“What do you want to do after that?” Apollo asked. “Dylan and my mom would be happy to have you come to us—”
“Or you can come to our place for a few weeks,” Camilla added quickly. “You and Maddox both. I’ve got leave coming.”
“I don’t need nursing,” Ben protested. “And I need to talk to Maddox, see what he’s going to do. He can’t be alone at the apartment, not with that leg.”
That right there was the entire crux of his black mood—he still hadn’t talked to Maddox, hadn’t had more than his dad’s updates that Maddox was no longer on death’s doorstep and that his family wasn’t interested in offers of help. What was Ben going to do if they convinced Maddox to go back home to recuperate?
Be happy for him? Ha. Those people were toxic for Maddox, and Ben needed to lay eyeballs on his friend, see what damage they’d already managed to inflict. He needed—
“Knock. Knock.” A nurse Ben hadn’t seen yet strode into the room. “Good news!”
“I’m getting out of here?” Ben wasn’t giving up hope, channeling some of Maddox’s boundless optimism.
“You’re getting a new roommate. Now be nice. I’ve heard stories about you.” She wagged a finger at him.
Ben stifled a groan as two orderlies in dark blue scrubs wheeled a gurney in, some poor soul with a wrapped head and elevated leg, who undoubtedly did not deserve Ben and his funk.
Apollo smiled widely as the orderlies transferred the guy to the bed, and Ben took a second glance. The guy was so injured that it was hard to look, what with the heavy bandaging around a shaved head and the bad leg, but his hazel eyes were open and—
“Mad?” Ben scarcely dared to hope.
“Hey, buddy.” Maddox’s usually deep voice was raspy and thin. “Heard you’re raising hell.”
“Always.” Ben’s eyes burned. Once, when he was seven or eight, before his mother left for Utah, he’d gotten the exact Lego set for Christmas that he’d asked for, and his giddiness had been almost uncontrollable, him bouncing off the sofas and almost crashing into the Christmas tree. But his joy back then didn’t hold a candle to the happiness welling up in his chest at the sight of Maddox, bruised and battered but there.
“Aww. Our favorite odd not-a-couple is back together,” Apollo cracked and Ben sent him an incinerating glare.
“Now this one—” the nurse pointed at Maddox before staring down Ben “—wasn’t quite ready to move, but we’re hopeful that your sunny disposition will be restorative. But he’ll need some rest. No partying.” She laughed like she was the funniest thing in the world. “And no sharing the drink I’m going to pretend I didn’t see.”
“Couldn’t pay me to have a chai.” Maddox managed a weak smile. “But my kingdom for some steak.”
“As soon as they give the okay, I’ll bring you fajitas from Casa Guadalajara,” Camilla assured him.
“You’re a goddess.”
Man, Maddox was pale, but at least he’d lost the sickly gray pallor he’d had those last few awful hours in the jungle.
The nurse fussed over Maddox a few more minutes, getting his IV and pain pump set, then headed out with another set of warnings to let him rest.
“Is your family still here?” Ben’s dad asked Maddox. “We tried to reach out to them—”
“Appreciated.” Maddox sighed. “They’re heading home. Probably for the best.”
“What happened?” Apollo’s eyes narrowed and he looked ready to go after them himself. He’d have to get in line, though, because Ben was going to be the first to give them a piece of his mind.
“Nothing.” Maddox’s mouth thinned out to a firm line. Ben needed all these visitors to leave so that he could get the full story. Maddox wasn’t one to complain, but sometimes he needed a reminder that it was okay to let things out.
Ben’s dad peeked at Maddox’s leg under the blanket. “Surgeons did a hell of a job, saving that leg. You’ll be up and around in no time.”
“Ben splinted the leg out in the field. You would have been proud of his job.” Maddox had always liked Ben’s family, more even than Ben did at times, and the smile he gave Ben’s dad had a bit more energy to it.
“I’m always proud of him.” His dad squeezed Ben’s shoulder, and his chest contracted. His dad and Camilla were still firmly in “you almost died” mode, but it was still nice to hear. “Would have made a hell of a doctor.”
Of course. There it was. Ben groaned. This argument was so old it had gray hair now. The only thing he’d ever wanted, ever since one visited his school in fourth grade, was to be a SEAL.
“He’s a lifer.” Maddox’s voice was weary before he yawned. “Sorry. Tired.”
“Totally understandable. You rest.” Camilla straightened Maddox’s blankets. “We’ll head out for a while. I’ll have Rand talk to the nurses about your food—see what restrictions they’ve got you on.”