“I drank Boxer’s share.” The dark-haired man grinned. “Sucks to be you, brother. We brought the good shit.”
“Don’t rub it in, Reap,” Boxer stated.
Reap shrugged.
“Visiting hours are over,” I informed them in my no-nonsense tone.
“No fun,” Reap muttered, swiping the flask from Zip as they trekked from the room.
“Thanks for looking out for him, Doc,” Colt said, as he sauntered to the door. “He needs it.”
“I heard that,” Boxer muttered.
Colt shot his friend a smile but didn’t reply. When I was alone with Boxer, I crossed my arms over my chest and raised a brow.
“What?” he demanded.
I sighed. “Nothing.”
“Not nothing. What is it?”
“I don’t like being manipulated,” I said finally.
“Who manipulated you?”
I raised my brows to my hairline. “Lizzie made it sound like there was trouble going on in this room. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.”
“So, you really didn’t care that they were drinking?”
I shrugged. “I wasn’t a fan of it, but I was more concerned that you might have been drinking.”
“I took to heart what you said, Doc. You talk; I listen.”
“Well, good,” I said, feeling ridiculous.
“Are you busy right now?” he asked.
I paused and then replied, “No…”
“Good.” He reached into the plastic bag and pulled out a candle. He then set it down on the swiveling wooden table in front of him.
“Candles aren’t allowed in hospital rooms either. Fire hazard,” I explained.
“How are we supposed to have any ambience if I can’t light the thing?”
“We’renot supposed to have any ambiance at all.”
He rolled his eyes. “Apple juice or cranberry?” He dug around in the plastic bag and held up two kids’ juice boxes with attached straws.
“Where did you get all this?” I asked.
“Where do you think?”
“Lizzie,” I said with a sigh. “Lizzie helped you with this, didn’t she?”
“Yup. She likes you, Doc. All the nurses do.”
“Hmm,” I murmured noncommittally. The nurses were like the sisters I didn’t have. Meddlesome and obsessed with whether or not there was any romance in my world. It was like they’d all collectively banded together to fix my love life.