Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!

Nick’s POV

"Where is the family of Oliver Morris?" the third doctor finally announced, his voice carrying through the hallway like a blade cutting through the thick silence. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Vicky stepped forward, her legs wobbling. "H-He doesn’t have his family here," she said quickly, wiping her cheeks with shaky fingers. "They live very far, and no one has informed them yet. Y-You can tell us. We’re basically his family here."

The doctor hesitated, glancing at the police officer standing beside us.

"She’s right, Doc," the officer said firmly. "They’re his second family here. And considering this shoot-out involves the same case Attorney Morris was handling for them, they deserve to know."

The doctor exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Well..." He adjusted his glasses. "Under these circumstances, I suppose I can make an exception."

He smiled before he continued. "Mr. Morris is now stable and out of danger."

Vicky’s knees buckled so fast she practically folded in half before collapsing to the floor in loud, uncontrollable sobs. "Oh God! Oh my God! Thank you! Thank you, God!"

My own vision blurred as I pressed both hands to my mouth, releasing a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding since the moment we stepped foot inside the hospital. A single tear slid down my face, a tear I genuinely didn’t think I was capable of shedding tonight.

"Thank you, Doctor," I said, voice cracking with the relief crushing my chest. "Thank you for saving his life. I’ll get him the VVIP room. Please take good care of him. You have no idea how happy we are to hear your good news."

The doctor shook his head with a light laugh and waved his hands dismissively. "There’s no need to thank me. His wounds looked brutal at first because of the bleeding, but they weren’t life-threatening. One bullet hit his right shoulder, the other lodged in the left side of his abdomen. Nothing major, didn’t hit any major arteries or internal organs. We removed the bullets, cleaned the wounds, and stitched him up. That’s it." Another smile. "He’s in recovery now. He might wake up in about two hours."

A heavy weight slid off my shoulders all at once, and I guess it was the same for everyone in there—my siblings and Ollie’s team.

"Process his admission," the doctor added. "I’ll check on him during tomorrow’s rounds." Then he slipped away down the hall.

I turned back to the others.

Vicky was now curled on a bench, her face buried in Liam’s chest as she sobbed in relief. Ollie’s men were hugging each other, some laughing shakily, others crying openly—Ria and Heidi included, their eyes red but shining with gratitude.

For a moment, the hallway didn’t feel like a battlefield. It felt like a sanctuary.

"Alright, everyone," I said, clearing my throat and raising my voice slightly. "Go home and rest. You’ve all done more than enough today. You saved lives. You saved our lives. And you’ll be receiving a huge bonus from me—count on it."

The hallway erupted in cheers.

Ria stepped over. "Heidi and I will stay, Sir. Irene’s room is still under her name—we’ll stay there and check her in the ICU later."

"Alright," I said, nodding gratefully. "Call me if you need anything. Anything at all."

The police officer approached next. "Let’s call it a day. My men will remain here to secure the rest of Dante’s men once the doctors finish stitching them up. Tomorrow, we’ll process the transport to the precinct. The biggest threat is gone anyway."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "Really. Thank you for everything. I’ll send dinner to your station tonight. And all your meals tomorrow—on me."

The officer grinned. "If you insist, we won’t turn down food. And since the case is closed will be closed soon; it’s not a bribe." He tipped his cap. "Have a good night, Mr. Knight."

As he walked off, I finally turned back to Vicky.

"Vic, you okay?" I said gently as I walked over to her, "Ollie is safe now. Why are you still crying?"

She looked up, her lashes wet and clumped together. "I-I don’t know. I just... I’m happy. I’m so happy..."

I crouched in front of her. "Why don’t we take care of Ollie’s room, hmm? We’ll give him the best care possible. And stop crying—you don’t want him waking up and seeing you with a swollen face, do you?"

Her crying stopped instantly.

"What?" she demanded.

I shrugged, standing. "I’m just saying... Oliver wouldn’t want you sad or crying because of him."

Vicky narrowed her eyes. "What... exactly... are you saying?"

Liam groaned dramatically. "Oh, for the love of—just tell her, Nick. These two are killing me!"

I laughed under my breath as Vicky looked between us like her brain was buffering.

"I’m saying," I told her slowly, "that we know about you and Ollie."

Her eyes widened. She froze—completely—and then her hands shot to her mouth.

"Oh my God. You knew?!"

Liam sighed through his nose, "Pfft. Everyone knew. Even Dad. You two have driven us all insane."

I smirked. "When he wakes up, you should talk to him. Both of you have been stuck in this ridiculous cycle—misunderstandings, fears, silence. Maybe if you take the first step, Ollie will finally tell you what’s stopping him."

Vicky glared, tears replaced with outrage. "So—you all knew. And none of you told me?!"

"Yes," I said simply. "Because it wasn’t our secret to tell. We were waiting for you two to figure it out yourselves. But after tonight? Yeah... I think it’s time for a push."

She let out an indignant huff. "Ugh! I hate both of you!"

Then she stormed off down the hallway.

"Vicky, wait!" Liam called after her.

She spun around and jabbed a finger at him. "Don’t you dare follow me! I’m getting Ollie a room!"

She shot us one more glare—deadly, fiery, dramatic—and marched away.

Liam looked at me.

I looked back at him.

And we both burst out laughing.

Despite everything—the blood, the chaos, the terror—it felt like the first real breath of peace.

Even if it only lasted a moment.