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I shook my head. “Nothing right now. Just take the bag of dirty clothes home for me. I’ll need more in a day or two. When he gets into a regular room, I’ll need more for sure.”
Michael nodded, but Adam cut in. “How is he, really?”
Releasing another breath, I told them in more detail about how he’d woken up and what Dr. Navarro said. “He’s different. And I know his brain is trying to recover, but you’ll see. He’s more vocal about things. I can’t describe it. It’s just something I feel.”
Adam’s concern was written all over his face. “Does he remember what happened?”
The sandwich in my stomach began to feel like a mistake. “I don’t think so, but he remembers me as his friend.”
Adam’s eyes went wide, and he put his hand on my shoulder. “He doesn’t remember you’re together?”
“I don’t know. He knew my name, but the way he answered Navarro’s first questions made me think he might. I don’t know.”
Leaning forward, I ran my hands through my hair and tried to calm my racing pulse. My mom leaned closer and rubbed my back like she had when she wanted to comfort me.
“There’s no way Patrick will forget your relationship, sweetheart. You two have been inseparable for twenty-five years. That kind of time becomes part of your DNA. I read that somewhere.”
I shifted my gaze to her as she smiled at me, and the preposterous idea lightened my mood. “Okay, Mom. Whatever you say.”
The door opened again, and I looked up at Simon walking in with Laura and Mark. “He’s asking for you.”
I gave Adam the box and stood up immediately. Turning to them, I smiled. “Thanks for the food. I’ll keep in touch.”
“Give Patrick our love, son.”
I smiled. “I will, Dad.”
Turning, I made my way back to Patrick.
CHAPTER 12
PATRICK
After lying in bed for what felt like an eternity, every point of contact where my body touched the mattress now hurt. I wanted to get up and move around, but the doctor wanted me to work up to a sitting position without dizziness before I tried to walk. My head fucking hurt, my arm hurt, and now this incision from surgery was starting to bug the fuck out of me.
“Just fucking shoot me,” I whined to Cole as he sat on the edge of my hospital bed and gently ran his fingers through my hair, massaging my throbbing skull. He made sure to stay away from the place they’d installed the pressure sensor. His touch always made me feel better. And that was something I knew without having to remember.
“Sorry, can’t do that. How about an ice pack? Maybe that would help.”
I groaned with my eyes still closed. “That’s not gonna help my ass unless I sit on it. And I can’t do that because my balls will shrivel up and become the size of green peas. If I move too much, I’ll get dizzy and throw up. So I’m fucked. I need this shit to stop hurting.”
“I’m sorry,” he soothed, but his tone was remorseful.
I opened one eye to look at him. “Why are you sorry? It’s not your fucking fault. Fucking drunk driver. He got what he deserved.”
Okay. That sentiment felt new.
“How did you know that?”
My brain hurt. “My parents. I think.”
Cole was quiet again. I knew he didn’t want to give me too many details about anything to keep my memories authentic. Every time I asked about something, he kept saying he didn’t want to influence my memory. Plus, it made my fucking head hurt.
I guess Dr. Navajo was right. Or whatever his name was. So I let it go.
Opening one eye, I looked into his blue balls of blueness. What? No, that didn’t feel right. “If you’re here with me, who’s feeding the dog?”
Cole smiled at me like I was just precious. “Umm, we don’t have a dog.”
