“Brylee?” I reach for her, snag her sleeve with my free hand, the other one still held tightly in Spiderman’s strong grip. “What the hell?”
“No cussing in front of the children,” she chides me.
“I thought you were… You’re okay.”
She’s okay. She’s all right. She’s not dying. She’s not dead.
Why can’t I catch my breath?
She’s staring at me, and I open my mouth to explain, but the room hasn’t stopped tilting, and it’s sliding away from me. Dark spots are dancing in my eyes.
My knees give away, black rushes in, and this time I go down.
The last thing I hear is a heartfelt “Fuck!” and I don’t think it came from me. So much for not cussing in front of the children.
***
I blink, my vision blurry, and find myself sprawled in the lap of a guy, if the strong, muscular arms around me are any indication.
The details come back, more slowly than I’d like—the Disney party and music, the kids, and princess Brylee kneeling beside me.
By my guessing, I’m lying in Spiderman’s lap. He was the only adult man in the room, and besides, the red and blue sleeves give him away.
Go, me. Rescued by a superhero.
“Hey,” I croak and start to sit up, only to be stopped by said muscular, Spidey arms. “I’m all right.”
“You passed out,” Riddick says, his raspy voice rumbling behind my head.
“Yeah, well, I passed back in now, so…”
“You’re making no sense,” Princess Brylee tells me gently, looking concerned. “Rid, did he hit his head on the way down?”
“Not that I’ve seen,” he replies.
My heart seems to have slowed down, at last, and it beats a steady rhythm in my chest. I’m all right. I won’t need my pills.
Guess I’ve overdone it lately. Stressed myself out, avoided the gym, drank too much. Fell in a well of depression. Never realized how much until now, nestled in Riddick’s arms with Brylee in front of me. Just being here, with them, calms my heartbeat even more, until I’m floating, my limbs loose and my eyelids heavy.
“What happened, dude?” Riddick chuckles. “Can’t you stand the sight of a little blood?” And before I can think of how to clear up the misunderstanding without telling him the real reason I passed out, he says gently, “It’s okay. We’re all afraid of something or other.”
If only he knew.
“Besides, now we’re even,” he says. “You caught me the other day. Today I caught you.”
Not sure how I feel about that. Not because I want him to feel like he owes me. But because he never did. I’d do anything to protect him, to save him.
Or Brylee. Two red splotches mark her pale cheeks, the freckles on her nose standing out even through the thick makeup she’s wearing.
“You’re okay,” I tell her again, and reach up to touch her cheek.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“At the office, they told me you were at the hospital. I thought…” I swallow hard at the memory of that stabbing fear. “Never mind. What are you doing here?”
“It’s a party for the kids,” she whispers, stroking my cheekbone. “I convinced Riddick to help out.”
“Caught me in a weak moment.” He sounds amused.