than I can count. But every time I’m about to wrap the discarded IV cord around my neck, I chicken out like a little shit.
“Hey.” I lift my gaze and see Easton standing in the doorway, sweaty in a pair of sweats. Just like I thought, I’m sure he came right from the gym.
“Easton, glad you’re here. I’m just about to go over everything with Jackson and I think you should be around to hear it. Is he going to be staying with you?”
“No.” I murmur.
“Yes.” Easton says, shifting his eyes away from me.
“What?” I bark.
No one’s told me what I’m doing or where I’m going, and honestly, I haven’t really given a shit about it. Throw me in my old house with all the nightmares and demons and let me rot, for all I care. It’s what I most likely deserve.
For how I’ve treated Cara? Yeah, I don’t deserve much better than four cold, empty walls.
“He’ll be with me.” Easton says, completely ignoring me. I grind my teeth until I can feel them cracking as I listen to Easton and the doctor talk like I’m not even there, going over everything that I should be listening to. I just don’t give a shit, unfortunately.
Honestly, I should probably have a full-time caretaker. Easton isn’t going to want to deal with my shit. Literally.
“We’ll follow up next week at your first appointment. Sound good, Jackson?” The doctor, who—I shit you not—I still haven’t learned the name of.
“What’s your name?” I mumble.
The doctor’s face turns slightly red, probably embarrassed and a little angry. He’s been working day and night on me for almost a month, and I haven’t even bothered to learn the guy’s name.
“It’s Dr. Peterson.”
“We’ll see you next week, Dr. Peterson.” Easton says, thankfully cutting our conversation off. What else was I supposed to say to him, sorry for being a pain in the ass patient?
I don’t do emotions.
Dr. Peterson nods at Easton. “Right, then. I’ll have the nurse come in with a wheelchair and we’ll get you out of here shortly. Sound good?”
I nod, sensing Easton wants to talk to me about something.
I’ve wanted to know what’s going on with the Mexicans, but Easton has been tight lipped about the entire thing since we got in here. Saying that the only thing I should really be focusing on is getting better.
Well, enough is enough. I need to know what’s going on. Sooner or later, I need to get back in the business. If I don’t, there’s really nothing left for me to do here.
When Dr. Peterson leaves the room, I turn to Easton, “What’s going on?”
Easton’s eyebrows lift. “What do you mean?”
“You seem anxious or something. Spit it the fuck out.”
He sighs, running a hand through his wet hair. “We’ll talk when we get out of here, all right?”
“Fine.” I turn my head, mentally shaking my foot because I can’t do it in real life.
Is this what life is going to be for now on? Mentally doing things when I physically can’t?
The nurse comes in shortly after with two male nurses and a wheelchair. I want to roar from the top of my lungs just thinking about two grown men lifting me. I literally can’t do this.
How fucking embarrassing.
“Okay, Jackson. We’re going to help you get into the chair so you can get the hell out of here. How does that sound?”
“It’d sound better if I could walk out of here with my two damn legs.”
The woman nurse smiles awkwardly at me and lets out a short laugh. “Oh, well, of course. I’m sorry what’s happened to you, but I promise we’ll make this quick and easy for you.”
I watch Easton’s nostrils flare repeatedly. That’s all I focus on as two adults help lift me from the bed where I’ve been for almost an entire month and onto a wheelchair. It feels weird, sitting up like this. My head rushes from the movement and the different position I’m seated in.
Easton grabs the small bag of belongings I’ve collected the last few weeks, and as the nurses are about to start pushing me out of the room, Easton butts in front of one of them, grabbing onto the handles of the wheelchair.
“I’ve got it.” He growls.
“Oh, but sir…” She says, growing nervous with her shaky tone.
“I said, I’ve got it.”
“But, what about getting him in the car? It’s our protocol—”
Easton pushes them away the rest of the way and then I start gliding towards the door. “I’m not sure if