Page 82 of Minus

“We’re gonna get you to a hospital, baby, don’t worry,” she said, turning back briefly to look at me.

“What… happened?” I gurgled. Blood from biting my tongue, and lost teeth filled my mouth. Deep cuts from the cable ties stung my wrists, and I was highly concussed. I remembered only fragments of the past hour or so, thanks to my friend with the phone book, but most of his beating was, unfortunately fresh in my mind.

“I got you out of there,” Cricket said. “Try not to move or speak, I’m gonna get you to a hospital. Stay with me!”

I could tell by the tone in her voice that I was in bad shape.

“Sounds like a plan,” I replied and passed out.

Minus

“Jase? Jase? Baby, wake up.”

I could hear Cricket’s voice, as if she was calling to me from the opposite end of a long, narrow hallway.

“Jase, wake up.”

My eyelids felt heavy and ached. In fact, there wasn’t much of me that didn’t currently ache, except of course, for the parts of me that were in pure agony.

“Jase? Can you hear me?” Cricket asked, and I felt her squeeze my hand.

I squeezed back.

“Jase! Baby, can you hear me?” Cricket rasped in excitement.

I forced the only eye open that I could. “Jesus, what does a guy… need to do to get a little… rest around here?”

The room erupted with laughter, which honestly scared the shit out of me more than anything.

“Oh, my God, honey, we were so worried,” Cricket cried and kissed my hand.

“Welcome back, shithead,” I heard Clutch say, and his image came into focus.

“Where am I?” I whispered.

“You’re at OHSU,” Cricket replied.

“Portland?” I exclaimed. My throat felt like I had swallowed razor wire.

“Easy. Try not to talk too much. You’ve had a tube down your throat to help you breathe.”

“How long… have—”

“Four days,” Cricket said quietly.

My eye opened slightly wider, and Cricket continued, “They had to put you into a medically induced coma to relieve the swelling in your brain. They started the procedure to bring you out of it about twenty minutes ago. Everyone is here. Clutch, Cutter, a bunch of the Saints.”

“How did I get here?” I asked, rubbing my neck.

“I called Cutter on the way to the hospital in Savannah, and he reached out to Eldie.” She left me briefly, returning with a cup of water. Sitting me up, she guided the straw to my mouth, and I drank greedily. “Slowly, honey. Don’t gulp.”

I nodded, taking as much as I could… the cold soothing my throat.

“Her uncle is the head of neurosurgery here,” Cutter explained. “And when she told him you were her friend, he had you medevacked here immediately. You’ve been under his supervision and care the whole time.”

“He was called away for a minute, but said he’d be right back.” Cricket leaned down close and whispered, “The cover story is that you were involved in a bar fight, defending the honor of a nun.”

I looked at her puzzled. “A nun?”

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