Saving Grapes - Madeline Kirby Page 0,55
good for you or your relationship.”
Ben nodded. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”
Chapter 19
THOM GRIMACED as he shifted in the wheelchair. His right arm was in a sling and bound to his chest so he couldn’t move it. The incision site on his right hip itched, but he couldn’t reach it with his left hand. His head hurt, his shoulder hurt, everything fucking hurt but he refused to take the narcotics the nurses kept trying to give him. He had heard too many horror stories of people going into the hospital clean and sober and coming out drug addicts. He hadn’t had anything stronger than ibuprofen in twenty-four hours and he was ready to punch something.
He looked down at the folder in his lap. Inside were his treatment and therapy plans and follow-up schedule. Cable’s Bend didn’t have an in-patient rehab facility, so they were sending him home. A physical therapist was supposed to start coming to the house tomorrow. Probably wouldn’t be a good idea to punch the therapist, although maybe therapists were used to it.
The folder also contained prescriptions for antibiotics and pain relievers. The antibiotics he would take, but he would tear up the painkiller script if he had two good hands.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
He looked up to see Ben in the doorway. He set his jaw and didn’t reply. He had sent the younger man away the day before and wasn’t sure how he felt about seeing him now. No, strike that. He was relieved as hell, but not about to let Ben know.
“Ready to go home?”
Thom remained silent. Ben had said he’d be back to take him home, so he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised to see him. Ben was nothing if not tenacious, and Thom had never known him not to keep his word. For some reason that just pissed Thom off even more.
“What a face! Someone’s grumpy today,” Ben said, coming around to push Thom’s chair into the hall. “Dr. Sterling’s signed off on everything, and Dad’s out front with his car. We figured it would be easier for you to deal with than the truck.”
If Ben was put off by Thom’s silence or glares, Thom couldn’t tell. How positive and upbeat could one guy be? And when had he started calling Jon ‘Dad’? He was curious about that, but couldn’t figure out how to ask without letting go of his anger, and for some reason he needed to hang on to that real tight.
Ben forced himself to keep smiling. He knew what Thom was doing. He’d discussed it with Dr. Sterling, as well as a staff therapist who had given Ben some literature to read and a list of websites where he could get more information about dealing with the pressures of being a caregiver. They just needed to work through Thom’s misdirected anger.
Ben put the brakes on the chair and started the painful process of transferring Thom into the car. Thom felt too light – even in such a short time he had already lost weight. They would need to make sure he was eating right when they got him home.
Once Thom was in the car and buckled up, Ben held out his hand for the folder. “Dr. Sterling said there were some prescriptions we needed to get filled on the way home.”
Thom handed him the folder. “Not the painkillers.”
“But—”
“I’m not going to wind up a drug addict on top of everything else.”
Ben sighed and opened the folder, taking out the prescription slips. “Fine,” he said. “But I don’t know what half of these are, so I’ll have to take them all in and ask the pharmacist.”
“Whatever.”
Ben slid into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt. After giving his dad directions to the pharmacy he sat back and flipped through the folder. Dr. Sterling had told him that Thom didn’t want to take the heavy duty painkillers, and that the pain would make him irritable. He would probably lash out, especially at Ben, and was Ben ready to deal with that? Ben thought he was, knowing that it wasn’t really personal, but it still hurt.
He looked up when the car came to a stop and he realized they were at the pharmacy. “Be back in a minute. Thom? Anything you want from inside?”
“No.”
He looked over at his father. Jon gave him a small smile and a nod. The man had been there, and Ben took comfort in knowing he wasn’t alone. Returning his father’s nod, he got out of the car and