Page 85 of Just Friends

“Yes, I’m still here,” Rebecca said without looking.

“Don’t have them drug me like that again,” Weasel said.

“Fine… stay in pain.”

“You’ve been here.”

“Yeah.”

“I thought that was a hallucination.”

“Some of it probably was, but I’ve been here.”

Weasel rubbed his forehead. “Did you tell me that if I died on you, you’d have Dalton cremate me and flush my ashes down the toilet?”

“Oh, that you remember? In my defense, I was scared cause you weren’t getting any better.”

A rough laugh came from him, but he groaned and swore in pain. “Do me a favor, if that happens, and you’re pissed off, just bury me in the backyard next to the dog.”

At least he thought it was funny.

“You left me.”

Rebecca cringed. “You remember that?”

“Wasn’t shot in the head, darlin’.”

Rebecca looked away. Weasel's dark eyes were stabbing into her soul and killing her with guilt. They had to have to have this conversation at some point. There wasn’t ever going to be an occasion when it was easy.

“Get the fuck out,” Weasel snapped. Fine, if that’s what he wanted. Rebecca stood and hurried straight to the door not looking up, and ran smack into a wall, or in this case Dalton’s chest.

Dalton grabbed her shoulders and stepped back. “He’s talking to me.” Turning her to face Weasel. “Now you two have some things to work out; I’ll be in the waiting room.” Dalton nudged her toward the hospital bed. Weasel pulling on the oxygen cannula in his nose caught her attention.

“Don’t you dare pull that out,” Rebecca scolded, crossing the room and replacing the tubing. When Weasel’s hands grasped both of her wrists. “You did that on purpose.”

Weasel smiled. “Not like I can chase you.” Nodding to the bed. “Sit.”

“You have too many tubes coming out, and I’m not risking knocking anything loose.”

“All the tubes are hanging out the other side. It’s like a damn voodoo doll. Sit.”

“Demanding,” Rebecca muttered, but she sat on the edge of the bed.

“Let’s try this again. You left me and––”

“I made a mistake,” Rebecca interrupted.

“So did I. And I’m sorry––”

“No. You can’t take the blame for this. I’m the one that didn’t talk—”

“It’s my fault. I let you say thatit was a one-time thing…let you think we were temporary. I never told you. I thought I could just show you how I felt. I was too scared to tell you thatI love you.” A gasp came from behind her; his eyes shot to the curtain. Rebecca crossed the room, pulling back the drape to Autumn, Hannah, Brandon, Ben, Justin, Dan, Dalton, and Cindy all huddled in the doorway hiding. They stood stone still as if that made them invisible.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Rebecca said.

Brandon glanced around as if searching for something. “Oh, hey guys,” he called, “look at this over here.” They all scurried off down the corridor.

“That seems about right,” Rebecca said sliding the curtain closed. “Why should we expect to have a private conversation?” Weasel crooked his finger in the “come here” motion. Returning to his side, she said, “You love me?”

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