Maureen jumped over and put a hand out, like she was going to make sure I stayed down. “C’mon, Will. None of that. The doctor was clear. Rest and stay still as much as possible. At least today and maybe tomorrow. If you need to get up, like to use the bathroom, you have to take it slow, and one of us needs to be nearby to make sure you’re okay.”
“Cool. I’m…toddler.”
“I mean, if you’re going to pout like one.” She raised an eyebrow. “But otherwise, you’re just a lucky man recovering from a head injury, which could have been much, much worse.” She leaned down to touch my shoulder as though reassuring herself I wasn’t going to move. “The doctor said you should feel a lot better tomorrow and over the next few days. The good news is, you’re stuck in Coleman Creek. No way you’ll be cleared for driving for at least a week.”
I’d guessed as much. Good thing I didn’t have a company to run anymore. But I’d need to figure out something to tell my parents. No way could they find out I’d had another concussion. They’d flip.
God, my head was pounding. It hurt so bad, simply breathing caused pain, and I felt so nauseous, I was practically about to…no, wait… I was definitely going to… I waved my fingers at thetrash can, and Maureen got the hint just in time to put it under my chin as I retched into it. Not much came up, and it made me feel worse rather than better, but stopping it hadn’t been an option.
When I finished heaving, Maureen had a cool washcloth ready for me. With effort, I swiped it across my mouth and face. The motion had my head spinning, but I forced myself back against the pillows and didn’t need the trash can again.
“I know you…want me now.” I attempted to deadpan.
“Meh. I went to college,” Maureen replied, nonplussed. “I’ve seen worse. At least you have a better excuse than being dared to drink a twelve-pack to win the last bag of Doritos.”
She got up and disappeared for a moment, taking the garbage can with her. When she came back, she put it next to the bed. “I cleaned it out and put an air freshener under the liner, so it won’t smell like a dive bar bathroom. It’s here if you need it.”
“Thanks.” I kept my head immobile, which helped. I could speak at a low volume, though it still made me slightly dizzy, my own voice ringing in my ears.
Maureen sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle the mattress. “This okay?”
“Good.”
“One of us has been checking on you every half hour or so. But now that you’re up, I can give you some privacy if you’d prefer.”
“No.” A powerful sensation of something akin to panic gripped me. “Stay.” Even in my pain haze, with the aftertaste of bile in my mouth, I wanted her nearby.
“Okay,” she murmured. “Let me know if my voice bothers you. I know you can’t watch TV or use any screens yet. I have the lamp dimmed, but I can turn that off too if you want.”
“No. I’m good. You can…talk to me.” I crept my hand across the bedspread until one finger touched her hip. “Please.”
“Alright. I know there’s so much to say between us, but the big stuff should wait until you feel better. James and Marley and I are obviously curious about the things the doctors assumed we knew, about your previous injuries.” She peered down at me. “I’m guessing some stuff happened to you after you and James lost touch but before I met you?”
“It wasn’t…wasn’t—” I closed my eyes.Dammit!When I’d woken from my coma eleven years ago, it had been like this. I could hear what I wanted to say in my head, but everything came out garbled. At least this time wasn’t as bad as all that. “Wasn’t secret. I would…have said. To James. Just never mannered. No.Mattered. Never mattered. I got…better.”
Maureen nodded. “We can talk about it later.” She picked up a glass with a straw in it from the nightstand. “Do you want to try some water, or do you think that will send you nosediving back into the trash can?” She held the straw to my lips. I took a small sip without feeling like it would come right back up. Progress. “If you need to use the bathroom, James will be back in a little while. But I can help if it’s urgent?”
“No. All…good for now.” Small mercies. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to withstand the indignity of Maureen having to lower me onto the toilet or, god forbid, pull my dick out for me. “James…gone?”
“Oh, yeah,” she said, still hushing her voice. “While you were sleeping, you missed all the excitement. Because apparently this weekend can’t be crazy enough. The building in the lot next to The Landslide caught fire. It’s been vacant, so I guess it took a while before anyone noticed and called it in. James volunteers with the fire department, so he went out on the call. He was super excited. It’s his first one.”
“Cool for him. Bad for…building.”
“Yep. Double-edged dagger for sure. He worried about leaving you, but Marley told him we can manage one invalid perfectlywell on our own. Also, you’re going to be staying in this room for the next week, and you have zero chance of Marley taking no for an answer on that. And I suppose I’ll also be your nurse since Marley and James work tomorrow.”
Maureen was going to take care of me? “You…okay…when that. No.Withthat?”
“Of course. It’s at least partly my fault you got hurt.” She put up her hand to stop any protest I might make. “I know you don’t think so, but it’s how I feel. It’ll make me feel better to help.”
“Okay,” I murmured.
“It’s going to be different between us. You realize that, don’t you? We’re going to talk, and it’s going to be different. I meant what I said. I don’t want to be mad anymore.”
My lips twitched in what passed for a smile. Even that tiny move hurt. “Maybe…this…worth it then,” I said.
She rolled her eyes, not touching that. “Honestly, Will, you look so pale. The doctor said you turned her down for the stronger meds. Are you sure you don’t want me to call her back, get you a different prescription? You don’t need to be in pain like this.”
“No. You’ll understand…when I tell you…my accident.”
