Page 16 of The Recovery Coach
“No!”he yelled before he could stop himself.
The nurse—Amanda—turned her stuck-up expression on him.“She’s impeding my ability to provide care.Hospital staff have the right to ask patients’ visitors to leave if they’re in the way.She’s in the way.”
“Amanda, forget the petty bullshit.Give him the pain medication he needs to manage this.It’s stupid for him to sit and suffer for no fucking reason.”
“I said you need to leave.”
Livy stormed out the door, and the nurse returned to Hazy’s side.She placed a blood-pressure cuff around his arm.
“I wanted her here.”
“It’s not your choice.Besides, now you can speak freely.”
“They can all hear everything.They’ll ask me later.”
The nurse pointed at the clock.“Visiting hours are over.You can see them tomorrow.”
Hazy sighed.“I feel like shit.Give me the good stuff.”
If he couldn’t talk to his friends, he might as well sleep, and he needed stronger painkillers to do so.
When he woke again, the sun shone through a crack in the curtains, illuminating the dark room.A hand held his, and a smile touched his lips before he opened his eyes.
“You were right,” he said.
Livy’s voice didn’t greet him.“Duh, I told you.”
Hazy yanked his hand free from the imposter, and it flew to cover his racing heart.When he realized it was Lover, he relaxed.
“Fuck, you scared me,” he said.
“What was I right about?”
“Fucking nothing.I thought you were Livy.”
“She had work.You get me this time.Someone had to hold your hand.”
Hazy frowned.“Nobody had to hold my hand.I’m a big boy.”
Lover snatched Hazy’s hand from where it rested on his chest and pressed it to his cheek.“If I need the hospital, somebody better always hold my hand.”
A laugh escaped him.He pulled his hand away from Lover’s face but allowed his friend to keep hold.
“Sure.If it comes to it, I’ll get right on that.”
The door opened, flooding the room with light.Beanie walked in, bearing a full drink carrier.He set the drinks on the bedside table and pulled his own drip coffee free.
Lover claimed an iced caramel macchiato (double sweetener, disgusting).Which left an iced vanilla latte for Hazy.He stabbed a straw into the lid, but before it could touch his lips, Lover stayed his hand.
“Are you allowed to drink caffeine?”he asked.
He glared at him.
Beanie said, “Nope.Decaf.”
“Thank you,” Hazy replied, though the statement halved his enthusiasm for the drink.
Beanie tossed the cardboard drink carrier and sat opposite Lover.
