at finding him this ill. “You didn’t answer my calls,” he rasped, each word making his head throb worse. “I bet you didn’t even listen to my voicemails.”
She pressed her lips tightly together, and it made lines appear around her eyes and mouth. “I haven’t answered anyone’s calls or heard anyone’s voicemails. I haven’t felt like having company. Besides, I’ve had other things to tend to lately.”
Her voice was detached, aggravated, and distant. “Talk to me, Susan. Tell me what’s wrong.” He wanted to fix her, whatever was wrong. If that meant she was going to rail at him for his behavior, so be it. That meant she cared, and he deserved the punishment anyway. Then, when she was done, they could erase everything that had come between them, kiss, and make up.
“You really want to hear it? Fine.” She dropped his hand and started pacing the room. “Do you know that my father is almost out of time, is so doped he can barely lift his own head, and hasn’t been cared for? My mom and sister don’t give a shit, and I just had to threaten a lawsuit because he’s got bedsores and hasn’t eaten in days.” She rounded on him and leaned on the side of the bed, getting in his face. “You pulled some stupid crap that got you thrown in jail, and I hate you for that. I’m thrilled you’re out, but I don’t even know whether to believe you’re innocent or that you’ve somehow corrupted the system. And now, you continue your bad boy behavior, drinking yourself into oblivion. It was only luck that you didn’t die overnight and that you have friends who care enough to bring you to the hospital—despite the fact that they’re covered with your nasty, rank, spoiled whiskey vomit. Oh, and I screwed up my elbow and shoulder scrubbing my sink this morning, just to piss me off even further. Are you satisfied?”
Jim watched her, feeling her pain and wanting to take it away. The only thing he could think to do was lift a hand, brush the back of his hand over her cheeks, and say, “I’m sorry, Susan.”
She scoffed. “You’re sorry. I’m standing here, staring at a miracle because, based on your blood alcohol content when you came in here, you should be dead. Do you comprehend that, Jim? Do you really understand what that means? You’re not a cat, and you don’t have nine lives. I don’t think you’re a Buddhist or Hindu, either; so, you likely won’t get reincarnated. If you did, your karma would warrant you coming back as a flea that gets under the skin and irritates to the point of madness.”
He shifted with a grunt, so he could grin right into her beautiful puppy dog eyes. “I could still die. Would you miss me?”
He watched her rage hit the point of explosion, her face turning purple and her entire body shaking, and then it blew out of her, the lines and worry returning to her face. Jim was actually taken off-guard when she leaned in and kissed him, hard and meaningfully. She pulled back quickly and gave him a warning look. “I don’t want you involved in any further self-destructive behavior. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mother,” he quipped, watching her with delight and finding his body finally responding to something for the first time in days. “So, was that our kiss and make up?”
She scowled at him. “Do you really think it’s that easy? You made a public spectacle of yourself, and I’m already fighting to get the respect I deserve in the medical community. Now, you’re here, like someone who has to be put on 48-hour suicide watch, and anyone who’s seen us together is going to have some snarky comment.”
She covered her face with her hands, and Jim’s smile faded. His body hurt like he’d been trampled by a pack of scared elephants on the run, but that pain wasn’t as deep as the pain that hit him at her humiliation. He reached out and took one of Susan’s wrists, pulling her hand from her face and to his mouth. He kissed
She pressed her lips tightly together, and it made lines appear around her eyes and mouth. “I haven’t answered anyone’s calls or heard anyone’s voicemails. I haven’t felt like having company. Besides, I’ve had other things to tend to lately.”
Her voice was detached, aggravated, and distant. “Talk to me, Susan. Tell me what’s wrong.” He wanted to fix her, whatever was wrong. If that meant she was going to rail at him for his behavior, so be it. That meant she cared, and he deserved the punishment anyway. Then, when she was done, they could erase everything that had come between them, kiss, and make up.
“You really want to hear it? Fine.” She dropped his hand and started pacing the room. “Do you know that my father is almost out of time, is so doped he can barely lift his own head, and hasn’t been cared for? My mom and sister don’t give a shit, and I just had to threaten a lawsuit because he’s got bedsores and hasn’t eaten in days.” She rounded on him and leaned on the side of the bed, getting in his face. “You pulled some stupid crap that got you thrown in jail, and I hate you for that. I’m thrilled you’re out, but I don’t even know whether to believe you’re innocent or that you’ve somehow corrupted the system. And now, you continue your bad boy behavior, drinking yourself into oblivion. It was only luck that you didn’t die overnight and that you have friends who care enough to bring you to the hospital—despite the fact that they’re covered with your nasty, rank, spoiled whiskey vomit. Oh, and I screwed up my elbow and shoulder scrubbing my sink this morning, just to piss me off even further. Are you satisfied?”
Jim watched her, feeling her pain and wanting to take it away. The only thing he could think to do was lift a hand, brush the back of his hand over her cheeks, and say, “I’m sorry, Susan.”
She scoffed. “You’re sorry. I’m standing here, staring at a miracle because, based on your blood alcohol content when you came in here, you should be dead. Do you comprehend that, Jim? Do you really understand what that means? You’re not a cat, and you don’t have nine lives. I don’t think you’re a Buddhist or Hindu, either; so, you likely won’t get reincarnated. If you did, your karma would warrant you coming back as a flea that gets under the skin and irritates to the point of madness.”
He shifted with a grunt, so he could grin right into her beautiful puppy dog eyes. “I could still die. Would you miss me?”
He watched her rage hit the point of explosion, her face turning purple and her entire body shaking, and then it blew out of her, the lines and worry returning to her face. Jim was actually taken off-guard when she leaned in and kissed him, hard and meaningfully. She pulled back quickly and gave him a warning look. “I don’t want you involved in any further self-destructive behavior. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mother,” he quipped, watching her with delight and finding his body finally responding to something for the first time in days. “So, was that our kiss and make up?”
She scowled at him. “Do you really think it’s that easy? You made a public spectacle of yourself, and I’m already fighting to get the respect I deserve in the medical community. Now, you’re here, like someone who has to be put on 48-hour suicide watch, and anyone who’s seen us together is going to have some snarky comment.”
She covered her face with her hands, and Jim’s smile faded. His body hurt like he’d been trampled by a pack of scared elephants on the run, but that pain wasn’t as deep as the pain that hit him at her humiliation. He reached out and took one of Susan’s wrists, pulling her hand from her face and to his mouth. He kissed
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