Chapter Twenty-eight
Ray was tired, hungry and was now seriously thinking about getting the Navy to pay for more comfortable chairs for the waiting room. His back was killing him and his head was only getting worse. However, he didn't know what was driving him more nuts. Sitting in another waiting room waiting for news on one of his injured brothers. Or the fact that Sonny had been pacing the room for the last hour muttering comments about what he was going to Clay when he saw him. Yes, Clay had been stupid about pushing for his debriefing when he was not ready to deal with the fall out that came with it. Something that he knew would be a hot topic when they finally got to see and talk to Clay.
Trent had disappeared as soon as they had arrived at the med bay to go and find Doctor Greenfield, the doctor in charge of Clay's case, to check over Clay's results one more time. He trusted the base doctors with his brother and thankfully he had served with Greenfield before and trusted the man completely. He had also worked alongside many of the medical staff for years before now and knew that they could trust them with Clay's health. To be truthful with himself, the real reason for finding Clay's doctor was that he needed to personally know that he hadn't missed anything. He was so worried that he had missed something that had caused Clay's collapse. Had he failed his brother?
Ray hadn't said anything to Trent when he left the room because he knew that Trent wouldn't go far. He had a feeling he knew that what was wrong with Trent, was blaming himself for Clay being in the med bay. Trent had a good heart. And was an amazing medic who would do anything for his brothers however his brother seemed to take it to heart if one of them got worse when under his care. Even though it wasn't a fault. The blame was squarely set on Clay's shoulders. Something that they were going to straighten out as soon as Clay was awake and able to stay away longer than three minutes. However, he was worried that Trent could possible take the whole event wrong and start to doubt his own skills. Ray quickly made a little reminder in his head to have a word with him when he got back. After speaking to Clay.
Speaking of Clay, Ray turned to look at the door to Clay's room. Jason had taken the place of sitting and watching Clay in the hospital room, mainly because the doctors hadn't been happy with any of them staying with Clay. And Blackburn had only been able to get Jason in there because he was Clay's Master Chief and with Clay's history it would be better for someone to be with him that he trusted and knew was safe. Jason had been texting him a couple of times reporting in every time Clay had shown any signs of coming round. However, each time ended the same with Clay still out for the count. The doctors had said that Clay may start to fall in and out of consciousness before he actually came round.
He just hoped that he would wake up soon because he was going to be responsible for killing Sonny in the next ten minutes. Sonny wouldn't stop. He was driving him crazy. Thankfully Sonny was the only crazy brother he had.
At least Brock wasn't drinking him nuts. Yet. Their dog handler had settled himself on the floor next to one of the vending machine with Cerberus in his lap. Brock had always had a sweet tooth. And they had noticed that it came out more when he was under stress. When Sonny 'died' after been stuck in that torpedo tube they had admitted him to hospital, Brock had cleared out one of the vending machines in the waiting room. Clay had helped with that but not a lot. After Sonny had been given the all-clear by the doctors but orders to stay in overnight, Clay had taken Brock to the obstacle to work off the sugar rush he had built up.
Thinking back, Clay had helped all of them out when one of the others were in the hospital or hurt. When he had hurt his shoulder and wasn't speaking to Jason, Clay had helped him out a lot at home. Helped him redecorate Jameelah room when he had needed help removing her old bed and put up her new one. Clay was also great with his kids and he had fast became their favourite uncle. Which Sonny was not happy with and complained a lot about as he had been the previous favourite uncle.
He also knew that after Sonny's near death, Clay's apartment had become their second home for a long time after. They had become brothers and he knew that it didn't matter what Sonny said or did, he cared about his little brother a lot. And seeing him so ill and back in a hospital bed was killing him. Clay was like their glue sometimes. It was funny, Clay was the youngest and the newest on the team and yet they all looked to him for help with problems one time or another. Even him. Clay was a born-leader. A great Navy Seal and so much more. The kid was good, he couldn't fault him for that. The only thing that they found wrong with the kid was his lack of personal welfare and safety. They had enough evidence to back it up and being back in a hospital waiting room only proved it.
