Trinity Cruise

Chapter 13: Awakening

Eric POV

His stomach ached and the smell of antiseptic and sterilization stung his nose. The incessant beeping of whatever machines he was hooked up to caused the pounding in his head to amplify. "Tobias, why hasn't he woken up yet, it's been three days." There was a silence and he imagined his long time boyfriend shaking his head. Eric tried with all his might to open his eyes but to no avail.

"He has to come back to us Tris, even the doctors don't know why he hasn't come around yet." "I'm here!" He wanted to scream. The burning of unshed tears stinging his what seemed like permanently closed eyes. Eric felt a tiny hand grab his own. "If you want, I am just going to stay with him." He heard feet shuffling farther away. "Do you just want the same thing?" Tobias said as he presumably opened the door. "Yes." She said simply. As soon as the door was closed he heard her sobbing. His heart ached to comfort her, to run a hand through her hair and tell her that he was going to be fine. "Eric, please come back to us. We need you, I need you. I never felt whole before you and Tobias and now I feel like a piece of me has been ripped out. Please come back."

She continued to sob against his hand until the door opened once again. "Hello nurse Lauren," she sniffled. " how are you doing today?" He didn't hear the response because it was overpowered by the rustle of paper and a very loud gasp. The warmth that had been in his hand was now gone. "What happened, is there something wrong? Why did you gasp? Please answer me!" Tris yelled. "Ms. Prior, you need to calm down. I need to go talk to Dr. Matthews."

"Please, just tell me what is happening." Tris whispered. "What is going on here? Why is she crying?" Apparently Tobias had finally returned. "Please I need to go see the the doctor, we will be right back." Tris snorted in disbelief but the womans heels clicked noisily out of the room. Eric heard a bag being set down and Tobias releasing a breath. "What happened Tris?" She sniffled again and described the incident to him in detail and then Tobias himself gasped. "She should not have done that. We can talk to the hospital about it because that wasn't right." Eric wholeheartedly agreed and imagined his hand going into a fist when all of the sudden he felt his pinky move.

Elation overcame him as he tried to mentally will them to look at his hand. "I miss him Toby, I just want him to come back." He felt her hand once again take his own and repeated the action of balling up his fist. Tris let out a yelp and her warmth was gone again. "What?!" Tobias yelled loudly. "He, he moved, his pinky moved when I held his hand." Eric felt a larger more calloused hand in his own and repeated the action one more time. Tobias whooped loudly and the door opened again. "You are disturbing the hospit..." "Doc, his pinky moved, not once but twice when Tris held his hand and when I did just now."

Tobias POV

"Based on this readout, I am going to agree with your assumption but until I run some more tested I can't flat out say that he is out of the woods." Tris opened her mouth to say something but the doctor held up her hand. "We are going to take him down for an MRI and when the results are done we will tell you the prognosis." At this they both nodded and took a seat completely forgetting the provisions Tobias had brought. "I didn't imagine it right? His finger did move, I know it did." Tobias grabbed her and pulled her close. "You didn't love, I promise. I felt it too!"

She leaned her head on his chest and in a matter of minutes her breathing had evened out and she was snoring lightly. His mind was unable to relax as he thought about the events of the last two days. Seeing Eric bleeding on the floor had pretty much cemented his resolve that he was going to do absolutely everything to keep Eric and Tris forever. He would do whatever they wanted. Seeing her so broken was the most vexing part of the whole situation and he would give his right arm to never have to see it again.

"Toby..." His vision came back into focus as her eyes bored into his. "Yes love?" He shook his head trying to regain himself. "i was worried, your eyes got all glassy and..." She reached up and wiped away a solitary tear. "...you were crying." Tobias lifted a hand and ran it through her hair. "I didn't mean to wor..." And then they heard it, a booming voice yelling in the hallway. "Get your hands off me! I can walk!" They looked at each other and let out a collective chuckle and rose to go into the hallway but were stopped by a myriad of orderlies that were moving Eric's bed and simultaneously holding him down. "Finally, you idiots can leave me alone now!"

Tris POV

All of the orderlies filed out of the room but Dr. Matthews remained. "Mr. Coulter, you need to stay lying down or you are liable to pop a stitch. The more you follow my instructions, the sooner you get to leave, and if you can't follow them I will have no choice but to have you restrained." Eric had gone to protest but at her declaration his mouth promptly closed. "I'll take your silence as agreeance and I trust you not to break it." He nodded solemnly and the doctor left the room.

Tris had tangled herself around Tobias and they both were standing silently looking at the man now lying in the bed. "Are you guys just going to stare at me or are you going to come over here?" She disentagled herself from Tobias and rushed over to Eric's bedside and wrapped herself around his arm cautiously trying to avoid hurting him further. As soon as she felt his arm snake around her tears fell from her eyes. He kissed her hair and placed his cheek on the top of her head and sighed contentedly. She felt him move suddenly and looked up to see Toby echoing her motions.

"Don't ever do that to me again." He said sternly as he kissed Eric's cheek. The other man laughed and winced slightly at the pain she was sure he was feeling and the action caused her and Toby to move from their spots. "I'm okay, it was just a little twinge." It was too late however as they were grabbing chairs and setting them on either side of him each grabbing a hand and settling in. "You know, you guys smell, have you been here the whole time?" At that, they all laughed and the air in the room became more palpable.

Two weeks later

"I'm not ready to go home." Tris whined once again as they packed up their hotel room. "That's too bad little lady." Eric said as he slapped her ass. "Aren't you ready to begin our lives together. To not live in the penthouse by yourself anymore and go back to your job." She rolled her eyes and glared at the tall blonde. "Yeah Trissy aren't you ready to be in charge again?" Her eyes narrowed and she could feel her face getting red but she calmed and hissed out almost silently "I thought I asked you not to call me Trissy?" Tobias grinned from ear to ear. "What are you going to do about it, Trissy?"

Tris heard Eric giggle on the other side of the room. She calmly checked her watch and smiled evilly at Toby who in turn checked his own watch the smile fading from his face. Tris snapped her fingers twice and both men fell to the floor instantly eyes cast down. "That's better, bedroom now. First position, everything better be perfect." She sat back on the couch and reflected on the last month.

Everything had changed so drastically and honestly her head was spinning. She desperately hoped that when they got back to Chicago that their little bubble didn't completely burst. She was happier than she ever remembered being and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that these two men were her soulmates. Tris stood and moved about the room finishing up the packing so they could go home. The boys had decided to give up their apartment and were going to move into Tris' under furnished penthouse.

She looked down at her watch again and saw that they only had an hour before they needed to go. She put on her shoes and sauntered to the bedroom revelling in her new found depravity. "Get dressed and take the bags to the lobby. We'll finish this when we get home. She leaned against the doorway and purred internally at the sight of their naked bodies. She had no clue how she had gotten so lucky to have not only one handsome man but two and she would spend the rest of her life trying to figure out why they loved her.

Well, that it! I hope that you have enjoyed the journey as much as I have. Thank you for sticking with me and being a part of my imagination even if for a little while.

Much love

-kmuscutt23