Brothers by Bond Read Free Page A

any vacation time saved up?"
    Mike hadn't even thought that far ahead and realized that Mr. B. was right. After he gave his statement he would put in for his vacation or take a personal leave. How much PTO had he accrued? He had no idea and really didn't care. All he cared about was being by Johnny's side when he woke up because he refused to believe his best friend would remain in a coma forever.
    Silence settled over them again as they drove to the station. Once there, Mike made a beeline for the lieutenant's office. He vaguely heard Mr. B. updating the guys on Johnny's condition as he closed the lieutenant's door behind him.
    "You look like shit, Morgan, but I've been there myself." Lieutenant Collins opened his desk drawer to remove the paperwork as Mike sat down. "This won't take long and I won't keep you. I'm sure you want to get to the hospital to see Baxter."
    "Thanks, Lieutenant," Mike said as he took the pile of paperwork. The Lieutenant was a good guy as far as Mike was concerned. Hell, anyone who would allow brothers, even by adoption, to partner together had to be a good guy. Mike flipped through the standard paperwork before he started to fill it out. It was his habit and when he came to a leave request, with his PTO accrued attached to a Post-it, it just reaffirmed his opinion of the Lieutenant.
    Two hours later, which felt like a million years, Mike was back in Mr. B.'s car. Thirty minutes after that and he was standing in the doorway to ICU – 4.
    "The hip looks good but I am concerned how he will do with it. Usually, hip replacement patients are on their feet with assistance within the first twelve hours of surgery," the doctor who was speaking to Mrs. B. told her. "I will order a physical therapist to come in and make sure the replacement stays flexible. This will need to be approached slowly so we can give the graft to his femoral artery a chance to heal." The doctor paused before continuing, "As for the coma he is currently in, we are not sure what is causing it. All of the scans came back normal but we don't want you to be concerned. Sometimes when there has been trauma, such as Johnny's, the body goes comatose to heal itself. Do you have any questions Mrs. Baxter?"
    "Is he in any pain?" Mrs. B.'s voice was steady but her concern was evident.
    "I won't lie to you. It's very hard to tell what comatose patients can feel. We are giving him the prescribed dosages of pain medication for his hip replacement."
    "I just don't want him to be in pain," Mrs. B. said quietly and turned back to her son.
    "When will he wake up?" Mike asked from the door and both the doctor and Mrs. B. turned to him. "He will wake up right?"
    The doctor turned back to Mrs. B. as if to ask permission to answer. Mrs. B. nodded to the doctor before introducing them.
    "Doctor Bernstein, this is my other son, Michael. He is also Johnny's partner on the force."
    The doctor shook hands with Mike as he spoke, "I am so sorry to meet you under these circumstances. I'm sure this is a difficult time for you."
    Mike thought the doctor held his hand a little longer than was necessary but brushed the thought aside. "Yes, to say the least," Mike replied. "But you didn't answer my question." Mike knew he sounded harsh and was being rude to the man who was caring for his brother but he couldn't stand the sympathy that gazed out of the doctor's chocolate brown eyes.
    "Yes, of course," Doctor Bernstein resumed his professional tone. "We really do not know. He could wake up today, next week, or next year. It is up to Johnny now and all we can do is wait." Mike frowned at the answer that was not really an answer as he stepped into the room. "His vitals are stable and he is showing no signs of complications from either surgery." Doctor Bernstein made his way to the door and paused to add, "Talk to him while you visit. There are some who believe it helps the patient."
    Mike turned to the doctor, "Do you believe that?"
    Doctor Bernstein gave him a small smile