I felt pressure on my eyes as I tried to open them. This was a familiar feeling. I’d clearly just had my ass kicked. My entire face felt like shit.

“You there, bud?” a man’s voice asked.

It was Gary. He must have come with me to the hospital.

I craned my neck over toward his voice. He was blurry at first, but eventually his face came into focus. “Yeah, I’m here,” I croaked, discovering that my throat was bone dry.

He watched me for several seconds, deep concern marring his expression. “Do you remember anything?”

“If you’re asking me whether I remember how my face got so f**ked up, the answer is no.”

He sighed and his jaw worked silently. “Okay. Figured as much, but thought I should ask.”

“What happened?”

His eyes narrowed. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

My mind was fuzzy, but slowly, it was coming back.

“Lorrie,” I rasped quietly.

Gary’s expression was a mix of pain and relief. “Yeah.”

I took several deep breaths. There it was. We were done. She was on a bus taking her far away from Studsen, to deal with her own pain. I had saved her that cold winter day when I pulled her out of the lake, but I couldn’t save her from what she was dealing with now. Goddammit.

Clenching my fists, I tried to sit up, but was stopped by the IV hanging from my left arm. I used my right hand to grab the needle so I could yank it out.

Gary grabbed my wrist fiercely. “Whoa, dude, settle down! Where do you think you’re going?”

“Get off me,” I growled softly.

His grip remained strong. “Stop trying to rip your IV out and I will.”

My muscles tensed. I tried to contain my anger, but it was no use. My whole body began to shake. The way Gary was trying to physically restrain me from going after Lorrie seriously pissed me off.

“Lorrie!” I roared. I ripped the IV out of my arm and sat up. A searing pain shot through my arm.

Gary tackled me back onto the bed. He glared, his eyes a pair of thin flames. “Stop!” he yelled. “Hospital security will take a f**king taser to you and strap you to that bed if that’s what it takes. Nobody wants that.”

I struggled for a second, but it was no use. Weakened as I was, I couldn’t fight Gary.

After I’d calmed down, he looked to the door, but nobody had responded to our raised voices. “Now tell me what’s on your mind,” he said, his voice lowered. “What are you going to do?”

I froze and stared at him. What could I do? Gary was right. I was stuck in a hospital bed while Lorrie was on a bus going somewhere far, far away. Was I going to chase the bus down? In my current state? I could barely move my legs.

Defeated, I slumped back in my bed, my breath coming in thin wheezes. I’d lost this round. Gary watched me for a second, then took his hands off my wrists. My hands dropped heavily to my sides. I wasn’t going anywhere.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. My swollen eyes were focused on nothing in particular. There was nothing to look at. It was a hospital. I was stuck in a sterile room again, waiting until I could go home so I could go do whatever. I’d regret the past few days, mostly. And probably drink too much.

“You good?” Gary asked, breaking the silence. “I’m gonna go hit the bathroom. You’re not gonna do anything stupid, right?”

I looked up at him and nodded.

His lips a thin line, he turned to walk out but stopped at the door. “Listen, before she left, she came to the fight. Said she wanted to talk to you. Do you remember any of that? You know what I think of that, but I promised her that I’d tell you.”

He watched me for a reaction, but when I didn’t give him one, he turned and walked out the door. I wasn’t sure how to react. A ringing began in my ears as I rocked back and forth. Lorrie wanted to talk. She hadn’t given up on me. This wasn’t the end of us. This was a blank slate.

I was going after her even if it killed me.