I don’t think I fully appreciated just how badass my ol’ lady really is.
“Hazey?” Nova says. I look up from my crouched position against the wall. “You want some coffee?”
I shake my head.
“Then can you at least see a doctor? You’ve been shot.”
“It’s a flesh wound, it’ll be fine.”
“Not if the bullet is still in there.”
“It isn’t, I checked.”
“Save your breath,” Sawyer says, coming to stand next to my cousin. “He won’t listen.”
“Like a true Dawson — pigheaded as well as stubborn. If you get an infection, you’ll have more to worry about than aflesh wound.”
“I can’t be goin’ anywhere. I need to be here for Willow,” I say, gritting my teeth.
“Yes, you do,” Nova says gently. “But you also need to take care of yourself, too. She won’t want you with gangrene and a limp arm oozing with puss and?—”
“Eww.” Sawyer winces. “Gross.”
“I like to keep it real,” Nova states. “And wounds like that are just begging for an infection.”
“The little lady’s right,” Sawyer says. “And seriously, after what Willow did to those fuckers back there, I’m not sure you wanna get on her bad side.”
My mouth twitches. She really is a badass bitch.
“Oh my god, did you hear what she did?” Nova bounces on her toes. “I mean, who takes down their captors when their hands and feet are bound? She’s totally my fucking hero.”
“Aww, I thought I was your hero,” says Sawyer.
She gives him a little rub on the shoulder with her hand and pouts. “In your dreams,pretty boy.”
Sawyer puts a hand over his heart. “I’m wounded.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I mutter.
“Just trying to lighten the mood,” Nova says.
“Here.” I look up and Brew is handing me a flask. “Brought some medicine.”
I sniff the container. It’s whiskey. Thank Christ.
I take a big chug, not even feeling the burn, and close my eyes. Man, that feels good. Numbing the pain could be good, but then again, I don’t want to be intoxicated when Willow comes around. I need to be alert and ready. I hand it back, and Brew side eyes me.
“What?” I say.
“She’s strong, bro. She’ll make it.”
“She hit the ground hard. I… I couldn’t wake her.”
“It’s called concussion, you’ve had it a million times, along with a few broken bones, she’ll come out of this, you know she will,” he says.
I shake my head. “And what if she doesn’t? She was so small in my arms. I lied to her?—”
“Because you were protecting her,” Nova says, sliding down to sit next to me. “Because you love her, and she knows that.”
