sleepy pull of the painkillers.
When he opened his eyes again, tears streamed down his mother’s face. He tried to smile for her, but the left side of his face hurt too much, so he just winced instead.
“It’s so good to see you awake, honey.” She gripped his hand in hers. “I was so worried.”
She released him and stood up, excusing herself to use the restroom.
“You two been waiting long?” Brendan asked Michelle as his mom left.
“Yeah, and she hasn’t left your side for a minute,” Michelle said with a smile. “That lady’s got the bladder of a camel.”
Brendan laughed slightly, but tried to stop when a spear of pain pierced his back.
“Sorry, sorry,” Michelle said, still smiling. “I shouldn’t make you laugh.”
“It’s okay, I’m fine.”
“You’re anything but fine. You’re a real mess.”
“I’ve got your cousin to thank for that.”
Michelle’s face darkened. “My cousin?” she snapped. “Scott did this to you?”
“Not just him. I could take him easy. It was the other four guys who worked me over.”
“So wait, how did this happen? Where was this?” She rested her hand on his bare arm.
Brendan was a bit confused.
“Uh, it was at a warehouse on the edge of town,” he said. “Isn’t that where you guys found me?”
“Why would we look for you out there?” she asked , puzzled. “No, Marcus dropped you off at the emergency room and then took off to go to work when I got here. He’s the one who called me to come stay with you, so I called your mom, too.”
“Is he okay?”
“Who, Marcus? He’s fine, except he has a nasty welt on his head. Wouldn’t talk about it, though,” Michelle said. “Wouldn’t look so bad if he didn’t shave his hair down to nothing.”
Brendan took a moment to run through what he remembered from the night before. At least, he thought it was from the night before. He could’ve been out for days, and yet he still felt exhausted.
“So what were you doing at that warehouse?” She looked over her shoulder towards the door for a moment before turning back to him.
Brendan laughed pitifully before a painful coughing fit took hold. Once his body released him from that torment, he recounted his story, starting with the break-in at his parents’ house, seeing his sister, all the way through to his meeting with Fisher.
“I’d hit you if you weren’t already beat up, Tenny,” Michelle said when he finished. “What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?”
That wasn’t exactly the reaction Brendan had been looking for when he’d set out to purge the drug problem from his hometown.
“I want to fix this place,” he said quietly. “If the police won’t do it, I will.”
Now Michelle scowled.
“You’re just going to get yourself killed,” she stated.
“Maybe, but I can’t sit still and let Taryn live like this,” he retorted. “I can’t live with that.”
“I’m not sure that’s how addiction works,” she said. “Just taking away some drugs isn’t going to solve anything.”
“It’s a start.”
Michelle sighed deeply. “You’ve always been stubborn.” She stroked the side of his head. “I don’t think I can talk you out of this right now, but when the doctor releases you tomorrow, how about I take you out for a five-star meal at Schmidt’s?” Schmidt’s was a local diner, and a far cry from any kind of stars, but Brendan and Michelle had frequented the joint together all throughout high school.
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Come on, it’s the least I can do to make up for my asshole cousin,” she said, screwing up her face at the mention of Fisher.
“Sure, sounds good,” he said, feeling the inexorable urge to pass out again.
He vaguely caught sight of his mom reentering the room. The two women embraced, and then Michelle left with a wave. Brendan closed his eyes and just let them be.
Chapter 15
“Did the police
When he opened his eyes again, tears streamed down his mother’s face. He tried to smile for her, but the left side of his face hurt too much, so he just winced instead.
“It’s so good to see you awake, honey.” She gripped his hand in hers. “I was so worried.”
She released him and stood up, excusing herself to use the restroom.
“You two been waiting long?” Brendan asked Michelle as his mom left.
“Yeah, and she hasn’t left your side for a minute,” Michelle said with a smile. “That lady’s got the bladder of a camel.”
Brendan laughed slightly, but tried to stop when a spear of pain pierced his back.
“Sorry, sorry,” Michelle said, still smiling. “I shouldn’t make you laugh.”
“It’s okay, I’m fine.”
“You’re anything but fine. You’re a real mess.”
“I’ve got your cousin to thank for that.”
Michelle’s face darkened. “My cousin?” she snapped. “Scott did this to you?”
“Not just him. I could take him easy. It was the other four guys who worked me over.”
“So wait, how did this happen? Where was this?” She rested her hand on his bare arm.
Brendan was a bit confused.
“Uh, it was at a warehouse on the edge of town,” he said. “Isn’t that where you guys found me?”
“Why would we look for you out there?” she asked , puzzled. “No, Marcus dropped you off at the emergency room and then took off to go to work when I got here. He’s the one who called me to come stay with you, so I called your mom, too.”
“Is he okay?”
“Who, Marcus? He’s fine, except he has a nasty welt on his head. Wouldn’t talk about it, though,” Michelle said. “Wouldn’t look so bad if he didn’t shave his hair down to nothing.”
Brendan took a moment to run through what he remembered from the night before. At least, he thought it was from the night before. He could’ve been out for days, and yet he still felt exhausted.
“So what were you doing at that warehouse?” She looked over her shoulder towards the door for a moment before turning back to him.
Brendan laughed pitifully before a painful coughing fit took hold. Once his body released him from that torment, he recounted his story, starting with the break-in at his parents’ house, seeing his sister, all the way through to his meeting with Fisher.
“I’d hit you if you weren’t already beat up, Tenny,” Michelle said when he finished. “What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?”
That wasn’t exactly the reaction Brendan had been looking for when he’d set out to purge the drug problem from his hometown.
“I want to fix this place,” he said quietly. “If the police won’t do it, I will.”
Now Michelle scowled.
“You’re just going to get yourself killed,” she stated.
“Maybe, but I can’t sit still and let Taryn live like this,” he retorted. “I can’t live with that.”
“I’m not sure that’s how addiction works,” she said. “Just taking away some drugs isn’t going to solve anything.”
“It’s a start.”
Michelle sighed deeply. “You’ve always been stubborn.” She stroked the side of his head. “I don’t think I can talk you out of this right now, but when the doctor releases you tomorrow, how about I take you out for a five-star meal at Schmidt’s?” Schmidt’s was a local diner, and a far cry from any kind of stars, but Brendan and Michelle had frequented the joint together all throughout high school.
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Come on, it’s the least I can do to make up for my asshole cousin,” she said, screwing up her face at the mention of Fisher.
“Sure, sounds good,” he said, feeling the inexorable urge to pass out again.
He vaguely caught sight of his mom reentering the room. The two women embraced, and then Michelle left with a wave. Brendan closed his eyes and just let them be.
Chapter 15
“Did the police
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