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Missing my apartment and wishing I could be there instead of here, I shoved the keys away and cried.
Then I took a nap because absolutely everything drained me. Even crying.
When I woke, I was disoriented and didn’t know what time or even what day it was. Afraid I’d fallen into another coma, I called the nurse, who moodily informed me I’d only been asleep for an hour.
I guess I’d bothered her enough with that very question. So I refrained from calling her back to help me to the bathroom seconds after she stalked out.
Earlier that day, I’d been able to take five steps unassisted before my knees started to wobble and give out. But at least I had the basic action down, which Chad claimed was great progress.
So I decided I’d just use my IV pole as a stand-in walker, and I crept my way into the restroom. I’m not sure how I accomplished my business, but I was even able to wash my hands before my equilibrium, which already didn’t feel stable,reallystarted to blink out. I was halfway back to the bed, my legs shaking like crazy, when the world tipped sideways, and I no longer knew if I was upright or not.
“Ah, shit,” I breathed, knowing I was going down.
“Whoa, whoa,hey!” I heard a male voice order before my face slammed against a human chest.
Arms latched around me, grounding me enough to realize I was at least upright. Barely.
“Thank you,” I slurred, tipping my head back to look up at my savior.
For some reason, I was kind of expecting to see Foster’s face. So when some other guy scowled down at me, instead, I was actually disappointed.
He seemed extremely familiar though, and a sense of déjà vu hit me unaware.
“Should you even be walking?” he groused as he manually picked me up and carried me back to the bed.
“Shh,” I told him, pressing a finger to my lips. “Don’t tell on me.”
“Fucking great,” he muttered before gently placing me on the mattress. “I’m aiding and abetting a mutiny.”
Glad to be back on the solid bed, I sighed in relief and curled onto my side, hugging the pillow under my head.
“I had to pee,” I admitted, only to shake my finger at my guest and frown. “Don’t Iknowyou?”
He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “We met once.”
“The night of my accident,” I realized. “You bought the rideshare I crashed in.”
With a grimace, he sent me a tight-lipped smile. “Don’t worry; I gave them a one-star review.”
Sighing in exhaustion, I closed my eyes. “So you’re here out of some guilty obligation to make sure I’m okay, too, huh?”
He lifted one eyebrow. “Too?”
“Yeah. Like your friend. He thought visiting and leaving me balloons and gifts and being nice to my dad would clear away all the accountability he felt toward me.”
“Since you mentioned him,” he said as he sat down in a nearby chair and crossed one calf over his other knee. “I heard you kicked him out and told him to never come back.”
My brow furrowed in irritation. “I was having a bad day,” I grumbled. “I might have spoken a little too rashly.”
“Are you rescinding his banishment, then?”
He seemed a little too invested in my answer, which made me feel uncomfortable because every day that Foster didn’t return to the hospital to see me, I felt more and more…disappointed.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled aloud, not sure of anything anymore as I lifted one shoulder. My gaze slid toward all the gifts he’d left me. “It’s probably for the best that he stays away. I’m not very good company.” Motioning toward my gaillardias, I asked, “Did you send me those flowers?”
My visitor glanced over. “Nope. Sorry.”
I nodded. “Didn’t think so. Gaillardias are my favorite.”
