them, arguing over his treatment and what he needed. As far as he was concerned, he needed to spend the next week in bed, sleeping off the whiskey, and he’d be just fine. Screw IVs and stomach pumps and everything else. Let him suffer the consequences of his own stupidity, and then he’d get on with his life.
However, he couldn’t speak, and moments later, after he felt the jab in his arm, his mind faltered, and he couldn’t think anymore.
CHAPTER FOUR
Susan watched her father’s eyes open slowly, as she stroked his head. She offered him a smile, as he fought for lucidity. She pushed back a need to cry, noting that in just the few days since she’d been here, her father had lost at least another ten pounds. He was so doped up, she wouldn’t have been surprised to hear he’d slept through his last four or five meals.
“Hey, Dad, how are you feeling?” she asked, trying to sound bright—though her whole body was tense with the need to break down and sob. Once again, she’d found him alone, her mother and sister nowhere to be seen.
He moved his mouth to talk and made a face. Susan reached for the water on his rolling table and held the straw to his mouth so he could drink. It ran down his face, but he managed to swallow a little, enough to wet his tongue but not enough to help his chapped lips. Susan’s chest ached.
“I’ve been better, but I slept a long time. No one woke me up for hours.” His voice was hoarse, and while Susan had avoided him for years, she missed the strong man with the deep, commanding voice.
She glanced at the charts on the wall, seeing that he’d had his vitals checked less than an hour earlier. Either her father was losing time or was so doped up to ease his pain that he didn’t even know when the attendants came by anymore. Neither scenario was pleasant to consider. “Well, I’m glad you feel rested, at least. Are you in any pain?”
His face twisted. “Not pain. Sore. Don’t move a lot. Back’s killing me. And dry.” He indicated his mouth with his fingers clamped together. “Don’t get to drink much. I can’t really hold the cup.”
Angry at the rest of her family, Susan decided that she wasn’t going to leave his side until she found someone who could take her place for a few hours, making sure he had the water he needed. In the meantime, she put the mug down and leaned to place her hands behind each of her father’s shoulders. “Come on, we’ll see if we can’t move you a little, get rid of some of that soreness.”
She lifted him to sit straight, wincing at how feather light he was, and helped him twist from side-to-side. She took his arms and raised them over his head, forcing his body to stretch, even though he didn’t have the strength to do it himself. She put his legs through some exercises, and then she helped him back into a comfortable position, stuffing a pillow behind his back. He had developed a couple of bed sores, causing rage to surge through her. She was going to report mistreatment and see that they were doctored instantly.
“Dad, I’ll be back in just a minute, okay? I want you to close your eyes and rest until I get back.” He nodded vaguely, his head already lolling with the exhaustion of her care. Susan rushed into the hallway, looking for the appropriate person to level her anger on. She somehow didn’t see the wall of black leather until she slammed into it head on.
Bouncing back and catching herself with one hand on the wall, Susan’s eyes traveled up the massive barrier and stared in surprise. “Boxer?”
Boxer gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey, little one. Imagine running into you here.” He chuckled.
Susan rolled her eyes at the pun and started to move on, desperate to tear someone a new rectum. However, she stopped and frowned. She had a bad feeling settling in her gut. “Why are you here?”
He scratched at the handkerchief tied around his
However, he couldn’t speak, and moments later, after he felt the jab in his arm, his mind faltered, and he couldn’t think anymore.
CHAPTER FOUR
Susan watched her father’s eyes open slowly, as she stroked his head. She offered him a smile, as he fought for lucidity. She pushed back a need to cry, noting that in just the few days since she’d been here, her father had lost at least another ten pounds. He was so doped up, she wouldn’t have been surprised to hear he’d slept through his last four or five meals.
“Hey, Dad, how are you feeling?” she asked, trying to sound bright—though her whole body was tense with the need to break down and sob. Once again, she’d found him alone, her mother and sister nowhere to be seen.
He moved his mouth to talk and made a face. Susan reached for the water on his rolling table and held the straw to his mouth so he could drink. It ran down his face, but he managed to swallow a little, enough to wet his tongue but not enough to help his chapped lips. Susan’s chest ached.
“I’ve been better, but I slept a long time. No one woke me up for hours.” His voice was hoarse, and while Susan had avoided him for years, she missed the strong man with the deep, commanding voice.
She glanced at the charts on the wall, seeing that he’d had his vitals checked less than an hour earlier. Either her father was losing time or was so doped up to ease his pain that he didn’t even know when the attendants came by anymore. Neither scenario was pleasant to consider. “Well, I’m glad you feel rested, at least. Are you in any pain?”
His face twisted. “Not pain. Sore. Don’t move a lot. Back’s killing me. And dry.” He indicated his mouth with his fingers clamped together. “Don’t get to drink much. I can’t really hold the cup.”
Angry at the rest of her family, Susan decided that she wasn’t going to leave his side until she found someone who could take her place for a few hours, making sure he had the water he needed. In the meantime, she put the mug down and leaned to place her hands behind each of her father’s shoulders. “Come on, we’ll see if we can’t move you a little, get rid of some of that soreness.”
She lifted him to sit straight, wincing at how feather light he was, and helped him twist from side-to-side. She took his arms and raised them over his head, forcing his body to stretch, even though he didn’t have the strength to do it himself. She put his legs through some exercises, and then she helped him back into a comfortable position, stuffing a pillow behind his back. He had developed a couple of bed sores, causing rage to surge through her. She was going to report mistreatment and see that they were doctored instantly.
“Dad, I’ll be back in just a minute, okay? I want you to close your eyes and rest until I get back.” He nodded vaguely, his head already lolling with the exhaustion of her care. Susan rushed into the hallway, looking for the appropriate person to level her anger on. She somehow didn’t see the wall of black leather until she slammed into it head on.
Bouncing back and catching herself with one hand on the wall, Susan’s eyes traveled up the massive barrier and stared in surprise. “Boxer?”
Boxer gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey, little one. Imagine running into you here.” He chuckled.
Susan rolled her eyes at the pun and started to move on, desperate to tear someone a new rectum. However, she stopped and frowned. She had a bad feeling settling in her gut. “Why are you here?”
He scratched at the handkerchief tied around his
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