“Lorrie!” I roared. I ripped the IV out of my arm and sat up. A searing pain shot through my arm.
Gary tackled me back onto the bed. He glared, his eyes a pair of thin flames. “Stop!” he yelled. “Hospital security will take a f**king taser to you and strap you to that bed if that’s what it takes. Nobody wants that.”
I struggled for a second, but it was no use. Weakened as I was, I couldn’t fight Gary.
After I’d calmed down, he looked to the door, but nobody had responded to our raised voices. “Now tell me what’s on your mind,” he said, his voice lowered. “What are you going to do?”
I froze and stared at him. What could I do? Gary was right. I was stuck in a hospital bed while Lorrie was on a bus going somewhere far, far away. Was I going to chase the bus down? In my current state? I could barely move my legs.
Defeated, I slumped back in my bed, my breath coming in thin wheezes. I’d lost this round. Gary watched me for a second, then took his hands off my wrists. My hands dropped heavily to my sides. I wasn’t going anywhere.
We sat in silence for a few minutes. My swollen eyes were focused on nothing in particular. There was nothing to look at. It was a hospital. I was stuck in a sterile room again, waiting until I could go home so I could go do whatever. I’d regret the past few days, mostly. And probably drink too much.
“You good?” Gary asked, breaking the silence. “I’m gonna go hit the bathroom. You’re not gonna do anything stupid, right?”
I looked up at him and nodded.
His lips a thin line, he turned to walk out but stopped at the door. “Listen, before she left, she came to the fight. Said she wanted to talk to you. Do you remember any of that? You know what I think of that, but I promised her that I’d tell you.”
He watched me for a reaction, but when I didn’t give him one, he turned and walked out the door. I wasn’t sure how to react. A ringing began in my ears as I rocked back and forth. Lorrie wanted to talk. She hadn’t given up on me. This wasn’t the end of us. This was a blank slate.
I was going after her even if it killed me.