She's a long one... Hope you enjoy!!

~Tweaker~

When Raegan answered her phone I saw her expression shift into something I had never seen in her before—terror.

"What's wrong?" I asked instantly, taking a step towards her.

I felt Raegan both physically and emotionally put up a wall between us as she held up her hand. I heard the person on the other line say only a few words when Raegan's face turned as white as a sheet.

"Rae?" I questioned, as she let her phone fall to the ground.

She didn't answer, only stared at me with a blank expression. It was almost as if she was hypnotized and had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten here. If I didn't know any different, I would have thought she was stoned out of her mind, but the way she burst out into tears told me something else was going on here.

I paid no mind to the cell phone she had dropped to the floor, and only worried about making sure she was okay. I steadied Raegan on her uneven feet and pulled out a chair by the bar for her to sit. She was breathing so heavily, I thought she might be hyperventilating.

"What's wrong with her?" Knox asked, suddenly aware that I was no longer busting his balls about drinking his old lady's titty milk.

I shook my head hysterically because I had no idea.

One second we were fine teasing my best friend and then the next, I look over at her and it was like she saw a ghost.

"I don't know," I said, throwing my hands up in the air. I leaned down, so I was at eye level with Raegan and I placed my hand on her shoulder. "What happened? Who was that on the phone, Toots?" I asked, keeping my voice as soft and gentle as I could.

Raegan hickuped when she opened her mouth to speak, and when she tried again, only soft cries left her throat.

"Rae?" I questioned. "You need to talk to me, babe."

I felt multiple people crowding around us at this point, but I didn't care enough to look back and see who it was. All I cared about was Rae and finding out what happened that made her break down like this.

When she finally managed to catch her breath, she swallowed down on her tears and stood to her feet.

"We need to get to the hospital," she insisted. "Jamie and Holly were in an accident."

I felt my stomach clench at the thought that Jamie might be hurt, and to my own surprise, that Holly might be too. Considering the fact that the whole reason Raegan and I couldn't move in together had to do with her sister, I would have thought I would be happier about this and seen it as a sign or a favour from the guy upstairs. Instead, I felt the slightest bit guilty that I had wished we could somehow get rid of Holly. This wasn't the way I wanted it to happen, and it was obvious that despite all the trouble Holly had given her, Raegan didn't either.

It was like a switch went off in her brain, and her concern was no longer on her own emotions. She had a look of determination in her glassy hazel eyes that told me the only thing she cared about was getting to the hospital and making sure both her nephew and sister were okay.

I nodded my head, still trying to catch up to how quickly she had just gone through the motions.

"I'll get the keys," I said, still trying to digest this all.

"Meet me outside," Raegan said, not even hesitating for a moment before she stormed out the clubhouse doors without explaining a thing to anybody.

I turned to Knox who was already right by my side and holding out the keys to his truck.

"Go," he insisted. "Make sure they're okay."

I nodded, patting Knox on the shoulder with gratitude as I ran out after Raegan.

________________________________

Our drive was silent, the only words said between us were when I asked which hospital they were at and then a few seconds later when Raegan replied.

I could see her hands shaking every time she lifted one up and her knee bouncing up and down erratically as if she couldn't sit still.

When we finally pulled up to Mountain West, I could hear Raegan's breathing grow heavier.

"I'll drop you off up front and meet you inside," I offered, but Raegan shook her head and pulled my hand in hers.

"I need you," she all but whispered.

I nodded my head in agreement, pulling back into the parking lot instead of to the front doors. When we finally found a spot, I had barely shut off Knox's truck before Raegan was dashing out the door. I was forced into a light jog just to catch up to her even though my legs were nearly twice as long.

By the time I reached her, she was already inside, asking the lady at the information desk about where to find Jamie and Holly. Raegan already looked frustrated, and the lady across from her looked like a real bitch. With her dark brown bangs and square glasses, she reminded me of my second-grade teacher Mrs. Heaton, and let me tell you, that broad was a piece of fucking work.

"You're their emergency contact?" I heard her ask as I approached the desk, almost as if she didn't believe it.

"Yes!" Raegan said, nodding her head. "Holly is my sister and James is my nephew."

