Jason squeezed his hand hard, then nodded. “I hear you. I… I reckon it’s like anything else. Hopefully you won’t have to get used to it.”
“There you go.” They just sat there, shoulder to shoulder, holding hands, until he started dozing off. Well, until he woke up, drooling on Jason’s shoulder.
“Come on, son. You need to eat and take another pill.” Momma was there, a plate of chicken and dumplings for him. “Coke can take the bed in the guest room. I’ll let you have my…”
Jason grunted, waved his hand. “He’ll be fine in my room, Momma.”
“I will.” He didn’t want to stay anywhere else. “I just… I’m sorry, y’all. They gave me all those pills.”
“It’s cool, Bax. Come on. Eat whatever she made you, and you can nap.”
Momma looked over at Jason, shaking her head. “You could have some, too, son.”
“No, Momma. I’m not hungry.”
“Eat with me, Jase. Just a little, huh?” Chicken and dumplings. Lord, Momma was going all out, trying to get Jason to eat. “There’s a biscuit here.”
Jason waved him off. “Nah. I’m not in the mood, man. Later, Momma. I promise.”
“Bullshit. You’re going to starve. Just because you got embarrassed with?—”
“That’s enough, Momma.”
“Don’t you snap at me.”
“Then quit fucking nagging, Momma!” Jason growled, stood up. “I said I wasn’t hungry. I’m not a fucking kid. I know when to eat.”
“Then why won’t you?” Momma was crying now, tears just sliding down her face. “Andy, he won’t eat. He got all messed up with the silverware and the plate and not being able to see and?—”
“Momma!” Jason was fucking fixing to lose it.
Bax tried to struggle to his feet…foot. Whatever. “Momma, you’re a good woman. Putting up with him. Go on and have a sit with Jack and relax a minute. Jason, you get your ass back here and help me to your room.” He wasn’t gonna let Jase wander off, fists all clenched.
“Isn’t that the blind leading the fucking gimpy?”
Someone was gonna lose it. It might not be him, the way Jack and Coke were just staring at them with stony faces. “Mini, please. I need to lie down, and I need to just talk with you a bit. Come on.”
Jason closed his eyes, throat working, and Bax could see him counting, calming himself down, settling his shit. “Okay. Okay, Bax. You gotta tell me what you need.”
“Come over here.” He held out his hand so Jason could catch it, then he reeled Jase in. “Now get over here on this side so I can lean. Kinda like New Orleans. You remember that ride?”
He got a grin that just stunned him for the few seconds it lasted. “Yeah. C’mon.” Jason settled under his arm, stood strong for him.
That was more like it. “Okay, so. Turn right, yeah?” Slowand steady. They could do it. Jason had fine legs, he had good eyes.
“Tell me they ain’t all staring at me, Bax. I’m so fucking tired of being a freak.”
“Nope. They all went to the kitchen.” They had when he’d waved them all off. Hell, he knew what Jason meant, and he’d only been laid up a few days. Working slow but sure, they made their way to the hall. “Right a little.”
He could feel Mini relax under his arm, move easier. That was it. Just like that. Everyone just needed to stop freaking out and trying to baby the man. It took him getting all bent and mangled for Bax to get that, though. So he could hardly blame Momma.
“Okay, now, we have to turn sideways to get through the door. Swing to your left and step to the side three times.” One, two, three… It was a weird, shuffly waltz.
Jason snorted a little, but listened, drawing him into the room. Jesus. How many fucking bottles of booze could Jason drink? They were fucking everywhere.
Bax considered it kind of a triumph when he got settled on the bed, his leg up and a pillow tucked under it. “You’ve been hittin’ the sauce hard, Mini.”
“Yep.” Jason didn’t even apologize for it.
