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“Should have had the numbing,” he quips.
Hoodoo and I both chuckle as Hoodoo moves to get the sutures ready. “I can numb you before I suture you up if you want?”
South shakes his head. “Nah, just get it over with. I’m all good.”
I let out a scoff. “You men are all the same. Never accept the help when it’s right in front of you.”
South glances up at me with a smirk. “You being here helps.”
“Not as much as lidocaine,” I tease.
South groans. “Fine, keep my woman happy, doc. Numb me up.”
Hoodoo grins. “Good choice,” he says, pulling out the needle. “Okay, this may sting, but as you said, you can handle it.”
South rolls his eyes as Hoodoo jabs the needle into the wound.
South jumps. “Fuck, man!”
Hoodoo shakes his head. “You’re telling me that hurt more than me digging inside your leg to get the bullet out?”
South huffs. “Different kind of pain. Coulda warned me first.”
“I did, you big baby. Now tell me… can you feel me pressing you here?” he pokes South in the middle of the wound, and South shakes his head.
Then, he presses on another part of the wound. “Here?”
South shakes his head again. “Nothing.”
Hoodoo grins. “Here?” he asks, using the tip of the needle to poke another section.
South’s leg jerks. “Fuck, yeah, I can feel that.”
Hoodoo chuckles. “Yeah, I know… I didn’t numb that area, just wanted to piss you off.”
“You’re an asshole,” South grumbles as he sits back, and Hoodoo gets to work.
I can’t help but feel relieved that, after everything these guys have been through, they can come back and have their usual banter with each other.
I’m glad this stupid war hasn’t changed them.
I was worried it could.
I was worried it would.
But everything seems okay.
For now, anyway.
And I will keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Winning a war always gives this empty feeling because even though we won and we’ve defeated the enemy we’ve been fighting for so long, it comes at a cost.
Winning always has a cost!
We lose people—good people.
And somehow, that feels like a loss.