The woman at the desk seemed to confirm this on her little computer, but instead of giving Raegan any relief that either Jamie or Holly were okay, she only sighed as if it was too much damn work. "I'll have a doctor come to speak to you about both their conditions. For now, you'll have to take a seat in the waiting room."

"The waiting room?" Raegan asked in dismay. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." Her volume had been pumped up a few notches, and she had taken a step too close to Mrs. Heaton Jr, that I had to step in and hold her back.

"Come on, Toots," I said, pulling her back a couple of steps. "Calm down."

Mrs. Heaton Jr gasped, clearly outraged. "If you can't control your emotions I will have to ask security to escort you out. Otherwise, you can have a seat in the waiting room."

Raegan's eyes narrowed at the way she emphasized her words, but I pulled her gently by the arm and led her in the direction of the room of empty chairs.

"That bitch is lucky," Raegan claimed, fighting her hold on me as I led her to a chair in the corner of the room.

I nodded, fighting my laughter at the fact that even in a hospital, Raegan wasn't about to take any shit.

"I know, Toots, but you need to relax," I said, taking the seat next to her. "You can't do Holly or Jamie any good if you get yourself kicked out of here."

She nodded, letting out a deep breath. "You're right, I'm sorry."

I shook my head, placing my hand on her cheek as I brushed my finger against it softly. "You've got nothing to apologize for. I know you're scared."

Raegan's lip trembled as she nodded. "I'm so fucking scared," she mumbled, tears once again filling her eyes. "You said he'd be fine with her."

I felt my heart breaking a little because I had said that just this morning. How was I to know that Holly couldn't even handle a couple of hours alone with her kid?

Raegan shook her head. "I should have known not to let him go with her. This is all my fault," she cried, covering her face with her hands.

I shook my head, pulling Raegan into my chest as she cried.

"It's not your fault, babe. Whatever happens, we're gonna get through it okay?"

Raegan nodded against me, but I could tell she would only half-heartedly believe it until we heard from the doctors about Jamie's condition.

So, we sat there for what felt like hours. Raegan was cuddled up against me, no longer crying, but not speaking much either. All we could do was wait, and wait is what we did. I was convinced we had spent at least half a day there, but when I looked at my phone to check the time, I was shocked to see we had only arrived an hour and a half ago. Somehow, it had felt like so much longer. It was as if seconds were minutes, and minutes were hours. Every time we saw a doctor walk in, we both sat up, thinking they were there to speak to us, but when they walked towards someone else, or out of the room entirely, we both kind of deflated.

My phone rang after we had been sitting there for a while and I could feel Raegan's eyes lingering on me with curiosity. When I flipped it over and saw who it was, I ignored the call, knowing that being here for Rae was more important.

"Who was it?" she asked.

I shook my head. "It's just Twitch. I'll call him back later."

She nodded, taking my hand and squeezing it in appreciation.

"Thank you," she said, looking up at me with an adoration in her eyes that I had never seen before.

I narrowed my eyes and let out a chuckle. "For what?"

Raegan shrugged. "For being here with me. I don't think I could have handled this all without you."

I smiled, wrapping my arm around her shoulders as I pulled her in close and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "There is nowhere else I'd be right now."

I felt her sniffle against me as she cuddled in closer, and I knew she was crying again. "Thank you for always being there," she elaborated. "I know I've taken it for granted at times, but you've never let me down, Tweak."

I felt my heart soften at her words because I had worked really hard to be the kind of guy that Raegan and Jamie deserved. When we'd first reconnected, I was nowhere close to that guy, but I wanted to be. It meant everything to know that Raegan recognized how committed I was to making her happy, and making this all work.

"Don't speak too soon," I teased.

Raegan scoffed and shook her head. "You could never let me down. You've already proved yourself to me."

I smiled, feeling truly for the first time that Raegan was as invested in me as I was in her. We'd exchanged the I love you's a while back, but never had I felt so sure of her feelings for me.

"I fucking love you," I mumbled, leaning in for a kiss.

Raegan smiled just as my lips brushed hers, but before they could fully meet, a looming figure standing above us pulled us apart.

