Page 24 of Tied Over

He glared at me. “I never stopped doing that.”

I could only stare after him as he left the room. It was things like that, how he talked to me, that were confusing as hell. But he had worried I was going to die, so I needed to factor that into my thinking. Imminent death clouded things. And he did love me, I knew that. I would always be his best friend.

As I lay there, contemplating my life and everything else, I realized there was a catheter in me.

Oh, hell no.

“Bodhi!” I yelled.

In moments he leaned back into my room. “Yes, I know. I already told your nurse and explained that in another few minutes you were going to start bellowing about the tube in your dick and the IV in your arm.”

And now that I was thinking about that, that was going to annoy me too. It was the tape on my arm. Once I was fully awake, it would start to itch.

“Did you tell them I was hungry?”

“I was about to before you bellowed.”

“Bellowed,” I repeated, affronted. “I don’t bellow.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re definitely feeling better.”

My stomach took that moment to growl loudly. “You see?”

He made a cutting motion with his hand to shut me up and left. I waited as long as humanly possible—at least two whole minutes—and yelled again.

“Stop,” he shouted back from wherever he was.

Another ice age after that, he was back in the room with two nurses.

“Boy, you weren’t kidding,” the younger of the two said, scowling at me. “He really is an ass when he’s awake.”

“I told you.” Bodhi gestured at me. “He’s all rugged and handsome lying there quietly, but as soon as he opens his mouth, you’re gonna want to smother him with a pillow.”

I was going to say something to defend myself, but the older nurse made the sign for me to zip it. “I’m Grace, this is Letti, and we’re taking care of you tonight, Deputy Redeker.”

“Thank you,” I muttered.

“We don’t yell in the hospital,” Grace informed me.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now listen. This IV can come out now, but it can also stay until tomorrow morning. Tell me what you want to do.”

“Please take it out.”

“Okay, but once I do, you’re going to be in some pain. You have the strong stuff running through your veins at the moment, but it’s all oral after the needle comes out. You understand?”

“I do.”

“How do you feel now?”

“Hungry,” I whined again.

Her wide smile transformed her face into pure sunshine. “You’re right,” she told Bodhi. “He’s very cute.”

“What the hell? You told them I was cute?” I groused at him. “I’m not cute.”

“Sometimes you are. I’m going to get your hamburger. Be quiet until I get back, all right? Don’t piss anybody off.”