The hospital waiting room is completely empty. Rule tells me to sit down while he checks in with the front desk. I slump in a chair right next to the check in counter. Maverick and Cash sit down across from me. There's a few moments of silence and I'm left to my thoughts. I hope he's doing okay. I hope they put him under anesthesia so he doesn't feel any pain. I wonder about the severity of his injuries and if he felt his ribs break. I wonder if it was painless for him and he was immediately knocked unconscious. I wonder what he's thinking about. I want him to know I'm here.
"They're patching him up now." Rule explains and takes a seat beside me. "They don't know when we'll be able to go in there but we can stay here until they figure it out."
We nod in response. I think everyone is worn out from the events of tonight. Rule stares at the television in the corner where old episodes of Friends play. I wonder what he's thinking about. Probably how he just lost his best fighter. Or maybe how his friend has been hospitalized over something he set up. I'm glad I'm not in his position. Halfway through the second episode of Friends a nurse comes through the door with a clipboard.
"For Marshall Mathers?" She asks.
Rule springs out of his seat and meets her. She asks him to sign for his reasons of injury and to fill out his injury report.
"What's he gonna need for this?" Rule asks her.
"He's going to be on at least three antibiotics and a painkiller. We'll need to keep him a night or two to keep an eye out for infection to his cheek and temple." She explains to us.
"How much is that gonna cost me?" Rule persists. There's concern in his eyes. "I need a total so I can write the check."
"Oh no sir, Mr. Mathers' fees have already been paid." She cocks her head to one side.
"What? By who?"
"By a man named", she takes the clipboard back from Rule and looks at the name. "Jonathon Mathers."
"Oh. Thank you." Rule signs the injury report and reclaims his spot beside me.
"Did she say Jon paid for his medicine?" Cash raises a brow.
Rule nods, biting his lower lip. There's worry in his eyes, Maverick's too.
"Who?" I ask already knowing the answer.
"Jon Mathers." Rule says. "His father."
"How did he get here before us? Do you think he was at the fight?" Maverick asks.
"I don't know." Rule shakes his head. "Not one word of this to Slim understand? If he asks, tell him I paid for it. We'll tell him the truth when he's better."
We nod again. After that, our eyes train back on the television. Even though it's only been a few hours it has felt like an eternity. Cash has fallen asleep against the wall. Maverick struggles to keep his eyes open and Rule and I watch King of Queens. I hear my phone buzz in my back pocket and see that I have a text from Ren. It's been a while since I've heard from her.
Ren: I heard about Marshall! Tony works with Taylor Decko. We need to get together soon and talk about this.
Me: Yes for sure. I'm at the hospital right now. As soon as he's feeling better I'll call you
Ren: You better!!
"That Tony's Ren?" Rule asks, looking over my shoulder.
"Yes."
"You friends with her?"
"Yes."
"Good." He smiles. "She's good to have around."
"You friends with her?" I ask.
"You could say that." He chuckles. "I was married to her for 6 months."
"No way." I shove him playfully.
"People do stupid shit in Vegas." He explains. "That was way before she met Tony Tight-ass anyway."
We laugh again and the same nurse enters the waiting room. Cash wakes up at the sound of the door and we all look at her, eyes begging for news.
"He's stable." She smiles. "He can see you now."
The four of us follow her back down the hallway past rooms with other patients in them. She turns down many halls and through a glass door I see Marshall laying in a hospital bed. His chest is exposed with an IV in his forearm. He's wrapped up completely on his abdomen and bandages cover his cheek and temple. The bruising on his arms is sickening to see. I feel tears behind my eyes the more I look at him.
"Go first." I say to the boys.
Rule kisses my head and walks in with Cash and Maverick. Marshall beams briefly when he sees them. They talk to him for a while and ask about the fight. I hear Rule ask if he wants to sue Taylor Decko but Marshall declines. There's 5 more minutes of inaudible speech before the three of them exit.
"He wants to see you." Maverick says.
I walk up to the door and pull it open. When I enter I pull the curtains to the window shut, shielding the guys' view inside. Marshall's eyes follow as I sit in the chair next to the hospital bed. He turns his head and looks at me with sad eyes. I'm afraid to hold his hand or even touch him. Everything looks broken. His knuckles are bloody and bruises line his arms. He looks worse up close.
"Hey." He says in a voice that sounds more broken than how his body looks.
"Hey..." I say, and bite my bottom lip holding back the tears.
"They said I can leave in a few days." Marshall's voice cracks.
"I know." I say quietly. "I'm sorry about this Marshall."
"Don't be sorry. It's okay."
