Page 89 of Broken Wheels

Where am I?

He heard beeps. Whirs. The soft sound of heels on linoleum close by.

In a hospital, then. How did I end up?—

A flood of sharp, detailed images stole his breath. Dixon kissing him on the sidewalk. A loud bang. Pain tearing through him. Dixon on top of him, and not in a fun way. Screams. People running. More screams.

I want Dixon.

Then he closed his eyes, succumbing to the tug of comforting oblivion.

When he opened them again, a nurse stood beside his bed.

“You’re awake.”

Josh wasn’t sure he’d go that far. “Kinda.” The word came out as a croak.

She chuckled. “How are you feeling?” Something touched his lips. Ice chips. “Just a few. If you can tolerate those, we’ll think about something more substantial, but not right away.”

He swallowed. “Where’s Dixon?”

“Mr. Meeks is in the waiting room, with a few other men who say they work with you.”

Gary and Michael. Josh would be lucky if they didn’t slap a collar on him and lock him in Dixon’s room after this debacle.

“Need to see him.”

She smiled kindly. “Sorry, the doctor has dibs. He needs to check the wound and make sure it looks okay. After that, you can have visitors.”

The most random of thoughts pushed into Josh’s mind. “My eclairs?”

Her eyes sparkled. “Eclairs?”

“I had some. What happened to them?”

“They weren’t with you when you came in. And all things considered, I don’t think you’d want to eat them now.”

“But they were so good,” Josh whimpered.

Another chuckle met his ears. “Close your eyes, Dr. Malone. Try to get some rest.”

Josh felt as though he had weights attached to his eyelids, so he complied. Another few seconds and he was out like a light.

He had no idea how much time passed before he woke again, only now a middle-aged man in a white coat stood over him.

“Dr. Malone, it’s good to see you awake. My name is Dr. James, but you can call me Jim.”

Josh managed a snicker. “Jim James?” He felt more alert after his sleep.

The doctor rolled his eyes dramatically. “I’m here to examine you, okay?”

“Sure. As long as you warmed your hands first.”

Dr. James chuckled. “I can see I’ll have my work cut out for me with you.” He lifted the dressings to peer at Josh’s torso. “And as for my name, thank my parents for that one. I haven’t a clue as to what was going through their heads at the time.”

Parents….

Oh, fuck. “They didn’t contact my parents, did they?”