Page 33 of Fierce-Hyde

The hot water didn’t wake him up, but it felt good, and he stood there for five minutes letting it wash over his body and the stiff muscles from sitting in a hospital chair all night.

Five minutes later, he was out and getting dressed. He shaved since his sister always picked on him about his trim beard. It’d grow back in a few days.

Maybe it was time for a change anyway.

He noticed it was close to five and he was starving. He’d grab something at a drive-thru on the way and eat in his car.

“You smell like grease,” his sister said thirty minutes later. “Did you eat a burger on the way here?”

He laughed. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. And sore everything else,” he said.

CeeCee was sitting up in bed, sort of. Her hair was in a messy ponytail. She looked uncomfortable and probably was in pain, but he was just happy to be talking to her.

“Thanks,” she said. “Everything is sore on me, but I’m told I should make a good recovery.”

He wasn’t going to ask if it was a full recovery. He knew that might not be the case, but it’s not like his sister had some job where she was on her feet all the time.

She worked in an office and she was active and worked out, but those things could be adjusted if she had to. CeeCee was pretty laid back. Much more than him.

“Best news I could hear for today.”

“I think you might look worse than me,” CeeCee said. “I at least have been sleeping with the help of drugs. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

His eyes felt as if a sandstorm had blown around in front of him for several hours while he couldn’t blink.

“I’ll catch up tonight,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I broke my back and have some rods in it,” CeeCee said, smiling.

“You’ll bounce back just fine. I don’t want to tire you out, but wanted you to not be by yourself while Mom and Dad are getting some sleep.”

“They left a few hours ago. I told them not to come back, but I know they will before visiting hours are over. I feel as if I have to pee, but they’ve got a catheter in me. That doesn’t seem right.”

“Want me to get a nurse?” he asked. He didn’t know what else to do.

“I’ll just push this button,” CeeCee said “Then they have to be at my beck and call. Sweet, huh?”

He loved that she still had her humor.

A nurse came right in. “Can I help you?”

“Why do I feel as if I’ve got to pee?”

The nurse moved over to the side. “There is a kink in the catheter. Do you want me to take it out?”

“Not if I have to use a bedpan,” CeeCee said, looking appalled.

“No,” the nurse said. “We’ve got orders to take it out if you want and help you get up to move to the bathroom if you’re ready.”

“Yep,” CeeCee said, throwing the covers back.

“I’ll leave the room,” he said.

“I’m going to get my own pajamas on too. Mom brought them. Give me a few minutes, Hyde. Don’t leave yet.”

“I won’t.”

He moved out into the hall and then just walked around for a bit knowing it wouldn’t be five minutes by any means.

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