24-Sadie

"That better be ‘I'm sorry you almost got blown up' pizza I smell, and not just some stupid five dollar hot and ready. We ain't that broke."

I can't hide my laughter as we walk into Seb's hospital room with two large pizzas.

"Just be happy we're feeding your ass." Tia grins, sitting beside him and lifting her feet on the bed.

Seb and the guys have been hospitalized for the last three days. The guys were sick and tired of going in and out of Seb's room, so the lead nurse finally gave in and had Max and Gio's beds moved into Seb's room.

"Why won't you listen to me? You're going to pull your stitches," Telle snaps at Max.

"Goddamnit," Max grunts. "That fucking hurts."

"Sit still!" Telle and Tiny say at the same time. The girls have been trying to get him to stay in bed. A metal object pierced his upper arm when he crashed into the ground from the blast. Max is more antsy than the other guys. Even as a kid, he could never sit still. He was hyper all the time—mouth running one hundred miles per hour. When he spoke, his words were so fast they were almost unintelligible.

"Reina." Seb's gentle tone turns my attention away from our friends.

"You're thinking too hard. Knock it off."

I roll my eyes.

He pats the spot on the bed beside him. I reluctantly comply and carefully climb into the bed, Lupe on his other side. She smiles full-on with a slice of pizza hanging from her mouth.

I lay my head on his shoulder and take comfort that my best friend is alive. This is what we do. Instead of saying the words, the little gesture speaks volumes. My eyes brim with tears.

God! I'm so tired of crying. My hormones intensify my emotions, and they're all over the place right now. This crying escapade feels like the cast of Riverdance doing a little number in my head.

I almost lost my boys.

The thought makes me nauseous.

A knock comes from the door, and a petite, blonde nurse walks in, carrying a small paper cup and a plastic cup filled with water.

"Looks like a party going on in here," she teases. Max tenses when she walks to his bed and hands him the cup of medication.

Max glares at the cup and shakes his head. "I ain't taking that shit anymore."

"Max, we talked about this. This will help regulate—"

"I don't give a shit. I am not taking that." Max enunciates every word clearly to get his point across.

Max won't take the narcotics that were offered to him because he doesn't want to become addicted like half of his family. And, since he's been taking more Ibuprofen to help alleviate the pain, he's been constipated.

The nurse sets the cups on the table and rests her hands on her hips. "It's a stool softener, Max. It will help with the constipation."

"Just take the damn pills, Max, or I'll stuff them down your throat until you choke on your tongue." Telle's voice crackles like a whip.

Max glances at her. "Why are you taking her side?"

"Because you haven't shit for the past two days. Your ass isn't the only exit."

The nurse tries to hide her smile by hiding underneath her long hair like a curtain.

Max's face pales,. He probably didn't know how observant Telle is.

"You're full of shit," Max throws back, thawing from his stupor.

"No, that's you," Lupe chimes in with a mouth full of food.

We all erupt into laughter.

Max grumbles at all of us to fuck off and takes the medications so the nurse will also fuck off.

The nurse walks out with an extra bounce in her step.