My side starts to burn again, so I push the button for Damon.
A woman with a large tattoo peeking out of the top of her scrubs comes in.
“What can I do for you?” she asks.
“Where’s Damon?”
“His shift ended. I’m Martha. Now, what’s the matter, darlin’?”
“My side burns.”
Martha messes with a few cords and buttons and then a wave of peace washes over me.
My arms are on backward again and then I feel a hand cup my chin followed by two cups meeting my lips: the first with a pill, the second with water.
“That’ll help you sleep. If you need me again, you know what to do. Night.” She flips off my light and shuts the door behind her.
? ? ?
When I open my good eye the next morning, my other eye opens a crack too, but not enough to see anything.
“I finally understand why you never wanted to talk about your dad.”
“Doc?”
The screech of a chair against linoleum makes me cringe and my side burns.
“Imagine my surprise when someone called me asking if you were one of mine.” He settles into the chair. He doesn’t look happy. The crease between his eyebrows is more like a canyon today. “Tyler, I could have helped. It didn’t have to go this far. Shit. I should’ve seen it.”
“I . . .”
“You didn’t want to end up in a home, right?” He sounds pissed. At me? At himself?
I nod, feeling like an asshole.
“I know how your mind works by now. Sort of. But there were other options. If you’d told me everything, we could’ve figured something out.”
“So I guess we need to discuss those options now?”
His angry expression morphs into confusion. “You haven’t talked to Kelly.”
“I have. Why?”
“I take it she didn’t tell you. She and Henry offered to take you in.”
“Like I’m a stray fucking dog. Great.” I stare past him out the window. “It’s too much to ask of them.”
“Trust me, they’re happy to help. Lovely people. And Jordyn . . . That girl is head over heels for you.”
I should feel grateful that Henry and Kelly are helping me. But all I feel is ashamed.
“Oh, uh . . .” He sets my cell phone on the table next to me. “Your dad’s been calling you all morning from jail.”
“He probably expects me to post bail,” I mutter. “He almost killed my dog.”
“He almost killed you. Goddammit, you should’ve told me everything.”
“He needs help. With his drinking. With his depression, with dealing with Mom.”
He shakes his head and sighs. “You’re a good guy, Tyler.”
“Doc?” I hesitate. “I didn’t—I didn’t fight back.”
He leans forward and nods, taking in what I’ve said. I can tell he understands. “What happened with your mother wasn’t your fault, Tyler.”
“I know. I mean, I know that. But I feel like I deserved to feel a little of the pain she felt. For not seeing how much she hurt. For not being there for her when she needed someone.”
“I don’t know if that’s what she would have expected of you, I didn’t know her, but I do know that you have to stop blaming yourself. Think your mom would have wanted to see you like this?”
I shake my head. He’s right. This was stupid.
“Stop being so hard on yourself, Tyler. I wish you’d see what everyone else sees. You deserve good things.”
? ? ?
As soon as Dr. Meyer clears me to talk to the cops, a tall thin woman and a taller stocky man, both uniformed, question me for about four hours. Okay, maybe it’s only forty-five minutes, but it feels like a freaking lifetime. And they have no interest in my suggestions for getting Dad help.
They finally decide on first-degree assault, and felony child abuse charges, since I’m still a minor. Both could mean sentences of up to twenty-four years. So Dad’s basically fucked. And he probably won’t get any real help. If I’d told Dr. Dave everything, Dad would’ve probably been forced to get help before doing something that would keep him from ever getting it. Once again my selfishness fucks someone else over.
? ? ?
Jordyn comes to visit with Kelly and Henry right after school, as promised. They’ve brought me some amazing, gourmet chicken soup that Kelly made. I don’t even have words for how grateful I am.
Henry isn’t able to stay long—he has to get back to the studio, and Kelly leaves with him. My side is really bothering me. I was about to ask Damon for an extra dose of the pain meds right before Jordyn and everyone came, and then I sort of forgot.
“So my mom and Henry are talking about—” Jordyn stops. “You don’t look so good.” She sits on the side of my bed, laying her hand on mine.
“My side’s bugging me. It’s not a big deal.” I reach for the button that summons Damon and wince as a sharp pain stabs through my torso.
Jordyn marches out into the hall and returns with a very concerned-looking Damon.