The ripple of emotion across Zanes face was indefinable; at first Ty thought he identified surprise, then happiness, then maybe hope. “Yes,” Zane answered.
“Good,” Ty sighed. He patted Zanes knee. “Ill go hunt down a doctor and threaten him until he lets you go home.”
“Hell probably agree. Hes not too happy with me as it is,” Zane said.
“Why not?”
Zane squeezed his eyes shut and blinked several times after opening them. “Declined pain treatment,” he muttered. Ty nodded, forgetting for the moment that Zane couldnt see him do it. He petted Zanes belly as he stood. He wasnt going to comment on the drugs, just like he had stopped commenting on anything else that touched on any of Zanes vices. It wasnt worth the angst.
“Be right back,” he muttered, and he set off to find an unsuspecting doctor to bully.
“AGENT Garrett, how are you feeling?” a mans voice asked as someone walked into the room. Even though he was expecting it, Zane still tensed. He opened his eyes out of habit and sat up. “Pretty good, except….” He waved one hand somewhere beside his head.
“Still no vision?” the same voice asked with an audible frown. “Well, thats to be expected. Well start your discharge papers going, and you should be able to get out of here,” he said as papers shuffled.
Zane squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the blanket in one fist. He wasnt so sure this was a good idea, even if he didnt want to be here.
“Unless theres a new problem?” the doctor asked, voice tinged with concern.
“A problem?” Zanes voice got a little high and thin there at the end. “I cant see!” The doctor cleared his throat. “Agent Garrett, it is a temporary side effect,” he assured him. “Now that we know theres not a critical injury, theres no reason for you to remain here. Im sure youll be more comfortable at home.”
Zane swallowed. “At home. Alone.”
“Are you saying you want to remain in the hospital?” the doctor asked him in surprise. “Thats not really an option, Agent Garrett.” “No, I suppose its not,” Zane murmured, dropping his chin. “Itll be about an hour,” the doctor told him, sounding relieved that he wouldnt have to talk Zane down out of the proverbial tree. “Well just get that started for you,” he said. His shoes squeaked as he turned away.
“Hey,” Zane said abruptly. “Is there anything I should be doing while Im at home?”
He heard the doctor stop and turn around. “Dont run into things,” the man advised after a moment of thought.
“Yeah, thatll be a piece of cake,” Zane muttered. “Rest. Relax. Let someone take care of you,” the doctor told him seriously. “The nurse will be back soon,” he added. Then slightly squeaky footsteps faded away.
“Relax,” Zane said as if someone were standing there. He wasnt all too sure someone else wasnt, actually. “He says relax.” He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.
With a sigh, Zane pulled one leg up and wrapped an arm around his knee as he sat there wondering what the hell he was going to do. Hed already made up his mind not to call Annie. He was sure his sister would fly out here if he needed her, but there really wasnt anything for her to do. There wasnt really anything anyone could do. That was what was so goddamn frustrating.
A few minutes later there was a soft knock on the door frame of his room. “You want Cheetos or a Snickers?” Ty asked in a disgruntled tone.
Zane turned his chin as soon as he heard the knock. “Snickers will be easier,” he said. Although the Cheetos sounded good, Zane knew better than to fight Ty for them.
He could hear Ty unwrapping the candy bar as he moved closer. “Hold out your hand,” Ty ordered when he got to the side of the bed. Shifting slightly toward Ty, Zane did so, palm up. Ty placed the Snickers in his hand without a word, and then Zane felt him move away and heard him flop into a chair of some kind. The springs squeaked.
Zane lifted the bar tentatively to his lips, surprised when he found it difficult to hit his mouth. He took a bite and chewed slowly. “Doctor was here,” he said as he savored the chocolate.
“That was faster than I expected. And?” Ty asked eagerly. “Theyre sending me home.”
“Thats good, right?” Ty asked. “When can we leave?”
“He said an hour.” Zane wasnt sure about answering the first question.
The chair creaked as Ty leaned forward. His voice was closer when he spoke. “We talked about this. You dont want to go home?” “Yeah, I want to go home. I hate hospitals. Its just….” Zane frowned.
“You wish you could see,” Ty provided matter-of-factly. Zane nodded. He carefully took another bite of the Snickers. “Dont know what the hell Im going to do with myself. Itll be a whole new level of staring at four walls.”
“Well,” Ty murmured thoughtfully. “Man up, Zane. Shit happens, you know? Well get out of here and get some real food.”
Zane sat startled for a long moment and then actually chuckled. “Welcome back.” “What?”
“You sounded a lot more like your normal grumpy ass**le self,” Zane explained. “Rather comforting, actually.” Something about that just made Zane want to laugh. “Yeah, youre going to make a great valet.”
He was surprised by a thump on the tip of his nose. He hadnt even heard or felt Ty move. He swiped out with one hand in a belated reaction. “Hey! Ive seen you use an iron. That is damn impressive.”
“Marines either know how to use an iron or they get married,” Ty advised through a mouthful of Cheetos. “The iron is less dangerous.” Zane snorted and almost swallowed the chunk of candy bar in his mouth without chewing it up. “Thats actually pretty funny.” “I try.”
Chapter Seven
Z ANEfelt the cab come to a stop. Hed lost track of the twists and turns a while back, and he had no idea if they were at his apartment, Tys house, or somewhere altogether different. Hed already decided there was no way hed be saying the words “Are we there yet?”—Ty would go ballistic.
So he sat quietly, face turned toward the window, chin down. He was wearing scrubs from the hospital; his suit had been trashed. He knew he wasnt bloody, despite the bruises everywhere, so he figured he didnt look too bad.
“Were here,” Ty told him. The door on Tys side opened. “Hold on. Ill come get you,” he said before the door slammed shut. Zane didnt move. He knew this was going to be tough, trying to get around, and he certainly wasnt looking forward to it. Hed barely said a word the whole drive over, just thinking about what he would be facing if he wasnt able to see again. He knew it was too soon to start worrying and planning, but f**k all, hed only just gotten a bunch of shit in his head straightened out, and now this?