"What is taking so long?" Sonny finally growled and though himself into the seat next to Ray and threw his head into his hands. He hated this, Clay was his brother and now he was lying in a hospital bed not waking up. This was killing him. Clay had needed him and he hadn't been there for him. He must have felt so abandoned by them. They hadn't saved him from Zurkoff until he was technically dead. He was dead. He had no pulse. And wasn't breathing. He was dead. He had lost his little brother. Even now the man he had been looking after with the rest of the family wasn't the same kid he had called his brother and the person that had gotten him out of six-bar fights, two arrests and a night in the brigg. He owed the kid a lot.
"Sonny, Clay will wake up when he is ready," Ray said nudging Sonny's knee. He felt sorry for his brother. Clay was Sonny's glue, the kid had been good for him. Kept him grounded when normally he would explode in a fiery temper.
"Why not now?" Sonny demanded. He hated waiting. And more so when Clay was involved.
"I don't know why but he will be awake when he is ready and not before Sonny so stop asking." Ray finally snapped back. He hated snapping at his brother when he needed him at the moment and knew that as being their 2IC he should more supportive however he was as worried about Clay as he was. The kid had scared them. And he had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last time.
"Sorry," Sonny muttered, he pushed back in his seat and crossed his arms across his chest. He hated waiting more than he hated physic reports and swimming.
"It's fine Sonny. I'm just worried that's all." Ray said looking over at Sonny and then at Brock who was quietly listening from the vending machine with his phone settled in his lap.
They sat there in silence for a few moments, just thinking over things before Sonny couldn't help but start to chuckle to himself. Ray turned and looked at the man like he had lost his mind and he wasn't the only one. Brock looked up at Sonny with the same look as Ray, and so had Cerberus. Ray could have sworn that he saw Cerberus tilt his head as well with the same confused look.
"Care to explain," Brock asked wanting to understand what had happened inside Sonny's crazy head, he didn't normally want to know what was going on in Sonny's head but this time he did.
"Goldilocks gets under our skin doesn't he?" Sonny said with a little chuckle. And he wasn't wrong.
At first, they hadn't taken too kindly to Clay when he had joined the team. To be truthful, they hated him. He was Ash Spenser's son but that the wasn't the only thing. The kid was stubborn, full of ego, thought he was always right and liked to push the risks. He was so right for Bravo. And he had made them better. Not that any of them would admit it.
"Yer he does." Brock chuckled as he stroked Cerberus' neck. Cerberus just sat there, happy that he was getting praised instead of being told off. Brock knew that Cerb would go back to normal as soon as Clay was well enough to return to work or at least go back to their Clay. The kid they knew.
The kid got under all of their skins in their own way.
For Sonny, he was the little brother who drove him crazy but was also the person that he trusted the most out of everyone on the team. He was his drinking buddy and shoulder to complain too. He couldn't complain, wouldn't stop him until he was finished and often gave him some good advice about his problems or got him off to forget them. He was the person he trusted the most other than Davis.
For Trent, he was the challenge that he wanted and enjoyed. But also he was someone who wanted to learn so much, he would often ask Trent to teach him new techniques so he had a better chance of saving a brother if he was cut off from the rest of the unit. Trent had mentioned that he had guessed that something had happened that had caused him to want to learn so much.
For Brock, he was a brother who was the easiest to talk too. He listened and didn't judge. He also was always there for him if he wanted some company or if he wanted to get a drink with no strings attached. He had also helped him with things at home, like helping him relay his decking when he found that some of the wood had rotted. Also, Cerberus loved him. He was someone who wasn't scared of their attack dog but embraced him like another brother. Clay also was happy to babysit Cerb when he went away with his girlfriend.
For Ray, he was someone who challenged him in so many ways that he found difficult but at the same time was something that he enjoyed. The kid was skilled and not just with a sniper, was a true born leader. The kid was a hell of a Seal and had so much to offer that he was happy to help him. All Clay needed was a little guidance and a real kick up the butt sometimes to make that happen.
For Jason, he was like a son, brother and kindred spirit. Someone who he needed and he was someone who he needed. But at the same time, Jason felt a protective connection with the kid who wanted to belong. And he did. To them.
