Stepping out of the medical centre, there was totally still a bunch of pain in my spine and they had told me there would be for a while and I wouldn’t be able to do a bunch of things for right now. But I was walking and I could feel my legs, they were shocked and worked as hard as they could to preserve as much of my spin as possible.

But again. I was walking, so that was the important part here.

It took me the first week to realise when to take the pain pills or be in a bunch of pain till the pills kicked in. They were big on making sure I knew I had to restrengthen my core and spine if I wanted to even have a chance to return to work.

Alessio had only patched me up, before sending me with the Chief to the medical centre that had been put on notice of my arrival. About three days into my stay, I had someone visit me that I never thought would. My old boss and someone I had once almost called a friend.

He had filled me in on several things such as how he had been a thorn in their side but they had lost him a few months back. He all but thanked me for taking out their problem and doing it silently. He told me the agency would cover all my medical needs and not hesitate to reach out if there was something I needed. He told me they also had no reason to investigate the incident based on what they were told. That meant he just wanted to wipe his hands of the event and be over with it.

He hadn’t even left the room fully when I shot him the finger.

The medical centre was the top of the line, they had me up and walking less than twenty-four hours after the surgery and here I was two weeks later being released to go home.

I wouldn’t be actually going home though because I wasn’t allowed to be left alone, I needed assistance for a while doing all the basic tasks well my spin finished healing as much as it could.

My options were limited to where I was able to stay, but Maddox had reached out to the Chief and made sure he knew that there was a place for me there, with help if I needed it. So that’s where I was headed once again. Not that I was mad or even upset by that.

I was worried about being an issue or burden to Alexi and Creed who were back to work full time. The last thing they needed was to be stuck looking after me.

The Chief was waiting for me in his truck. He pulled it around to the front when he saw me. My bag, full of everything they had given me in the centre was the first thing I placed in the truck, on the floor. I had to prepare to get into the truck. I knew it was going to be uncomfortable. Grabbing the handle on the inside and using it to get in.

“You know you were supposed to wait for them to get you a wheelchair and to help you.”

“No, thank you. I’d rather walk. No matter how painful.”

“Right. Do you need a hand?”

“No, I’ve got it.”

Clenching my teeth I leaned forward in the seat and grabbed the door handle slamming the truck door shut.

“You need to relax and not push yourself, Sasha, Christ you took a bullet to the spine.”

“Chief, I feel fine. Honestly, I just want a beer and some pizza. If I have to eat another jelly cup or soup, I’d rather die.”

“We just avoided you dying.”

“They fed me crap and then tried to get me to do what they wanted.”

“That is their job Sasha, you are walking because of them.”

I sighed, but he was right and I knew it. He tried to avoid all the bumps and holes in the road on the way back to the complex. The gravel road was terrible, and I had the bite my tongue to keep from swearing out in pain. The Chief kept apologising as he continued to drive.

The complex looked like heaven when we finally pulled up to the gate. The guards greeted the Chief and nodded at me before they let us pass. The driveway was the soft part of the entire drive. The Chief parked as close to the front door as he could and before I could even get out; it seemed like everyone was pouring out the front doors. Creed and Alexi were the ones who came to the side of the truck first. I sighed. I didn’t want this much attention.

Opening the door, I caught sight of Ryer standing inside the door and looking out. I expected him to come out, but he didn’t. Instead, he seemed to avoid me. I found this comically because I had tried to get him to avoid me the whole time before and he wouldn’t.

Creed had insisted on helping me out of the car and Alexi passed my bag to Lukas. I didn’t bitch about the treatment I was getting, after all when they last saw me I was almost dead. Missing from the greeting party was Alessio and Lev.

“Where's Lev?”

“He is having Alessio look at his side wound. He split it earlier and needed to get it looked at since he couldn’t get it to stop bleeding.”

“Ok.”

The pain in my spine was steadily growing in pain. Alexi and Creed were whispering among themselves as Lukas was leading me into the complex again. He was speaking loudly as if he was trying to distract me from what they seemed to be arguing about.

“Lukas, why are they fighting?”

He sighed but said nothing. Until we were far away from them.

“They are fighting over a choice Maddox made for them.”

“What choice is that?”

Lukas was avoiding my question.

“Lukas, What choice is that?”

“Maddox made the decision to stick you with Ryer to stay until you can move about on your own.”

I snorted, thinking he was pulling a joke on me, but he was being serious and I groaned.

“Why, Why him?”

“Maddox said based on Ryer’s past he would be the best option to help you and he agreed to help you.”

“Of course he did.” I hissed.

“Sasha, are you in pain, do you need me to get Alessio?”

“No. I just need something to take my pain pills with, and to sit down.”

“I’ll have Ryer help you to his place then. I’m sure you want to relax.”

I didn’t see any need to bitch to Lukas about this; it wasn’t his fault that I was stuck with Ryer. Ryer seemed to come out of nowhere and Lukas gave him my bag.

“How are you feeling?”

I didn’t respond to him out of fear I would say exactly what was on my tongue, and the fact that my pain was ever steadily growing.

“Follow me, I’ll take you to where you will stay with me.”

Grinding my teeth I followed behind him, he lived down another hall then Alexi and Creed. I didn’t want to be an ass, but I finally snapped.

“Either walk faster or get the fuck out of my way. The amount of pain I am right now is enough I might rather want to be dead.”

“Right, I wasn’t trying to—Never mind.”

He walked faster, and I ground my teeth even further as I had to walk quicker just the keep up. I knew that I had probably pissed Ryer off, but I was in a lot of pain again. We walked to a door, and he opened it with his phone. The pace was much like Alexi and Creed’s except he had no hardwood floor but rather marble tiles that seemed to match the whole place.

Grinding my teeth together further, Ryer must have heard.

“Stop that. You will wreak your teeth.”

He walked away ahead of me, getting something and setting it on the table. It was a water bottle.

“Your pain pills are in the bag yes?”

“Somewhere.” I hissed out.

He found the pills, read the label and set them on the table, in the time it took me to limp to the table. He moved the bottle and pills closer to me. I hissed out in pain as I sat down on one of his leather kitchen chairs. It felt like I had sat down on a chair of nails.

It took everything in me to swallow down the water and the pills.

“Perhaps you should lie down,” Ryer said softly.

“No. I’m fine.”

“You are in pain and should lie down.”

“I will when I feel like I can get there.”

“Let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

Ryer moved from his own seat and came over. He lifted me right out of the seat making me cry out in pain. He apologies but still moves me, to his couch. He set me down and left me there. I stretched out on his couch, crying out in pain the entire time I did. They warned me about the pain I would be in if I didn’t take the pills again before the first set wore off.

I used the only pillow on the couch to stick behind my spine and stabilize it. It was what they showed me to do in the medical centre. They had also made me practice deep breathing even though it felt like I was going to die with every single breath I took.

Just laying there I prayed for the pill to kick in and take the pain away, or let me fall asleep so I didn’t feel it.