Stryker’s Fight by Erin Osborne

Chapter Twenty-Two

Stryker

YESTERDAY WAS EXTREMELY busy for me. Sally is getting out of the hospital today. Even though all of her and Natalia’s things are moved into the house, I still have to get things ready for my girls to finally come home. There are still things I need to do to get ready for Kaden to come home too. His nursery isn’t ready at all, and I know it’s a matter of time before he’s here with us where he belongs. Gwen and the ol’ ladies spent the day with her while I had the help from my brothers to get everything done.

We painted Natalia’s room a soft pink before setting her bed and things up in the room she’s always had at our home. Before the walls were just a simple white and we didn’t do anything to them. Now, she’s going to have a room fit for my Princess because that’s what she is and deserves. Her bed is pink with her pink motorcycle bedding. I love it. Rich bought it for her because she wanted it and Sally didn’t have the money to get it for her even though she didn’t know the club was paying for everything my girls needed to move into the apartment. Well, I paid for it even though the card Rich used is a club card. As soon as he brought me the receipts, I put the money back in the club’s account.

Other than adding Sally’s things back to our room, I didn’t do much of anything. The bed we share is still here and no one’s slept in it since she moved out. On the nights I would be here, I passed out on the sofa because I didn’t want to sleep in our bed alone. It would never be the same without her and I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Now, we’ll share a room again and I can’t wait to get her in our bed and keep her there for a while.

I’ve cleaned the entire house top to bottom, gone grocery shopping to get what my girls like and want in the house, and have remade all the beds after washing the bedding. Sally loves her baths and I made sure to get what she needed to have a long as fuck soak in the tub when she gets home. If I had enough time, I’d upgrade our bathroom off the bedroom. It currently has a decent tub that she really likes, but I’ve seen her looking at pictures of those huge soaking tubs you can fit a small army in. One day she’ll have that and anything else she wants. Until then, our tub is good enough for her to soak and be covered up to her chest with room for the bubbles she covers herself with so I can’t see any of the good parts.

By the time the guys clear out of the house and return to their own women, I make my way back to the hospital. It’s been a long day and I’ve missed my woman. Gwen let us know she was up walking around and had spent a ton of time in the NICU with Kaden. One of the ol’ ladies got to go in with her. I’m surprised it wasn’t Gwen because they do seem to be getting closer than ever lately. Today, Shy went in to see our son with her and she got to hold him when my woman could manage to hand him over to her. Knowing Sally and the rest of the ol’ ladies, I’m sure there will be a ton of pictures to see of Shy holding Kaden.

Pulling up to the hospital in my SUV that will be easier for Sally to get in, I don’t immediately head to her room. By now, she’s probably sleeping, and I want her in a deep sleep before I walk in the room. If I wake her up now, she’ll have a hard time going back to sleep. Riding the elevator up to the same floor, I make my way to Rich’s room instead. He’s awake when I enter, looking better than he has since having surgery. There were a few complications after his. He got a nasty infection and we almost lost him again. Now, he finally looks to be on the other side of things and ready to get the hell out of here.

“Hey man,” he greets me, holding out his fist.

“How are you doin’?” I ask him, giving him a fist bump.

“Better. I might be able to go home tomorrow. As long as all of my tests come back clean and I promise to rest and continue taking my meds, I’ll be able to get the fuck outta here,” he responds, his voice full of promise as he wants to go home.

“Good. Let us know if you need anythin’ when you get out.”

“I’ll be at the clubhouse in my room. I can’t wait until I’m cleared to start pullin’ my weight again. Bein’ hold up here like a loser isn’t what I should be doin’. I should have been out lookin’ for Sally when she was takin’. If I had been smarter or able to reach my bike, it might not have taken so long to get to her, and your son wouldn’t be in NICU right now.”

“We talked about this Rich. You didn’t do a fuckin’ thing wrong. You were ambushed and couldn’t do fuck all to save yourself let alone follow to see where they took my woman. Our son is strong as fuck and he’ll be comin’ home soon too. He’s off of everythin’ they had him hooked up to and it won’t be long before they release him. Has Sally been to see you?” I ask him, not sure if he knows what Sally named our little guy.

“Yeah. She came to have dinner with me tonight.”

“She tell you what our son’s name is?” I ask him.

“No.”

“Kaden Richard.”

