Page 35 of Complications

“Fuck you.”

“No, thank you. You already tried that.” He fumed while I fashioned a makeshift sling out of a cotton drying cloth I found. Joey didn’t curse me outright, but the mutterings under his breath about my medical abilities were nonstop.

“Why are you tying it so tight? I’m just gonna take it off in a minute.”

“If you move one inch to remove that sling, I will find a bed, tie your working arm to it, and leave your ass there. We aren’t discussing this.”

Joey glared at me before he finally bit out, “You’re a real asshole, you know that?”

With that line hanging in the air, I turned on my heel and headed down the hallway to figure out where our bedrooms were. Given that Joey had restarted his search for the perfect curse word to describe our situation, the odds of him dying from the shoulder repair were somewhere close to zero.

My exploration of the cabin didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. The first door in the hallway led to a pantry and laundry combination. The second door on the other side of the hallway led to a small bedroom dominated by a king-size bed. There was enough space to walk around the bed, but the room was small enough that even the dresser was tucked into the sliding-door closet.

The bathroom was the bookend of the cabin. As I’d hoped, there was a linen closet with a selection of towels, toiletries, and bedding.

There were no other doors.

There were no other beds.

Joey was going to lose his shit.

“What are you staring at?” Joey asked as he pushed his way past me into the room.

He still kept his arm close to his torso in the sling, but the pinch of pain around his eyes had lessened. He’d be back to mostly normal use soon, but for now, it probably still ached quite a bit. I made a mental note to try to find him some pain pills.

“I’m looking at where I’m sleeping tonight.” I let my words settle on him before he gave me a dirty look at my presumptuousness. He was easier to manage when things were laid out as a conclusion.

“Then I guess I’m sleeping across the hall,” he said as he stepped around me and opened the door across the way.

I silently watched him from my spot. He hadn’t moved from the doorway, glancing around as if there might be some secret passage in there. When he was satisfied there was no wardrobe to Narnia, he turned back to me with absolute fury.

“What?”

“Where’s the other bed?” Joey asked with controlled fury.

I knew part of it was annoyance at having to figure out sleeping arrangements, but the overlay of pain was obvious.

“Looks like we’re sharing.”

“You can take the couch.”

“The fuck I will.”

“Fine, I’ll take it. My ass is not sleeping next to you. Fuck that shit. I’d rather sleep on the goddamn floor.”

Joey’s rant would’ve been more effective if he’d managed it without gritting his teeth in pain and swaying just the tiniest bit.

Rather than indulge his temper tantrum, I decided it would be best if he got himself cleaned up in the shower while I figured out if there was any food in this place. Even as a kid, he’d always been in a better mood after a hot shower.

“Can you manage in the shower by yourself, or do you need help?” I asked conversationally.

The look he returned should’ve killed me, and he was likely disappointed it didn’t.

“Even if I needed help, I wouldn’t get it from you,” Joey said before stalking off toward the bathroom.

I waited a few seconds to get my breathing and temper under control before I followed him down the hall. He hadn’t had a chance to get undressed or start the water yet. Rather than watch him struggle, it was easier just to turn the water on myself and methodically get to work on him. By some miracle, he didn’t argue with me.

I gently took his arm out of the sling and then knelt on the bathmat to remove his shoes and socks before unbuckling his belt and pulling his jeans down along with his briefs.