Page 169 of Wrench
After a few hours of sleep, I woke up in Isaac¡¯s bed. As soon as my eyes fell on the
gauze taped on his chest, I leaped to my knees to crawl over. It was nice to escape into
dreamland for a few hours, but back in reality I was flooded with anxiety over Isaac¡¯s
health. Tracing my hands along his chest, I was relieved to feel that he was warm and
chest still beating and rising.
When I realized I had to go downstairs to the bar to grab the medical supplies to
change his bandages, I cringed. It was one thing dealing with the Rebels in a life-
threatening moment of crisis, but making idle chit-chat with the angry, leathered men
was a whole new level of uncomfortable. I pushed my nerves aside, gulping, as I snaked
down the stairs on my tiptoes.
When I noticed it was quiet and dim, I was excited, hoping that they had maybe left
her alone with Isaac. But soon, the smell of marijuana smoke filled my nose and I
scowled and the pungent scent. I despised the smell, but I wasn¡¯t about to make a fuss, so
I wiped the frown off my face.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was surprised to see Archer sitting alone
with his leg propped in a chair, smoking a joint. It was strange, how he terrified me only a
day before, and now, aside from Evelyn, I felt like he was the one who made me the most
at ease.
I walked up to him slowly until I was near his side, narrowing my eyes at the joint.
¡°That¡¯s not very good for bullet woun¡ª¡±
Archer clasped his hand to his chest. ¡°Jesus, Vet! You scared me.¡±
¡°Sorry!¡± I winced as he panted deeply. ¡°I thought¡ª¡±
¡°You don't. Scare. The crippled.¡±
¡°Sorry, I¡ª¡±
¡°Especially when they¡¯re stoned, fuck.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±
¡°I hate this shit,¡± he said, sneering at the joint. ¡°Makes me paranoid.¡±
¡°Then why are you smoking it?¡±
¡°¡¯Cause it¡¯s a lot better stoned and paranoid than being sober with a hole in your leg,¡±
he replied. and I couldn¡¯t help but give a small laugh. ¡°Can¡¯t drink like this. I¡¯d be up every