Rich looks at me with tears in his eyes. This is a monumental moment for him because he’s had no family until finding the club. Not a single person gave a shit about him and if he was okay. Sally took him into our home and her apartment and made him a member of her small family. He’s the one guy she’s closer to than anyone else. It’s not just because he was on babysitting duty of her and Natalia either. Sally and Rich just gravitated toward one another and have always been close. I’m not sure what they’ve bonded over, and it’s not my place to question them as long as he doesn’t cross any lines when it comes to my woman. I know he won’t though because Rich has values and morals. He’d never go after another man’s woman unless he saw that woman being abused in some way.

“Sally chose his name?”

“Yeah. The first day she was allowed to go up and see him she chose his name. You mean a lot to my woman and she’s not gonna let you be alone in your recovery. I’ll have to tie her to the bed once she learns you’re at the clubhouse and still recoverin’. She’s worried about you,” I tell him honestly.

Rich nods his head and lets a small chuckle out. He knows exactly how my woman is and what she’ll do to him to make sure he’s following all of the orders he’s sent home. Sally’s own recovery will be put on hold if she doesn’t think he’s following orders and doing what he’s supposed to. He’s in for a tough road if he thinks she’s not gonna bust his balls. Rich knows this though and I’m sure he’ll do whatever it takes to get back on his feet as quick as possible.

“I’m gonna get to Sally’s room. I wanted to make sure she was asleep before I got in there. You need somethin’ call me. We’ll stop by before headin’ out tomorrow. Hell, maybe you can go up and see the boy with us.”

“I’d like that.”

As I leave his room, Rich is settling in to get some rest. The more he gets, the quicker his body will heal. That’s the only important thing right now. Everyone needs to get whole so we can move on as a family and figure out what comes next.

Waking up, Sally is already dressed in a pair of baggy sweats and one of my tee-shirts. She has her freshly washed hair up in a messy bun and is wearing her ever present flip flops on her feet. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she’s watching me sleep. I’ve been in the same position she’s currently in many times before. I would watch over her as she slept and wondered what it was going to take to get her to open up to me. Now, I’m not sure what’s running through her mind.

“Mornin’ baby girl,” I tell her, my voice filled with sleep as she smiles at me.

“Morning handsome. Did you sleep okay?”

“As good as expected in here.”

“Well, tonight we’ll be in our own bed, and I can feel your arms wrapped around me.”

“I can’t wait. How are you feelin’?”

“I’m ready to get out of here. Well this room. I want to go spend time with Kaden before we leave.”

“I figured that baby. I was thinkin’ about seein’ if Rich wanted to go up and see him with us. What do you think?”

“I’d like that. How’s he doing?” she asks, her smile dropping.

“He’s good baby. The infection is mostly gone and they’re talkin’ about lettin’ him go home today,” I answer her, standing up to stretch my body.

“Good. He’s going to the clubhouse?”

“Yeah. They’ll take care of him.”

“I know they will. If they don’t, I’ll make sure I kick their asses,” she tells me, and I know she’s not lying.

It doesn’t matter who she has to go up against, Sally will kick anyone’s ass if they try to push Rich more than what he’s allowed to do. Or if they don’t make him rest and take the medicine he’s supposed to. Sally is the one who will be moving into the clubhouse if she doesn’t believe Rich is being taken care of. Hell, she might just tell him he’s staying with us. I’m not going to complain about it as long as I get my woman and daughter home for now. Then, when Kaden gets released, he’ll make our family complete.

The door to Sally’s room opens showing a nurse pushing a wheelchair in the room with papers in her hand. It’s time to get the fuck outta here. She walks up to the bed and goes over what Sally can and can’t do for the time being. She’ll have to come back in a about a week in a half to have a checkup with her doctors to make sure she’s healed completely, and we’ll go from there. For now, she’s to rest as much as possible and make sure she’s not overdoing anything. I know the resting part is going to be hard for her because of Kaden being in NICU still.

“Do I have to ride in the wheelchair?” she asks the nurse as Gwen and Killer step in the room.

“It’s hospital policy.”

“Even if I’m going up to NICU to see my son?”

“Yes,” the nurse answers, a smile on her face as Sally frowns. “I won’t be able to tell what you do when you leave NICU though.”

“Good.”

Killer and Gwen load up a cart that’s brought in with all of the flowers and shit that’s been brought in for my woman. They’re going to drop it off at our house before coming back to see Rich and find out what’s going on with him. At least that’ the last plan I know about.

“You comin’ back here after stoppin’ at my house?” I ask Killer as Sally and the nurse finish going over everything.

