Niles (ManXMan, Werecat)(Book 7) COMPLETED

Chapter 13

Again, my reaction is pure instinct as I suck on the straw and take in the orange juice. The flavor is rich and sweet, making my taste buds dance. I'm glad I have a straw because I know if I didn't the acidic juice would have burned my cracked lips. By the time the juice is gone a male nurse has made it into the room.

"How are you feeling, Niles?" The nurse asks.

I blink slowly at him. I don't really feel like speaking, especially to him. I don't want to be around anyone but Leandre right now, to be brutally honest. The nurse takes in my appearance before he nods his head.

"I see you don't want to talk to me," He chuckles. "That's fine, I'll just refill your pain meds and be on my way, how does that sound?" He sounds friendly enough but it still doesn't make me want to talk to him.

He works in silence as he refills the pain meds into the IV attached to my arm and hand. When he is done he murmurs something that I didn't catch before he leaves the room. The pain meds work fast after that. They don't just take my pain away, but they make me sleepy as well. I don't really want to sleep, but I can't keep my eyes open now.

I fight the darkness, refusing to be pulled in for as long as I can. I don't last long, though, before I can no longer resist as I get dragged under into a sea of darkness.

*****555*****

I don't know exactly what did it, but something startled me awake. The room is still slightly dark but I can see the sun coming up from the cracks in the blinds. I have to take a few calming breaths because my heart is currently beating like a racehorse. I don't really remember having a dream, but that's probably what woke me up, I was probably having another nightmare. God, these frequent nightmares are so annoying. At least I can't remember this one.

It takes a good minute or two for my heart rate to go back to normal. After I get myself calmed down, I take in my surroundings. The room is still a bit dark but I can still make out everything. The only other person with me is Leandre who is currently sitting in a chair with a thin cushion with his head resting on my bed. He holds my hand even in his sleep, which I find adorable beyond explanation. This time, the lights are completely off as well as the TV. It's a tiny hospital room but at least it's private and I don't have to share it with anyone else.

I close my eyes and relax back into the bed. There is a tight sensation on my shoulder blade as I shift to get comfortable. It doesn't really hurt, it's just tight and uncomfortable. I ignore it best I can as I try to go back to sleep.

I can't really sleep, though. I'm just not tired and the gears in my mind are currently working a million miles per hour. I can't shut my mind off from what happened yesterday... or whenever it happened, I don't even know how long it's been. I can't stop thinking about what went down with my dad.

My dad has never gotten physical like that, no matter how drunk he got. He's never laid a hand on me, never thrown things. The worst he's ever been was screaming and mentally abusing me. He's mentioned mom before and how I was the one to kill her, which is stupid and ridiculous, so that didn't surprise me much. What really surprised me was how much he believed what he was saying. He truly believes that I was the one who killed her.

It also surprised me when he said I was ungrateful and never did anything. He really had the balls to say that I was living rent-free and not helping out. Did he really think he was the one paying the bills? Where did he think his dinner came from every night? Did he think the bills were free and that elves cooked him dinner? That was the part that really angered me. The fact that he didn't even have the balls to admit that I was the one taking care of him.

I take another deep calming breath because I'm working myself up again. It's past, it's over, I need to stop thinking so hard about it. I just need to think about my next step. There is no way I'm going back to that house if he's there. I'm done with him and his bullshit. Maybe I'll take up Beowulf's offer and crash at their place just until I can figure out what to do next.