

Pushing out of the hammock she caught her balance then decided she was going to sit with them. She always felt better when she was with them, and they didn't seem to mind. She listened for the dogs and it sounded like they were running around behind her so she didn't reach for her cane that was propped up against one of the trees that held the hammock.

"Stop Princess!" Victor shouted but it was too late.

One of the dogs dashed out in front of her, making her lose her balance and she fell forward. Her hands went out in front of her to catch her but instead of landing on grass she felt water surrounding her. Her lungs tightened as the air left her. The sudden cold bit her skin as she struggled to escape but it only seemed to pull her under even more.

Feeling hands grab her made her flinch away as the pain seared into her muscles. She tried to pull away but the hands tightened their grip on her. Try as she might she couldn't get away so her tears mixed in with the water.

"PEANUT!"

She froze as the nickname broke through the pain. "N...N...N...Na—"

"It's me, Peanut," Nathan gasped, "it's me. You're okay, I got you."

She collapsed against him as he wrapped her legs around his waist. She locked her ankles and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him as tight as she could. "C...c...c..."

"Shhh," he cooed, "I have you. You're okay."

"S...s...so...sorry," her teeth chattered as she shivered.

"There is nothing to be sorry about, Peanut," Nathan said as he rubbed her back. "Well, this wasn't how I wanted to get you into the pool but I guess Max decided otherwise."

"Did...did...didn't me...me...mean too," she murmured.

"Are you cold, Peanut, or is that just from the trauma?" he asked. "The pool is heated so it shouldn't be cold, but we can turn it up if we need to."

She shook her head as she tried to press into him even more. "No."

"Okay," he nodded. "Well, I'm going to walk over to the steps and sit down so Doc can give a super quick check up before we get out of the pool, okay? I don't want to move too much right now." She tightened her hold on him, and he smirked, "I'm not letting go, Peanut, I promise." He forced himself not to react when he felt her flinch as he started walking, making the water move against her. "Alright Peanut, I need you to stand, I promise you can stand in the water and then I'm going to sit and you're going to sit in my lap sideways so Doc can look you over. I promise it's safe and I'm not letting you go."

She whimpered and pressed her face into his neck, so her lips were touching his skin. He tightened his grip on her hips as she felt another pair of hands slowly unlock her ankles. "I got you Angelos Mou," Silas said as he ran his thumb back and forth on her ankle. "Put your feet down, Carina, we have you." She felt him slide his hands up her legs and move up above Nathan's, it was then that she realized that they were keeping her shirt from rising in the water as well as giving her comfort.

She slowly put her feet down and took a deep breath as she felt Silas come up behind her, making her sandwiched between the two. "Look at you, standing in the pool safe and sound, Peanut," Nathan smiled as he pushed her hair out of her face.

"Not by choice," her teeth chattered as she shook.

"No," Silas agreed, "but we can turn it into a positive, if Doc gives you the all clear, we can stay in here with you and turn it onto a good thing."

"Pool party!" Gabe and Luke shouted as they jumped into the pool, splashing the three with water.

"Watch it, Lucien! Gabriel!" North shouted, startling her at how close he was. "Sorry Baby Girl."

"Is kay," she chattered, "everyone close?"

"Yes," he replied. "Can you sit so Doc can check on you before you get out?"

"Actually, set her on the edge," Sean said slipping into his professional mode. "She can keep her feet in the water, I just need to check her head and hands." Nathan lifted her up and North instantly grabbed her. He sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach.

"Wet," she tried to protest.

"Don't care," he grunted. "You're shaking and I don't like it."

"S...s...--"

"Hush and let Doc check on you," North demanded as he ran his thumb up and down on her shirt covered stomach. "Please."

"Safe to say you had a flashback when you felt, Carina?" Sean asked as he gently pushed her hair back and ran his fingers over her hairline looking for any cuts or bumps.

"Y...yes," she whimpered as he shone his flashlight across her eyes. "Bright."

"Sorry but at least that tells us that it didn't affect your sight. Still the same?"

"Yes," she nodded but then stopped. "Dizzy."

"Keep still then," he said as he lifted her hands and ran his fingers across them. "No bumps, bruises, or cuts, I think you are okay, just dealing with the trauma of your flashback. The shivering should stop as your adrenaline returns to normal."

"Kay," she whispered.

"How about since Gabe is already in the pool, someone else takes you to pick out a swimsuit and we try the pool again, Baby Girl?" North asked. "Don't want the clothes weighing you down and accidentally triggering you again. Even if it's just sitting on the steps."

She took a deep breath, "Not let me go?"

"Never," multiple voices said at once.

Her stomach tightened as if something in her told her that the way they said it they were meaning it in more than one way, but she couldn't think of what. Deciding on to just focus on the present, she took a deep breath and nodded, "kay."

"Come on Princess," Victor said as he crouched next to North and gently placed his hand over hers, "let's go find you a pretty swimsuit."

"There's one pieces and bikinis in the very fucking back of her closet in the bottom damn drawer," Gabe said as he swam over to them. "I moved them there after the shower thing."

"Thank you," she smiled towards him.

"Fucking course," he smirked. "Now hurry the hell up."

"So bossy all of you," she giggled making them light up at hearing it.

"You love it," North smiled as he tapped her stomach. "Now, go with Vic, Baby Girl."

"Yes Sir," she said as she laced her fingers with Victor's while he carefully pulled her up.

She thought she heard North tell someone to shut up but all she heard with Luke's laughter so she didn't think of it again, with those brothers anything could have been said.

Victor helped her find a pink and white bikini with little hearts on it then he waited outside of the bathroom while she changed. Once she was dressed and stepped back into her room, she heard his gasp, "Beautiful, Princess," he smiled, "now let's go have some fun with the others."