“Yeah. Rich sent me a message to let me know he’s gettin’ out. We’ll drop this shit off and then come pick him up to take him to the clubhouse.”

“He’s goin’ up to see Kaden with us. So, I’m sure that’s where you’ll find him,” I inform my friend.

“He is?”

“Yeah. Sally wants him to go up and see our boy.”

“Okay. We’ll head up there and wait then.”

Gwen and Killer leave the room at the same time as us. The nurse pushes Sally to the elevator where we ride up to NICU. Slim and Shy are standing outside the room today. I stop to talk to him while Sally goes in to see our son.

“Rich comin’ home today?” Slim asks.

“Yeah. He let Killer know. They’re runnin’ the shit from Sally’s room to our house and then comin’ back. I already let him know Rich would be up here. Maybe I should go down and see if he’s been released yet to bring him up,” I answer him, walking in to let Sally know what’s going on.

Kaden is dressed in a small pair of pajamas today as he rests in his mom’s arms. He’s still tiny as fuck, but he’s filling out more than he has been. A nurse brings over his bottle just before I walk out to go see Rich. Riding down in the elevator alone, I wait impatiently for the doors to slide open so I can get back up to the NICU. As soon as the doors open enough for me to walk through them, I don’t stop until I’m at Rich’s room. He’s sitting up on the edge of his bed already dressed in an outfit similar to Sally’s; baggy sweatpants and a tee-shirt.

“You been released yet?” I ask him as he looks up from his phone.

“Yeah. Just waitin’ on the nurse to bring me a wheelchair,” he responds as he puts his phone in the pocket of his pants. “Are you sure it’s okay I go up to see Kaden?”

“Yeah. Sally’s up there feedin’ him now. She’s waitin’ on you to be there,” I tell him, taking a seat in another one of the uncomfortable chairs they keep here.

We wait in silence for a few minutes before another nurse brings a wheelchair in for Rich. I let her know we’re heading up to the NICU and she goes to argue with me before looking up at me. The look on my face shuts her up quickly. Now that Rich has been released, she really has no say in what happens to him. Or what he does. Other than following the orders the doctor gave him, he’s good to go. Stopping for a few minutes in NICU before leaving the hospital isn’t going to make a difference.

I follow them to the elevator, and we get inside before I push the button for the floor we need. I’m not going to have this bitch try to pull some slick shit and have us go down to the main floor so Rich leaves. His ride won’t be there anyway. When the doors slide open, I step behind his wheelchair and push him out, not letting the nurse get in the way. Looking at her once again, I scowl at the look of disdain covering her face.

“You’re no longer needed,” I tell her, walking away as she remains in the elevator.

“I’m going to tell his doctor,” she tells me as the doors slide shut.

Rich and I laugh because neither one of us gives a shit what she’s going to do. Slim notices us first and walks straight up to Rich, holding his hand out to the Prospect.

“It’s good to see you outta that bed,” Slim tells him as Shy, Killer, and Gwen all make their way up to us.

“It’s good to be outta that fucker,” Rich answers making us all laugh. “Now, where’s Kaden?”

I wheel him to the window and gently tap on it to get Sally’s attention. She smiles brightly as Rich stands from the chair and looks in at her. Getting out of the rocking chair with our son in her arms, she moves over closer so Rich can see our son. He looks down at the little guy with amazement in his eyes. Blinking his eye lids rapidly to hold his emotions at bay, a smile lights up his entire face. Each of us step back so my woman and the Prospect can share this moment. I’d normally be jealous as fuck of another man looking at my woman and baby the way Rich is, but his love is for that of a sister and nothing more. We’ve had this talk already. That’s the only reason I haven’t beat his ass yet.

“He’s so tiny,” Rich says, turning to look at me.

“He is. But he’s got the strength of a warrior and the heart of a Phantom Bastard,” I answer him, stepping up closer to look at my son. “He’ll be home before we know it.”

Rich nods his head in agreement. After watching Sally and Kaden for another minute, he sits back down in the chair and motions for Killer to take him away. We all give him a hug before he leaves the NICU and lets Killer push him while Gwen carries his things down. They’ll get him set up at the clubhouse and then go about their day. Jennifer has Natalia for the day. She’s going to keep my Princess while we visit with Kaden for a while. Then, we’ll pick her up and all go home. Even though I just got groceries, tonight we’re going to order pizza and veg out in front of the TV until it’s time to put Natty to bed. Then I plan on cuddling up with my woman until we both fall asleep.