He sat with Hadyn while he slept, until it was clear he wouldn't wake again, and then he asked Avery to sit with him while Elisha took care of the business of all of this. He talked to the doctor, who rather disapproved - possibly of the fact that Elisha had allowed this to happen, possibly of the fact that Elisha looked almost old enough to be Hadyn's father - but who gave him a timeline for release. The traction was temporary and surgery would be required the next day. After that...well, they'd see. Likely at least a week before he could go home.
Of course, there was more than that. The doctor didn't specifically make mention of the letter, but he made mention of therapy, certainly.
Elisha escaped that conversation to go out into the cold winter air and make the required calls. Catherine, because he'd not be able to return to the Clubs for a few days. Theo, because Hadyn wouldn't be able to return to the Hearts. Eileen, to explain that Hadyn had had an accident - that he was going to be okay (and god, Elisha hoped he wasn't telling a lie there). Victor, to tell Zoë, but keep her from coming, too. Finally Jordan, whose voice had been quiet and suspicious when he answered and sharp with worry and guilt when Elisha explained why. It just reiterated, he thought as he hung up, that Jordan couldn't know what really happened. Not now. He wasn't foolish enough to think that declarations of love, however genuine and even if believed, were going to be enough to pull Hadyn out of this. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that he was enough for Hadyn alone. No, he thought as he stepped back into the hotel room and murmured to Avery that she should go back to the Deck to rest. Hadyn needed all of them, and if his brother knew what had happened...
Well, Elisha wasn't confident that it wouldn't be the final straw for a man whose desire to live had been leaching away since they'd betrayed Laureline. And that would make anything he tried to do to make Hadyn happy moot. Hadyn would never be happy if Jordan killed himself.
He sighed gustily as he flopped into Avery's vacated chair, and he turned his head to watch Hadyn sleep. Even like this, Hadyn didn't look at peace, he thought, and Elisha blinked suddenly burning eyes. "I really do love you," he murmured as he settled in, and eventually he closed his own eyes. As days went, after all?
This one had shaped up to be one of the longest fucking ones of his life, at least since his mother had done just exactly what Hadyn had done today, when he was only seventeen.
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Of course, there was more than that. The doctor didn't specifically make mention of the letter, but he made mention of therapy, certainly.
Elisha escaped that conversation to go out into the cold winter air and make the required calls. Catherine, because he'd not be able to return to the Clubs for a few days. Theo, because Hadyn wouldn't be able to return to the Hearts. Eileen, to explain that Hadyn had had an accident - that he was going to be okay (and god, Elisha hoped he wasn't telling a lie there). Victor, to tell Zoë, but keep her from coming, too. Finally Jordan, whose voice had been quiet and suspicious when he answered and sharp with worry and guilt when Elisha explained why. It just reiterated, he thought as he hung up, that Jordan couldn't know what really happened. Not now. He wasn't foolish enough to think that declarations of love, however genuine and even if believed, were going to be enough to pull Hadyn out of this. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that he was enough for Hadyn alone. No, he thought as he stepped back into the hotel room and murmured to Avery that she should go back to the Deck to rest. Hadyn needed all of them, and if his brother knew what had happened...
Well, Elisha wasn't confident that it wouldn't be the final straw for a man whose desire to live had been leaching away since they'd betrayed Laureline. And that would make anything he tried to do to make Hadyn happy moot. Hadyn would never be happy if Jordan killed himself.
He sighed gustily as he flopped into Avery's vacated chair, and he turned his head to watch Hadyn sleep. Even like this, Hadyn didn't look at peace, he thought, and Elisha blinked suddenly burning eyes. "I really do love you," he murmured as he settled in, and eventually he closed his own eyes. As days went, after all?
This one had shaped up to be one of the longest fucking ones of his life, at least since his mother had done just exactly what Hadyn had done today, when he was only seventeen.