30. Chase

"The nurse will bein to prep you in a few minutes," the doctor said, smiling at me as if this was a routine colonoscopy.

"Thanks, doc."

I glanced over at Asher as the doc left, sighing when he gave me disappointed look. "What?"

"You thanked him."

"What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "Tell him to shove it up his ass."

"Why don't you disappear?"

"I will as soon as you stop dragging me into your life."

"If only you were the real Asher," I grumbled. "At least he would give me shit instead of telling me what I already think."

"You could have Patrick here instead," he grinned. "Just imagine how much fun that would be."

"The last thing I need is someone to make fun of me," I snapped, though it was a lie. I really did wish Patrick was here. At least he'd take the edge off the tension. "If you're part of my imagination, I should be able to just blink you away."

"Good luck with that," he laughed.

"Honey?"

My eyes swung to the door and landed on my mom. She was watching me curiously, probably because she'd overheard me talking to myself.

"Hey, Mom."

And then my dad walked in, just as stern as I always remembered. He was a good man, but we didn't exactly see eye to eye on most things.

"Son," he nodded, always formal when he spoke to me. "I saw your boss downstairs. He said you were injured on a job?"

"Not exactly."

He shook his head in disappointment. "I always knew you'd end up hurt working a job like that."

I really didn't need this shit right now. "Dad, don't start."

"You never did listen. I told you not to enter the military, especially with a war going on, but you were always so damn stubborn."

"I wasn't injured while working," I said louder, but as usual, he didn't listen.

"John—"

But my dad cut off my mom like he always did. "Well, I guess we always knew this would happen. You have to have some kind of operation on your head?"

"I have a tumor."

"Most likely caused by something the military made you take. Yeah, I've read all about these injections and pills they forced you to take. Things that you should only take once, they had you take over and over again to keep you safe. Well, how safe can you be in a war zone? Huh? And then you come back and end up in the hospital!"

"Dad!" I shouted, but the old man wouldn't listen to a word I said.

"When this is over, you'll come home with us. You can help me in the shop, the way you were always meant to. You know, Jamie is still single. You always were good together."

"Dad, I'm not getting together with Jamie. I have someone."

"Yeah? Where is she?"

I opened my mouth, then slammed it shut. He didn't need my explanations.

"John, save it for another time. Your son is about to have surgery."

"Surgery he wouldn't need if he would have only listened to me!"

"Yeah, great family," Asher grinned.

"Better than your in-laws," I muttered.

"What's that?" Dad asked.

"Nothing."

"You said something. If you have something to say, just say it."

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Then who were you talking to?"

"Asher," I snapped. "The imaginary friend hanging around in my head."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "That's not funny. Are you mocking me?"

"No."

"Your mother and I flew a long way to be here. The least you could do is show us some goddamn respect!"

"I was literally talking to the imaginary person in the corner of the room," I snapped, pointing to where Asher was standing. "If you'd listen for one fucking minute?—"

"Chase!" my mother exclaimed.

"—then you'd know that I have a brain tumor, which is causing me to see things that aren't there. It's not because of a job or the fucking military. It's because something is growing inside my head and they have to cut it out!" I shouted.

Silence greeted me as I ended my tirade. My mother looked horrified and my father didn't look like he knew what to think. I hadn't meant to say all that shit, let alone swear at my parents, but they weren't listening.

Asher nodded mockingly at me. "Nice way to ease them into the whole imaginary friend thing. I like your style."

"Shut up."

"Excuse me?" my dad snapped.

Sighing, I rested back and blocked everyone out, most importantly, Asher. That fucker could walk out of my life and keep going for all I cared. After he was gone from my head, I didn't care if he ever returned.

Those were the little lies I told myself to feel better about my current predicament. And right about now, I wished Mercy was here beside me instead of back at the hotel. Maybe she would be able to explain things better to my parents. Hell, she was a doctor. She would understand.

But she wouldn't be in doctor mode. She'd be hovering over me, worrying about me. I just couldn't deal with that right now. It was bad enough that my parents were here. Besides, what would she say if she saw me? That it wasn't my fault? That I didn't mean to almost get her killed?

Yeah, those excuses didn't fly with me.

"If you're lucky, I'll still be here when you wake up from surgery," Asher grinned, taking a bite of his apple.

"Where the hell did you get an apple? And why can you eat? You're not real!"

"I'm in your head. I can do anything you're imagining."

"Great," I laid my head back. "And I'm imagining you eating. Fucking perfect."

"I think you should get the doctor," my father hissed at my mother.

"Okay!" the nurse said brightly as she walked in. "Ready to get prepped for surgery?"

Asher and I both looked over at her. "She's too peppy. If I were really here, I'd pull my gun and shoot her. I wouldn't even think twice about it."

"Yes," I said to the nurse. "The sooner the better."