Page 48 of Road to Absolution

In the hospital bed, I laid there, staring at the ceiling, hearing his voice in my head. “There ya go! Yes! Quick feet… Body, body… Head, head… Under the body…”

So many memories. If I stopped boxing, would I get to keep them? Or would they drift away, just like my dream had?

I hoped certain memories would disappear, but they clung to me like a plague…

“You okay?”

I jumped. I hadn’t even heard Lilah come into my room. She was standing there with a stack of to-go boxes. “I have mashed potatoes.”

Not being able to eat due to my stomach being unaccustomed to solid food, I viewed the dilemma as an inadequacy. Me not being man enough to eat a damn cheeseburger.

I was tired of all the uncomfortable sensations inside. Since she was literally palming one of the causes, I rolled away from her. “Not hungry.”

Walking around my bed to see me again, she teased, “Wow. I never thought I’d ever hear you say those words, in that order.”

Not sure what I needed from her, or how to stop the creeping ants, I blurted, “I can’t box anymore.”

Also defeated, she softly said, “I know. I’m so sorry, baby.”

After my dad died, I hated people saying that. I knew they weren’t happy my dad had been killed, so why say such a thing? Plus, it came from everyone, over and over…

Now I was going to have to hear it again?

My nerves rattled at the bars of my new prison. “Yeah. Me too.”

“Maverick.” She set the boxes down then focused on me. “We’ll get through this.”

I was snippy. “Nothing to get through. I’m not to take a heavy blow to the head. Done.”

She chewed on her bottom lip while studying me.

“Stop staring at me like I’m a lab rat.” I rolled away again.

The Styrofoam creaked as she grabbed the boxes and made her way around the bed again. “Did someone shit in your broth this morning?” In my line of sight, she stood there smiling, lifting the boxes. “There’s salt on these potatoes.”

I was starving for something with flavor, but found myself angrily saying, “If I’m not boxing, I don’t need to be big anymore.”

“Fine. Stay the weight you are now, but wouldn’t you like to take a healthy shit instead of water poop?”

I smirked. “You heard that?”

She giggled. “Splat, tinkle, splat? Yes. Wasn’t your sexiest moment.”

Delilah had managed to pull me from my funk. “I love you, Mrs. Hutton.”

“I’m madly in love with you.” Balancing the boxes in one hand, she ran fingers through my hair. “This longer look is so hot.”

Score!

“Hot enough to get you to forget about my water shits?”

She laughed, backing away, going to the couch. “We’ll talk after you eat these potatoes. Come to me, Mr. Hutton.”

Getting out of bed, I groaned. “Cum. Now there is something I’d like. Think I’ll ever get laid again?” I sneered at my IV poll as I rolled it with me, making me look borderline pathetic.

Opening a box on a coffee table, she said, “Maybe, but I’m tired right now. I had to fuck your doctor so that mashed potatoes were allowed.”

IV poll forgotten, I shrieked, “What?”