"Miss. Clark?" A middle-aged man with warm brown skin and a white lab coat asked as he approached us. "I'm Doctor Adams. I believe you're waiting for the status of two patients?"

Raegan nodded and stood to her feet, suddenly reminded of the reason we were here—Jamie and Holly.

"Is Jamie okay?" she asked.

"James Clark was admitted into the pediatric ward a while ago but is undergoing further tests to see if he may need to go to the ICU,"

"The ICU?" Raegan questioned. "How serious is it?" she asked.

I pulled Raegan's hand in mine for reassurance, but she barely noticed it was there.

"He was complaining that his head hurt so we want to rule out a traumatic brain injury or a serious concussion, but I'm thinking it's just some whiplash. Other than that, he has some mild cuts and bruises, but he's stable and asking for you."

Raegan lit up with a relieved smile as she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Thank god," she mumbled into my chest.

I held her head against me as I felt a weight lift off my own chest. "He's okay, babe," I reassured.

I could already see the difference in Raegan after hearing this news, but it was only half of the story, and I feared what Holly's fate might be.

"And my sister?" Raegan asked, squeezing my hand in hers.

The doctor sighed. "Holly's injuries were more severe."

I felt Raegan tense beside me. All I could do was wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her in closer to me.

"But she's gonna be okay, right?" I asked.

He let out a breath. "Holly wasn't wearing a seatbelt so when they crashed she hit her head pretty hard against the dashboard. She has a pretty serious concussion and a few cracked ribs. She'll need to stay here for monitoring along with various tests, but with time and therapy, she should make a full recovery."

I felt Raegan let out a breath next to me, but I could see on the doctors face that this was not all.

"Can I see Jamie?" Raegan asked, not picking up on the same expression I was.

Doctor Adams looked unsure, but at the sight of Raegan's desperation, he nodded his head.

"There are a few other things we need to discuss, but I'll come to see you after you've seen Jamie," he said, gesturing for us to follow him.

"Thank you," Raegan said gratefully, as she pulled me along with her.

Our elevator ride up to the pediatric ward was awkwardly silent, something clearly weighing on Doctor Adams as he took us up. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but I knew there was something he wasn't telling Rae, and I was worried about what it might be. I felt him staring at my patch, and I wondered if it was just the intimidation of being this close to a Tribe member, but that didn't feel quite right.

Once we stepped off the elevator, we followed him down a long hallway that led to a shut door, where he scanned the ID badge hanging from his neck and let us pass through. Raegan and I kept our head's straight ahead as we passed by the patient's rooms, both not able to take the sight around us.

I could be tough as shit, but little kids sick was something I just could not fucking take.

Doctor Adams stopped at the room at the end of the hall and extended his arm. "He's in here. I'll go check on his test results in the meantime."

Raegan nodded, practically itching to get inside. "Thank you," she managed, before literally jogging into the room.

I sent Doctor Adams a nod, following after Raegan at a much calmer pace. I could feel his eyes on the back of my cutt and I couldn't help but wonder what his interest in the Tribe was.

Jamie was sitting up in bed when I walked in, a gauze wrapped around his forehead, but a smile on his face.

"Aunty Rae!" He cheered.

Raegan burst into happy tears as she ran to his side and planted multiple kisses on his cheeks, nose, and forehead.

"Hi, baby," she mumbled, wiping away at her cheeks. "Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?"

Jamie shook his head. "I'm okay now. My head hurt when mommy hit the tree, but it's okay now."

I saw Raegan visibly tense at the mention of Holly, and I knew to some extent that she would never forgive her sister for this.

Jamie seemed to notice me for the first time as he lit up with an even bigger smile as I took a seat on the chair next to his bed.

"Hey, Twerp," I greeted, leaning over to give him a kiss on the forehead. "You doin' alright?"

He nodded. "Better now. I was bored all alone," he complained, crossing his arms over his little chest. "They don't have any video games or toys."

I let out a laugh and so did Raegan as she wiped away her tears.

"They don't?" I questioned with mock horror.

Jamie scoffed. "None."

I shook my head. "How about I call Ace and make him pick up your iPad?"