"You...you look so beat up." I struggle.
"Well I am." He cough-laughs. "I'm very beat up."
"How many ribs are broken?" I ask, gripping the side of the bed.
"Three." He answers. "Everything else is fine."
"You're not fine Marsh. You're bruised everywhere. You're cut everywhere." I feel some tears roll down my cheeks. "I'm afraid to hold your hand because I feel like I'm gonna break it."
"Hey don't cry." Marshall turns his IV arm over and opens his palm. "Give me your hand." Hesitantly I place my hand in his and he laces our fingers. "See? You're not hurting me. I feel better now that you're here."
I look at my unharmed hand in his beaten up one. He has bruises where I have veins. He has cuts where I have wrinkles. Even though it doesn't hurt him, it looks like it does. I feel more tears lining up to fall next.
"Rachel." He says. "My lips don't have a single bruise or cut on them." I look at his lips and find that he's right. They're one thing that was left untouched. "Kiss me." He whispers. "Kiss me good I've been deprived of you."
"Are you sure we can-"
"I don't care if we can." He shakes his head. "I want to."
I lean across the bed and put my lips on Marshall's. His hand tightens around mine. He uses all of his strength to kiss me back. He kisses hard like he means it. I put all my feelings into this kiss. To make sure he can feel everything I want even though I can't hug him. I let him breathe for a minute and sit back in the chair.
"The real pain will be in not being able to touch you until this heals." He confesses while catching his breath.
"We'll have time to figure that out while we wait for them to release you." My thumb skims over his knuckle, tracing around a bruise.
"About that..." He says softly. "You have one of two options. Either Rule stays with you at my place, or you get your stuff and stay with him."
"You want me to leave?" I ask.
"No I just don't want you to sleep in the waiting room." He contradicts. "You need to sleep baby."
"Marshall no I'm not going to leave." I shake my head. "How could you-? I just got here. What are you-? I just got you back. Do you honestly think I'll be able to sleep knowing that you're here like this?"
"Don't do this to me love." He says, shaking his head. "I look worse than I am and I want you to be home. Don't worry this much about it I'm gonna be fine."
"You can't ask me to leave."
"I'm not asking Rach." He shakes his head again. "I'm telling you that's what's going to happen."
"But you can't-"
"Shh." He silences. "Quit talking and kiss me."
I look at him, biting my lower lip. My eyebrows are knit in confusion and worry. I grasp his hand and kiss his bruised knuckle.
"Agh, you're biting that lip again." He smiles. "Teasing me when I can't have you."
"You can have me whenever you want." I say.
"Hey." He tugs on my hand and I look back at him. "Come here." I stand up to kiss him again and then sit back down. "Thank you."
"I love you Marshall."
"Trust me, I love you too." He smiles. "Apparently I talk about you when I'm unconscious. That's what Rule said anyway."
"You did. I was there."
"What did I say?" He's amused.
"That you love me."
"Alright so nothing you didn't already know." He hides his smile and raises my hand up for a kiss.
I half smile briefly before it disappears. His eyes are fixated on me. I study the area around them. It's bruised by his eyebrow and temple but his under eye is clear just above his cheek. Marshall blinks, even hidden by these awful bruises his eyes manage to maintain their piercing blue color. I stare back with my green eyes and he squeezes my hand.
"What are you thinking about?" He asks quietly.
"You."
"What about me?"
"About how much I want to hug you." I say to him. "And how I wanna make you feel better."
"I wish I could hold you baby." He says sadly. "I can't move a lot right now."
"Don't explain Marsh I understand." I stand up, releasing my hand from his grip. "I want you to get better. I'll stay at home with Rule."
"Wait Rachel." He fights, struggling to call after me as I walk towards the door. "Don't go yet baby. Please. Not yet."
"If I don't go now I'll never be able to." I shake my head.
"Rachel come here." He demands. "Let me kiss you goodbye."
I walk over to his bed and lean down again.
"Not goodbye baby." I correct. "Just goodnight."
Marshall kisses me one last time before I exit the room. The guys stand outside the door in a circle waiting for me. Cash dismisses himself to go home and Rule makes a quick arrangement for Cash to look after the gym for a couple days. Maverick decides to leave to, claiming he needs to take his girlfriend to work tomorrow. Soon it's just me and Rule in the empty hallway outside Marshall's room.
"So." Rule starts, "where to?"
"Marshall's." I say.
"I thought you'd say that." He chuckles lightly. "After you."
I step out into the waiting room and Rule follows close behind me. We check out and walk to his car. I glance at the clock on the stereo. 1:53 am. I can't wait to be home in Marshall's bed.