Before the accident, he'd been a player. No question, he'd wasted opportunities that could have meant true happiness for him. Many of the women he'd been with had been in it for fun, but there were women he could have found a life with.
But he hadn't been willing to change or even give an inch. He'd thought he was some kind of gift to women, but deep inside, he knew he was a pit of despair. Those women deserved better than what he'd been.
The door opened, and a doctor came in. It was one of the people who'd seen him before. He shook his head, looking disappointed. "We're keeping you overnight. No screens, no TV, no reading. Just you lying in a dark room. You really should have stayed at home."
“Yeah, I didn’t know the jerk was going to blow up his own house.”
The doctor’s lips twisted into a frown. “I’ll give you that. Most people don’t try to blow up their own houses. So the woman you came in with, she’s going to be fine. She wanted to make sure you knew that.”
“Thank you.”
“I don’t want to see you in here for a long time. Stay at home and stay out of trouble.”
“My house was burned down.”
The doctor rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, by the same guy?”
“Yes, sir. The same damn guy. He burned down my house and blew up his.”
“No more excitement. Maybe stay away from him.”
Thario snorted a laugh and moaned as pain shot through him. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Now get some rest. You’re getting plenty of liquids with the IV. They’ll bring you food, no restrictions, and I’ll check in on you in the morning. You should be out by the middle of the afternoon.”
“Thank you.”
"Oh, I checked your prosthetic. It doesn't seem damaged. I did an internship at a company that made them before I entered medical school. That was the route I thought I would pursue, but I chose emergency medicine instead. Your leg looks great, by the way. Your upper body strength is good, too. You should be proud of how you've taken care of yourself."
“Um, thanks. It’s different from how I was before.”
"Yeah. Not everyone can become a Navy SEAL. I'm sure the transition was hard. But you're doing well. Keep up with the good work, but stop being blown up."
Thario rolled his eyes. “I’ll try.”
The doctor chuckled as he waved and then left the room. Thario closed his eyes, focusing on emptying his brain. He'd almost cleared his mind when the door squeaked.
His heart jumped as his eyes flashed open. But he didn’t need to worry. It was Sharp and Griz.
“Hey, you doing okay?” Griz asked.
“Yeah, I’m stuck here overnight.”
Sharp nodded. “That’s probably good. Squat and Asher went to get Frog. He’s staying at their place tonight.”
“That’s good. He’ll probably be glad to spend some time with Asher. He likes her.”
“He does. He’s a great dog.”
Thario nodded, not wanting to think about having to replace his dog. He needed to start searching for a younger one who could learn to help him. Frog was a natural. He had picked up training so easily. It sucked that dogs didn't live longer. If Frog lived twice as long as a German Shepard usually lived, it wouldn't be enough time.
“Hey, we’re going to get out of your hair. Danika is going to pick you up tomorrow. We’ll find a place for you to stay, too. Elowen and Griz believe there is a cabin close to them that would be good for you.”
“Cool. Frog would get a chance to see Knuckles again.”
Sharp chuckled. “Knuckles is a good dog.”
“She is. Not as good as Frog.”
