“I’ll keep him in his bed and resting,” Rebecca said. “I promise.”
Slowly, it dawned on me what she was saying. I guessed the text wasn’t a brush-off after all. Good.
“When can I go home?” I asked.
“I’ll have you discharged in a few hours,” the doctor said. “But until then, I want you to rest and relax. Your friends here have been waiting at your side for quite some time. I would just catch up with them for a bit and hang out while I monitor your progress before I sign you out.”
“Okay,” I said, somewhat frustrated. I felt fine other than my stupid left arm and my jaw not seeming to want to open all the way. I was positive I could walk.
Then I remembered feeling the exact same way when the attack in Iraq happened. I had tried to get up to use the bathroom then and ended up injuring myself worse than the attack when my legs didn’t provide any strength and I went down face-first into the ground.
“Soon,” Rebecca said, suddenly coming into view on my side, her face close to mine. She pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll take you home soon.”
Nurses came in and unhooked my neck brace not long after that, and Everett headed home to prepare my room for me. Rebecca was going to get me home and then stay with me while I recovered. It shouldn’t take long, but they wanted someone watching me for a bit because of the concussion. When it was finally time to discharge me, I stood on the cold tile of the hospital floor and waited for my legs to give out.
One knee buckled slightly, and I thought I was going down. But before I could, Rebecca was there, giving me just enough strength to stay standing. Then she took me home.
26
REBECCA
REBECCA
Adrenaline was the only thing keeping me going. I knew that fact deep in my soul. If it weren’t for adrenaline and coffee, I’d have zonked out a long time ago. At least it didn’t seem to hit me too hard while I was making the long drive from the hospital back to Deacon’s cabin.
Part of me wanted to just bring him back to my place and nurse him back to health there. I knew I had everything I needed there, and at least it was where we had spent most of our time together. Being at his place still felt a little invasive in a way. It wasn’t just his place; it was Everett’s too. I had only been there in passing, not spending enough time to get comfortable in any way.
As I opened the door to help Deacon out of the Jeep, Everett came running out, stopping me from trying to haul Deacon in on my own.
“You can’t carry him by yourself,” Everett said, admonishing me while laughing. “He’s on too many painkillers to know he will crush your ass.”
“I just want to get him in and resting,” I said.
“I know, me too. Here, you hold the door, and I’ll catch him.” Everett switched places with me. “Alright, buddy, I need you to just kind of fall out onto me and try to stand up, okay?”
Deacon, the drugs clearly kicking in heavily, nodded. He looked miserable, and I knew the entire ride home he was in pain, though the concoction of drugs they gave him before he left was starting to take effect. He was grimacing through the pain, trying to not let it affect him, but it was clear he was hurt.
He got out of the Jeep and stumbled just a bit, but Everett caught him and helped him stand. His other arm was in a cast, so I couldn’t help him much other than to run forward and open the door to help get him inside. Thankfully, their front porch was small and low to the ground with only one step. He was able to navigate that rather easily, all things considered.
“Bed or couch?” Everett said as he helped get him in the front door.
“Couch,” I said. It was an instant decision, and I hoped it was the right one.
I didn’t realize how important it was for him to bow to me until he asked where I wanted to bring him. It meant he trusted me, at least enough that he thought I should be in charge of his recovery. Those two had been friends for years, but he was relying on me to help get him back to health and to be in the lead. That one question meant so much.
Everett got him to the couch, and I created a wall of pillows for him to lean into. The couch was one with a recliner built in, and once he was sitting, Everett opened the recliner, and Deacon leaned back. I was struck by how close his position reminded me of how he looked in the hospital bed. A lump stuck in my throat at that memory. I didn’t think I would ever forget it.