“Ay,” she mutters, then places the hose back at my lips.
I focus on her DSLs while she counts. I pull air slowly, push it slower. Pain bites, releases, bites again. Her palm rests on my chest. Her eyes shift between me and the machine near me.
It sucks, but watching her makes it okay. Like a trainer, she takes me through my one set. Pats my chest when I’m done and tells me I’m a good boy again. I could get used to this. Before I can ask my next question, the door flies open.
Hollister and Dom.
Both look bruised and banged up.
Were they in accidents like me?
Mas jumps to his feet. Stalks toward them like something’s up or wrong. The hot nurse looks both up and down, then returns her focus to me.
“Remember, three times a day, Nene.”
I grab her wrist, admiring her soft skin. Then pull away her plastic breathing thing.
“I’m a better student with private tutoring. I pay in dick and orgasms.”
Hollister sputters. Dom huffs. Mas stays silent, hovering between them. A roll of her eyes and a muttering under her breath answer before words do.
“Behave.”
She turns away, uncaps a marker, and writes on the whiteboard. Block letters go up. SOFIA SANTIAGO, RN. Under it, red letters. CALL ME BEFORE HE DOES ANYTHING. She spins to point her marker at my brother. He snaps to attention.
“Papito, you remember what I say?”
“Yes.”
What did she say? What happened since I passed the fuck out?
“Good boy.” She turns to me, pointing that red tip in the air. “Bath later. From the tech. Not me. You behave and keep your dignity. You mouth off, and I make you a teaching slide.”
Again, no idea what she’s talking about. But if it’s anything like Slip’ N’ Slide, I know it will be a good time. I settle deeper into the pillow.
“Call my slide, ‘My angel is a thick snack’.”
She mutters in Spanish again. Sounding sexy as fuck. A voice in the hall calls her name. She checks the monitor, checks me, and gives Mas a look that promises she’s not having any of my nonsense. When she passes him, she pats his chest.
Intimate.
Like they’ve shared shit.
Now I’m curious what’s gone down between them. Holli and Dom part like white lining a semi truck. All of us are quiet for a second.
“Damn, Em. You can’t talk to the nurse like that.” Holli’s the first to call me on my shit. I don’t care. The shit they have me on is good. Makes me horny.
“When she looks like that, I can. She wants me. I know it.”
Darko Dommy walks further into the room, looking angry. Assessing everything like he always fucking does. As if it’s worth his time or not. Holli probably dragged his ass here like he always does. Dom never does anything without Holli involved.
“Your accident didn’t shut that fucking mouth of yours,” he comments, eyes glued to the numbers bouncing up and down on the machine next to me.
“And it didn’t make you less of an uncaring asshole, so here we are.”
He huffs, amused. It’s more than I usually get. I’m feeling pretty good about myself. Mas looks even more nervous than before. What’s up with that?
“You guys good now?” Mas mutters, moving between them again. It’s not just weird to watch, there’s a weird feeling in the room. Like bad fucking juju up in this place. The look they exchange tells me something’s definitely up. My brother’s eyes linger on Dom more than Hollister, who’s already taken a weird interest in some card stuck in some flowers.