"But he is our little annoying brother," Sonny said with a small grin on his face. They all knew he was right.
"He is annoying," Ray muttered also with a grin as he rubbed his hand over his head and though his hair.
They couldn't help laugh at that. But it was true. Clay was just like a little brother to them all and someone who they needed to protect and train so he could live his life to the fullest. Clay was good. Which made their job a lot harder but at the same time Clay protected them like family and they did the same for him.
"Yer he is," Sonny said chuckling but then stopped. He had failed his brothers again, and he hated himself for it. He knew that it might sound like a broken record but it was the truth, Clay had bent over backwards to help him when he had been hurt or was having a hard time. He could read him like no one else and would do anything for them. But Sonny had failed to see that Clay was lying to them. And when he was hurt, they couldn't get to him in time to stop it.
Ray looked up and turned to see Sonny had that look in his eye which worried him. Normally Sonny only had that look when he had started to fall into his darkness. "What's going on in your head Sonny?" He asked. He needed to know what was going through his teammates head before he had to worry about another teammates trail of thought. He was already worried about Jason's, Trent's and Clay's. He didn't want to add Sonny's to the mix.
"Remember when I got stuck in that damn tube?" Sonny asked and took them all by surprise. Ray nor Brock wasn't expecting that to come out of his mouth. None of them liked talking about that mission, expressly Sonny.
They had nearly lost him that day and they all remembered it. Brock and Trent might have been at home but as soon as they had learned that their brother was in danger they had remained close to the radio. Listening to everything that was broadcasted to them by the sub and Jason. Ray hated thinking back to having to say goodbye to Sonny. Saying goodbye to one of his brothers, and having to listen to him die. And what was worse was the fact that it wasn't by enemy action but a stupid electrical fault. Their brother was going to die because of a fault.
"Yer Sonny, I remember," Ray said softly as he gripped hold of his brother's knee. They all knew that Sonny got emotional just thinking about that day.
"I told Clay that we were made for this job in one way or another but what if I..." Sonny started to say but couldn't finish. The emotion was getting too much. He didn't do emotion. Not ever and he was started to feel more pissed off at Clay more now than ever.
"This isn't your fault Sonny," Ray said with a tone that he often used when he was acting 1IC. He needed Sonny to believe him or at least trust him.
"I should have been there for him," Sonny said, he quickly covered his eyes not wanting to show his brothers that his eyes were filling with tears and it almost worked. Expect thanks to the wet nose of Cerberus forcing them away from his face, Sonny moved to see Cerberus stood in front of him wagging his tail at him. Cerberus always became more clingy when one of them was upset or hurt and this time was no different.
"You were." Brock's voice said from beside him and Sonny looked up to see that the man was now sat right next to him. He knew that Brock's words were meant to help him but at the moment they didn't. They just caused his wounds to sting a lot more than they did before. Wounds that were caused by seeing Clay so hurt.
"Not when he needed me." Sonny snapped back. He couldn't forgive himself until Clay forgave him.
"Sonny..." Ray started to say but Sonny quickly interrupted him.
"I know. I know." Sonny snapped back knowing that his brothers were trying to make him feel better but it wasn't working. He couldn't forgive himself. Not yet.
But before they could say anything else the door to Clay's room and all three of them looked up to see Jason in front of them. They shot up to their feet and crowded around their team leader and waited for him to speak. Ray knew Jason well but couldn't read him all that well when his emotion was locked away during a stressful time. Just like this.
"How is he?" Ray asked, hoping that Clay had shown some signs of improvements.
"He's awake..." Jason started to say but paused so they could take a breath. Thankfully Trent had arrived back as well so he heard what Jason had said.
"How is he?" Trent demanded. He had worried that maybe Clay's mind would be affected again.
"He's ok. Groggy but ok." Jason reported but before they could hound him more with questions he asked quickly. "Want to see him?"
A question that didn't need answering. They were ready to deal with their brother but at the same time, start to help him heal properly. But this time around, they were going to be right there for him every step of the way.