Page 26 of Kept By the Loan Shark

He sighed. “I’m sorry, Cassie.”

“It will get better,” I said, more to convince myself than him.

“When do you think they’ll let you out of here?”

“No idea. I probably have another five to seven days here.”

He made a face. “Seven days of hospital food.”

“Surprisingly, it’s not so bad. It’s nothing like the cafeteria garbage we all ate as kids.”

“If you need me to sneak in some Whataburger or a couple of tacos, let me know.”

“I’ll probably take you up on that offer once they move me to the step-down unit.”

“When is that happening?”

“The doctors did their rounds earlier and think I should be able to move there tomorrow.”

“Will you be going back to your apartment when they discharge you?”

“I’m moving in with Hagen.” A little uncertain, I ran my fingers over the cold enamel beads of the bracelet. “Or, at least, I was.”

Kyle hesitated before offering, “My second bedroom is still available if you need a place to land for a bit.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I wasn’t sure that was a viable option either. I would need help the first few days out of the hospital, especially with showering, and there was no way I was going to ask a guy friend to help with that. I wasn’t even sure I would feel comfortable asking Taylor for that kind of help, but if Hagen was still upset with me, I wouldn’t have much choice.

Kyle checked his watch. “I have to run, but if you need anything, just call or have one of the nurses help you text me, okay? I’m scheduled to volunteer at the counseling center later, but I can leave if something comes up.”

“Taylor is coming by later, but thanks.”

“No worries.” He stood up and moved closer to give me a hug. It was a bit awkward with all of my IV lines and bandages, and his arm got tangled up in the drain dangling from the side of my head. “Sorry, Cassie.”

We laughed as we untangled everything, and I was still smiling when he left. The smile and happiness didn’t last long. Alone with my thoughts, I let my gaze drift to my phone. It had been sitting next to me on the bed all morning but had yet to ring or chirp with a message notification. Tired of waiting, I decided to reach out first, hoping Hagen was ready to talk.

I covered my left eye to clear up my blurry vision and tapped at the screen. I had to stop and delete so many times because my fingers were fumbling. Even when I managed to type things correctly, I couldn’t stand to look at the screen for more than a few seconds at a time. My stomach swirled with nausea, and I hoped I wasn’t going to throw up again. My short message typed and sent, I dropped my phone back on the bed and closed my eyes, leaning back against the pillows and willing my stomach to stop pitching.

“Hagen stopping by soon?” Vicky asked as she brought in my next dose of meds and checked my IVs and the drain.

“I’m not sure,” I answered, not at all in the mood to talk about Hagen with her. She seemed to understand I wasn’t looking to chat and finished her work without another word.

After she left, I turned onto my side and decided to sleep. Fatigue seemed to have settled into my very bones, drawing out all the strength I had and leaving me so tired I could barely stay awake for more than a couple of hours at a time. The neuro team had warned me that I would need more sleep than usual for the next few months, but I hadn’t realized they meant this kind of exhaustion. It was unsettling and left me feeling weak and vulnerable.

A long time later, I woke to the smell of a dinner tray. The scent turned my stomach, and even though it was so empty it growled, I couldn’t bear the thought of trying to eat anything on the tray. It was still sitting there untouched when Taylor arrived.

“You need to eat.” She lifted the lid on the tray and scanned the offerings. “The chicken soup looks good.”

“Then you can eat it,” I replied snappishly.

Her eyebrows arched. “Wow, they must have skipped your anti-bitch pills today.”

I rolled my eyes before apologizing. “Sorry.”

She put the lid back on the tray and sat on the edge of the bed. “Spill it. Tell me what’s got you so cranky.” When I didn’t immediately talk, she poked my leg. “Hagen?”

I nodded and swallowed hard.

“Did he get busy at work and not make it in yet?”

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