Ever wonder if you can actually feel your blood pressure rise? Well, you can.
New house and new clothes.
“He should rest comfortably the rest of the night,” Doc said, sipping the tea he was given. “I was able to remove the bullet, and I’ve given him some antibiotics as well as pain medication. He’s to keep the IV in until I come back tomorrow to check on him. It will have to be the afternoon because I have patients in the morning.”
“Thank you,” Hazard said.
“You can change the fluid bag?” Doc asked me.
I nodded.
“If there are any complications or he spikes a fever, call me immediately.”
Rett nodded. “I will.”
“I know. He’s in good hands,” Doc said. “I’ll be leaving, then.”
“You need to check over Haz,” I told him.
He was getting a little too comfortable here. Drinking my tea. Telling me what he was doing.
Doc turned to Haz. “Are you injured again?”
The little brat shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”
In no mood, I grabbed Haz’s head and turned it toward the doctor, showing him the stain of red where he’d been bleeding from his ear. “A gun was fired at close range. His eardrum burst.”
“I understand your concern.” Doc agreed, setting down his bag.
That was more like it.
“I’m really fine,” Haz insisted.
“Are you having trouble hearing out of that ear?” Doc questioned.
Hazard turned sheepish. “Maybe a little.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I demanded. Fuck, if I’d have known that, I would have brought him back here immediately. What if making him wait caused more damage? Jesus, what if he went deaf in one ear? He’d learn sign language and talk me to death with his mouthandhis hands.
“We were busy,” Haz said as though it were no big deal.
Grabbing him by the shoulders, I leaned in. “Does it hurt? Are you in pain?”
“I’m fine, Kieran. I promise.”
I made Doc check him out anyway. In the end, there wasn’t much to do for a ruptured eardrum, as he was already on antibiotics for all his other injuries. He didn’t need drops, but he was supposed to keep the water from getting in it in the shower.
I swear, if any more of him was unable to get wet, I was going to have to give him a sponge bath, which was annoying andnot at alla turn-on.
I saw Doc out and was about to decontaminate my entire kitchen when my phone rang. I recognized the number because Haz had called it a time or two.
“What?” I answered.
“What in the hell have you done to my fish store, you impertinent little shit? Everything is ruined! There are blood stains on the floor, for fuck’s sake! You’re fired! FIRED! I’m going to sue! When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to get a job anywhere in Buffalo! No! The entire state of New York!”
I opened my mouth to reply, but he kept going.
“And I saw the receipt for the plecos! Forget it. You can’t have them. If you even step foot on my street, I will have you arrested for trespassing. In fact, I’m going to flush those suckers down the toilet.”
