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Max.
And then the darkness pulls me under.
Chapter twenty
Max
October15,2018,4:00p.m.
“You seem to be healing up nicely, Max. We should be able to discharge you today.” The doctor leans back with a smile on her face, patting my leg. “Give us a little bit of time and we’ll get the paperwork going to get you out of here.”
Thank fucking God. I’ve had enough of this damned hospital.
Darin comes in a few minutes later, a big smile on his face, his green eyes twinkling. “I heard the good news. They are going to spring you free, asshole.” He moves closer so he can fist bump me. “It’s about time, you lazy fucker.”
I can’t help the chuckle that comes out of me as I shake my head. “Yes, because it’s just been such a goddamn joy lying in this hospital bed.” My voice is laced with sarcasm.
“I wasn’t gonna say it, but since you did…” Darin shrugs, his lips curled in a smirk, dropping into the chair beside my bed. He stretches out his long legs, his sneaker-clad feet resting on the mattress beside me. I scowl at him, but he doesn’t take notice. Or if he does, he ignores me.
Studying his face closer, I notice the dark circles and bags beneath his eyes as his muscular body slouches lower. He’s got a beard on his face from not shaving, which is rare for him. Darin often has stubble on his face, but it’s never this long.
“Darin, are you okay?” My eyes study him intently, worried about my best friend. “You look exhausted.”
“I could use a coffee.” He shrugs nonchalantly, cracking his neck from side to side. His bloodshot eyes meet mine. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he takes a deep breath, shifting in his seat.
“Why don’t you go get us some coffee? It will be a while until they discharge me. Unfortunately.” My jaw clenches as I release an impatient snort, followed by a heavy sigh as I roll my eyes toward the ceiling.
Darin grins, patting my arm. “Calm down, Max. We’ll get you out of here soon.”
“Not soon enough.”
“I’ll be back with two large coffees.” He gets to his feet, swaying slightly. Running a hand through his brown hair, he blows out a long breath.
My eyebrows lower as I watch him. “Have you gotten any rest?”
He stretches his arms toward the ceiling, avoiding eye contact with me. “Some.”
“Darin, you can’t go without sleep.”
He raises his brows, giving me a disbelieving look. “Says the guy who worked thirty hours a week as a full-time college student, and stayed up most nights fucking his girlfriend.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “How much sleep were you getting before…” His voice trails off.
I grin. “I don’t regret one second of it, especially the last one. Irelynn is worth sleep deprivation.”
Darin laughs. “I understand.” He gives me a wink, heading for the door. “I’ll be right back.”
Once he leaves, my eyes move to the window and I stare outside, my dream nagging me again. There is something about it that really bothers me, and yet I don’t know what it is. Taking a deep breath, I decide to start at the beginning of that dream and go through every single detail until I figure it out.
Hopefully, the damn painkillers they’ve been giving me are out of my system so I can think clearly again.
I’m still lost in thought when Darin comes in, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. “Here you go, asshole. Smoking hot, just like me.”
I roll my eyes, taking the cup from his outstretched hand. “I was thinking more like dark and bitter, but keep telling yourself you’re hot.”
Darin throws his head back, laughing. “Those meds must be wearing off. You are slowly getting back to your half-wit self.”
The nurse comes in a few minutes later. “I need to go over your discharge instructions, and then we can begin the process. Don’t get too excited, though. This isn’t a five-minute process.”
“Of course it isn’t,” I say sarcastically. She laughs, touching my arm. I look at her hand, then her face, and she slowly removes it.
