Free Ripped (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by Anita Kinley

Splashing cool water on his face, he wished that it could be that simple to wash away the events of the last few hours. His body ached, but he felt incredibly numb. Bruises were appearing near the wound above his left eye. Slipping the shirt over his head, he tried to correct his disheveled appearance, knowing that he would be speaking with doctors soon. He had realized somewhere between the crash scene and the hospital that all of their belongings were still at the lodge, including his Demerol.
    After pressing the waiting room volunteer for information about his husband more times than he should have, Roman was finally told that Kyle was alive and in surgery, and that the surgical staff would speak to him soon.
    Roman alternated between sitting and pacing the floor, eventually finding a pay phone in the hall. Hearing his mother’s voice on the other end, he was barely able to explain the situation. Roman gave a fragmented sketch of the events before coming to rest on the floor, sobbing, as he thought he heard his mother say she was on her way.
    As his mother sat next to him, holding his hand, he fought the urge to collapse uncontrollably in her arms like a child, oblivious to the man standing a few feet away.
    “I didn’t make him come, Roman. He said he wanted to when I told him what had happened.”
    Roman stood, walking the short distance to where an older version of himself stood leaning heavily on a cane.
    “When your mother told me what had happened and your reaction…Anyway, what kind of father would I be if I wasn’t here for my son and his husband? I may not understand what you and Kyle share, but I would have to be cold and uncaring if I didn’t see that you share something I want to understand.”
    “I’ve missed you, Dad,” Roman said, quietly staring at his father.
    “So have I. Kyle’s a part of our family now. Will you help me understand? What about you, are you okay?”
    “Yeah,” Roman answered his father as both men sat down. “Another accident where I walk away unscathed. I can’t lose Kyle, too,” he said, feeling the words choke in his throat.
    “I am assuming that young man up there in surgery needs you just as much as you do him,” his father said, putting his arm around Roman’s shoulders. “Lisa and Adam’s deaths were not your fault, nor is this accident. If anything, I suspect that Kyle’s will to live has a lot to do with my son. I’m proud of the man you are. I don’t know if I could have handled everything that has been dealt to you in the last five years.”
    “I love you, Daddy,” Roman replied, wiping his eyes.
    Before his father had a chance to respond, Roman saw a group of what appeared to be doctors entering the waiting room. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Roman saw that it was almost seven that evening. He had lost track of time as earlier events swirled in his brain.
    “I am assuming you’re Roman?” the older of the two doctors said, removing his surgical cap. “We’ve heard quite a bit about you from Mr. Stringer. Probably more than what we should have.”
    Standing to shake the man’s hand, Roman said, “I apologize for his mouth. Is his okay?”
    “Roman, I am Doctor Winters, the orthopedic surgeon on staff, and this is Doctor Amir, vascular surgery.”
    Eyeing both doctors, Roman thought the Middle Eastern vascular surgeon looked barely older than Kyle.
    “Roman, I think we need to sit down,” Dr. Winters said.
    “No. Is Kyle okay?”
    “His legs were badly damaged. Probably the worst I have seen in a long time. It was like a grenade had gone off in there. There was nothing that we could do to save either leg. In cases like this, we run the risk of infection that can be more deadly than the injury itself.”
    As the doctors words started to fade, much like the garbled sounds of the voices at the crash site, Roman fought to remain in control.
    “How much is gone?” Roman asked, stifling a wave of nausea.
    “Both legs had to be removed from