I know, I know, I’d want me around too.
Noah’s phone lights up with a text and not a moment later, he walks out the door, leaving Tully and I alone for the first time in ages. I look over to her as she scoffs. Her voice comes out croaky and rough but she’s too proud to pull back. “After the hell I’ve been through, he better not be leaving to go do a job.”
I can’t help but look to the door, following where he’s just excited. “Nah, he wouldn’t,” I say, a little unsure, eyes narrowing. “Surely, he wouldn’t.”
“This is Noah we’re talking about,” she grumbles.
I hear her bed sheets ruffling and whip my head back around to her. “What do you think you’re doing?” I shriek as she tries to reach for the cup of water sitting by her bed. “You’re going to tear your stitches.”
“I’m fine,” she grumbles.
I shake my head and roll out of bed, before stepping across to her, hoping I don’t rip out my drip again. I mean, that shit wasn’t fun. I grab Tully’s water and hold the little straw up to her. “You could have just asked,” I tell her.
She takes the sip of water and I see it in her eyes, she hates this. She doesn’t like feeling weak and broken, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to show it in front of her tough as nails brother. “How’re you feeling?” I question, knowing now’s probably the only time I’ll get a straight answer out of her.
“I feel like a truck ran over me and then backed up just to make sure the job was done.”
“That bad?” I murmur, holding up the water again so she can take another sip. “You know, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for stronger pain meds.”
She scrunches up her face and I step over to hit the button on my bed which calls in the nurse. “What are you doing?” she grumbles, hardly able to put up much of a fight.
“I’m getting you sorted out seeing as though you won’t do it yourself,” I tell her, straightening up her sheets to make her a little more comfortable, the same way her mom had been doing before she left. “Besides, the strong stuff is good. It’s like taking a mini vacation.”
She rolls her eyes as the nurse comes strolling in. Her eyes flick to me, assuming I’m the one who needs her before looking across at Tully. The nurse doesn’t curse me out on the fact that I’m not in bed and I thank her for it. Besides, I’d have a thing or two to say about it if she wanted to try.
“What do you need dear?” she asks as she checks over Tully’s chart.
I speak up for her. “She needs stronger pain meds but she’s too tough to admit it and ask for it.”
The nurse gives Tully a stern look before raising a questioning brow. “You’re only making it harder for yourself if you fight the process the whole way along.”
“Fine,” Tully murmurs. “I feel like shit. My legs are cramping. I want to take a shower. My head hurts, and my body aches, and if someone doesn’t take this catheter out of me soon, I’m going to scream.”
The nurse takes a slow breath. “I see,” she says. “Well, unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about the catheter, that needs to stay until you can get yourself up and walking around. The shower…again, up and walking around. Everything else, I can handle.”
With that, she excuses herself and returns a few minutes later with a little tray filled to the brim with the good stuff. “Oooh, can I have some of that?” I smirk, sitting on the edge of my bed and looking at the party mix before me. It’s like a guessing game; what will happen if I take the blue one?
The nurse shakes her head and ‘tsk’s’ me. “I don’t even know why you’re still here,” she says. “You’re clearly fine.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I guess they’re keeping me around for the entertainment.”
“That seems about right,” she chuckles before getting Tully sorted.
She makes her way out of the room just as Noah barges back in. I look down at Tully and wink, letting her know she just got away with murder. She got her pain meds and admitted feeling like shit all without anyone knowing.
Noah strides in and standing in the middle of the room looking awkward for a brief moment. I’m about to ask what crawled up his ass when a figure walks through the door behind him.
Rivers.
His eyes fly straight to Tully and he looks completely shattered.
Complete silence.
There’s no other way to describe it…apart from awkward as fuck.
Noah’s eyes finally come to mine and if finally realizing what’s right in front of him, he completely loses his shit. “Why the fuck are you out of bed?” he roars, pulling my attention away from the devastation on Rivers’ face.