Page 133 of Firecracker

After losing one child…and then his dad… He closed his eyes, his chest tight, his thinking still muddled. “Jesus, Mom. I’m sorry.” He reached out his good hand to awkwardly squeeze hers. “I’m fine,” he said again. “I mean, I will be.”

His injuries weren’t life threatening. He’d recover from the concussion, broken wrist, bruises, and minor burns.

It might take longer to recover from seeing that body…that corpse. His mind kept going there, filled with guilt and grief.

“Please. I don’t want you to do this. This just shows why you shouldn’t. You should be working in an office somewhere…”

Tyler’s eyes burned. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

She laid her head down on the bed and wept.

His belly knotted. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I didn’t do this to make you miserable. I did it so I could help people. So I could make a difference.”

“I know,” Mom sobbed. “Iamproud of you, Ty.”

Emotion swelled inside him and his throat constricted. “Thanks, Mom.”

She stayed a while longer, hovering around his bed, asking if he needed anything. He closed his eyes. His entire body throbbed, mostly his head. His stomach roiled and the room spun around him. Fuck. He hated feeling like this, like a weak, puking baby.

He wasn’t sure, but he might have slept for a while. Something made him pry his eyes open, and he saw Jamie and Mila standing beside his bed, Mila holding a huge bunch of flowers, Jamie a Nintendo Switch. Mom was gone.

“Jesus Christ, Tyler,” Jamie said. “What the fuck, man?”

Tyler tried for a smile. “Are you gonna freak out too?”

Mila set the flowers on the windowsill and turned to face him. She looked shaken, but wore a determined smile. “We’re not freaking out. Much.”

“Here. Brought you this.” Jamie tossed the Game Boy on the bed. Then he winced. “Can you play one-handed?”

“I’ll figure out a way.” Jamie’s gesture touched him, even though there was no way he could focus on a little computer screen right now.

“You’re okay?” Mila asked, her smile fading.

“I’m okay.” Other than the headache, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. The pain meds were doing their thing for the other injuries, so that was good. He drifted out again.

“What else can we get you?” Mila asked, touching his arm.

“Arden. I need Arden.” Oh shit. Did he say that out loud? He kept his eyes closed. Probably he just thought it.

“Oh, Tyler,” Mila whispered.

“Fuck, man, you don’t look so good,” Jamie muttered.

Tyler dragged his eyes open and took in Jamie’s almost green pallor. “Sit. Put your head between your knees, man. You’re about to pass out.”

“No, I’m not.” His forehead gleamed with sweat and his eyes were dark.

Mila moved over beside him and pushed Jamie’s head down. “Don’t be an ass.” In contrast to her blunt words, she rubbed Jamie’s back in a surprisingly tender gesture, biting her lip as she gazed down at him. Jesus, she looked more worried about Jamie than about him.

“Good thing you never wanted to be a doctor,” Tyler quipped, using all his energy.

“We’ll never speak of this again,” Jamie said. He sucked in a long breath and straightened. “You scared the shit out of us, asshole.”

“Yeah, that was my plan.”

“What happened, Tyler?” Mila asked. “Or do you not want to talk about it?”

“I don’t remember some of it. Which really pisses me off. Apparently the floor collapsed, and I fell into the basement.”

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