Page 8 of Free Heart
“No sweat, kid. I’ll be heading back tonight, and you’re welcome to the lift if you need it. But I suspect you’ll want to stay, like I said.”
“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere. Not unless they make me leave…”
“They’ll probably let you stay if Dan wakes up and approves you,” Rye says. “The nurses here are understanding about queer relationships for the most part.” Then he turns to Lowell. “I’ll go back with you?”
“Sure.” Another strange rise and fall of tension passes between them before Lowell turns to me. “You’ve got your clothes, wallet, and some cash?”
I nod, patting my backpack.
“Alright. Give us your keys, and we’ll get your car and take care of Peggy Jo’s cats.”
I start to protest, but immediately give in. What’s the point in refusing their help? I need it and so does Dan. I hand them over to Lowell. I’ll have to text Celli not to worry about the cats tonight after all.
“Go see your man,” he says, pocketing them.
“Take care of him for me,” Rye says earnestly. “Tell him…tell him I’m going to break his other leg for scaring us like this.”
A small, almost real smile tugs on my lips. “I’ll tell him.”
“You don’t want to stay and see him again before we go?” Lowell asks Rye as I walk away with my tray.
“He knows I was there. Doyouwant to see him?”
Lowell shakes his head. “I’ve seen enough hurt people in my life.”
“Take my tray for me and meet me by your car.”
“Yes, sir.”
I blink and look back for a second.
Oh.So that’s how it is with them. I had no idea they knew each other likethat.
The elevator doors close on me. The numbers for the floors flash above as I wonder when Rye and Lowell got together, if they evenaretogether, or it’s just some hook-up/game-playing thing they do. Unexpected. But so is everything about life. At least Dan didn’tdieunexpectedly today. Though given he’s a free soloist, can his death ever really be called “unexpected?”
When the elevator stops, I step out onto the hospital floor with a weird mix of dread, relief, and anger swirling inside.
The corridor isn’t empty, but no one asks me who I am or where I’m going. I look around numbly. How is it possible there are other people buzzing and rushing about on the floor? Nurses, doctors, and some patients even. None of them at all aware of what I almost lost today.
None of them ask me who I’m visiting or where I’m going either.
I stop outside room 305 and take a slow breath.Dan’s alive. He’s going to be okay. I can handle this.
I step into the room and find him unconscious in the bed with IVs and wires all over. A sheet is carefully draped so his injured right leg isn’t on display. His face is bruised, his lips are busted… and I burst into tears.
Dan’s alive, yeah, but he’s more than a little broken.
In a way, I am too.
*
Dan
My tongue feelslike sandpaper. My throat hurts. My eyes feel glued shut. But I hear voices and something inside me tells me I need to be present now. I have to return from the soft place where darkness has taken me.
“Remember he might be a little confused when he does wake up. He was lucid earlier, but he’s on strong medications. It might take him a few minutes to come fully up out of it.” A few beats and then. “Are you planning to spend the night in that chair? Want me to get you some pillows and a blanket, hon?”
“I can stay?” Sejin’s voice.
