I exhale through my nose and push the door open.
He’s propped up in the bed with a bunch of pillows stacked behind him. There’s color in his face now. More life than there’s been in weeks. When his eyes land on me, they sharpen immediately.
“Fuck,” he says hoarsely. “You look like shit.”
I snort. “Good to see you too, sunshine.”
His mouth twitches, then his expression sobers as he looks me over more carefully. “You still got both arms?”
“Last I checked.”
“Good.” He swallows. “I had this fucked-up dream where you were dead.”
That lands harder than I expect.
“Not dead,” I say. “Annoyingly alive.”
He huffs out a breath and shifts, wincing a little before settling again. “How long have I been out, really?”
“Couple of weeks,” I answer carefully. “You were awake some, but not… with it.”
He grimaces. “Feels like I got hit by a truck.”
“You kinda did.”
His gaze flicks to the window, then back to me. “What happened?”
Here it is.
I pull the chair closer and sit, planting my boots wide like I’m bracing for impact. “Brakes failed.”
His brow furrows instantly. “Bullshit.”
I meet his eyes. “The cops are still going over the scene report.”
“That don’t just happen, my bike got a clean fuckin’ bill of health a month ago.”
“No,” I agree evenly. “But it did.”
He studies my face like he’s trying to peel something back. Rick might act first and think later, but he’s always been good at reading people. Too good. And he’s known me since I was a kid and knows all my tells.
“You saying I fucked up maintenance?”
“Accidents happen.”
Silence stretches between us.
Finally, he leans back with a quiet groan. “The pavement was dry. I didn’t fucking lose control.”
I lean forward, lowering my voice. “Rick. You just woke up from a coma. You’ve got a head injury, multiple fractures, and a long road ahead. Whatever else is going on, you don’t need it right now. We can figure out what happened once you’re feeling better.”
His jaw tightens. “That ain’t an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
He glares at me for a long second, then exhales hard. “Fine. For now.”
I nod once.