Jamie's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Can you?" he asked, not even bothering to hide his excitement.

Just when I was about to reply, Raegan held up her hand and interjected.

"Absolutely not," she said, glaring at me. "You need to rest, Jamie."

Jamie pouted and looked over at me, but I only held up my hands. "You heard what she said."

"This stinks," he grumbled.

Raegan held back a laugh as she patted his arm. "I know it does, but you wanna get better right?"

He nodded.

"Okay then," she decided. "I'll tuck you in and ask one of the nurses if we can turn on the t.v for you," she said, pointing up at the screen that looked three times older than Jamie himself.

Jamie stared at the TV with a disappointed sigh. "Fine," he relented.

I stood to my feet and gave Raegan's shoulder a squeeze as she nestled Jamie deep into the blankets.

"I got it, Toots. Stay here with him."

Raegan stood up on her tippy toes and planted a grateful peck on my lips. "Thanks, Tweak."

I smiled, pulling her in closer for a real kiss. Just when her lips met mine, we heard a little giggle coming from the bed.

Looking over at him, Jamie was covering his eyes with a disgusted look. "Eww, gross," he said.

I let out a laugh as I ruffled his hair gently. "Why gross?" I asked. "You're aunt is a hot piece of —"

Raegan glared at me before I could finish my words.

"Hot piece of—" I looked around the room, struggling to find a word that would finish my sentence on the PG side of things. "Hot piece of—pie," I finished.

Jamie's face twisted in confusion and Raegan let out a laugh.

"Nuh-uh. Girls have cooties," he insisted.

I shook my head. "That's what you think now, but trust me bud, when you get older you won't think so. Then you'll be worrying about a whole list of other things girls might have."

Jamie's eyes widened. "Like what?"

I let out a breath. "Well, there's herp—"

"Tweaker!" Raegan interjected. "He's six," she said.

I shrugged. "So what? It's never too early to learn."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Fine," I said. "I'll just go find the nurse."

"Good idea," Raegan agreed.

As I stepped out into the hallway Doctor Adams and the Police Chief were standing just outside our door. They were in mid-conversation, but just as I stepped outside, they both fell silent.

"Chief," I greeted, extending my hand.

Andy Miller had been police chief since before I could remember, and he had been a "friend" of the Tribe since before that. He and Mick grew up together, and Miller never forgot about that whenever we needed him to come through on something. He had thrown out more cases against us than I could remember, and I had only been a member for 6 years.

"Tweaker," He said, taking my hand in his with a firm shake. "The Clark kid yours?" he asked, nodding toward the room I had just exited.

Dr. Adams looked at Miller with concern, but he just shook his head. "He's alright, Doc, don't worry about it."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "No, not mine. He's my old lady's nephew. Why?" I asked. "Something wrong?"

Miller turned to Doctor Adams for an answer, but he only shook his head. "I should speak to Miss. Clark about this."

I nodded my head, realizing that whatever was going here was probably why he had such a strange look on his face in the elevator.

"Is Jamie okay?" I asked. "Cos if something's wrong with him, I suggest you let me tell her—for your sake."

Dr. Adams and Chief Miller both shook their heads.

"It's not him," Miller said.

"Holly?" I asked.

Neither one of them answered.

"Why don't you bring Raegan out here?" Miller suggested.

I nodded, heading back inside to call Raegan out.

She looked confused at first, even more so when she saw the Chief standing next to me.

"Hi, Raegan," Miller greeted.

"Hey, Chief. What's going on?" she asked, looking between the three of us.

I shrugged, gesturing to the two of them, cos I had no god damn idea.

"When your sister came in, she had a blood alcohol level that was nearly two times the legal limit," Doctor Adams said.

Raegan's face fell.

"She was drunk?" She asked, in complete horror.

Miller nodded. "I'm afraid so."

I felt a rage burning in me that I never thought was possible over a kid. I wanted to slap Holly silly for how shitty she treated both her kid and her sister, but I nearly wanted to skin her alive for this. It was one thing to drive drunk and fuck up your own life, but it was another to risk your kid's life too.

"I'm required by law to call the authorities, but