“I said I want to be left alone.”
“You know I never do what people tell me to do.” With a loud screeching sound, Sed dragged a chair across the tile floor to the side of the bed and sat.
“Sed, I honestly don’t—”
“Those staples in your head look bad ass. You should keep them permanently.”
Trey ran his hand over the shaved side of his head, his slightly curved index finger brushing over the arc of black staples. “I don’t know. I don’t think this haircut is me.”
Sed chuckled. “Looks more like Eric’s style.” Sed dropped his gaze to meet Trey’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Always a bad thing.”
Trey lowered his arm to rest on the bed beside him. Sed forced himself not to fixate on Trey’s fingers, which he continually bent and straightened in sequence. He was trying his best, God love him, but Sed didn’t see any thirty-second notes in his immediate future. And the band was on tour. They needed him. Now. Not in a month. Not in six months. Now.
Trey tucked his hand under the covers again and Sed forced his attention to his scowling face.
“I want you to concentrate on getting better. Don’t worry about the band,” Sed said. “We’ll wait for you to recover. Cancel tour dates. Put the new album on hold. Whatever is necessary. I haven’t talked to the guys, but I know they feel the same way.”
“Jesus, Sed, I’ve been awake three hours and you’re already deciding if you’re going to kick me out of the band?”
“That’s not what I meant. I just…” God, he was bad at this serious discussion bullshit. “I don’t want you to feel any pressure. Well, yes, some pressure. You’d better work your ass off to get better because we need you, but otherwise, don’t worry. We’ll wait.”
“You really suck at pep talks.”
“Yeah, I know. Fuck.” Sed took a deep breath. “Did I make you feel worse? I’m sorry, man.”
Trey shook his head slightly. “Nah. How long do you think they’ll keep me in this place?”
“Are you bored?”
“Fuck yeah, I’m bored. And I’m dying for a cherry sucker.”
Sed grinned. Something he could do to help. Even if it was minor. “One cherry sucker coming up. Then you have to get some rest, because tomorrow everyone is going to be all over you.”
He smiled slightly. “You’re probably right.”
“You know I am.” Sed stood to leave.
“Sed?”
“Yeah, buddy?”
“What am I going to do if I don’t get better?” Trey asked in a small voice.
Sed paused, his heart rising to his throat. “Don’t talk like that, man. You are going to get better.”
“Guitar. The band. That’s all I have. All I know. I don’t know how to do anything else.”
“You don’t have to know how to do anything else. We aren’t going anywhere, okay?”
Trey lowered his gaze and nodded. “Is Brian still here?”
“No, he left a while ago. Do you want me to call him?”
Trey shook his head. “No. He has Myrna now.”
Sed didn’t know how to deal with someone this depressed. It just wasn’t in his skill set. “I’m going to go get you that sucker now.” Maybe that would help.
He wasn’t sure if Trey even heard him. His eyes had drifted out of focus.
Sed headed for the elevator in search of some place that would sell him a cherry sucker. The gift shop was closed. The cafeteria didn’t sell candy. He found a vending machine that sold Life Savers and used all his change to buy as many rolls as possible. On his way back to Trey’s floor, he called Eric. “Hey, are you coming in to the hospital soon?”
“I thought Trey didn’t want to see anyone.”
“Do we care? He’s majorly bummed. Bring some cherry suckers with you. He’s going through withdrawal.”
“Will do. How’s he doing? I talked to him, but it’s hard to tell on the phone.”
“Better, I think. He looks good. The staples in his head look hardcore. The fans will love that. You know about his hands, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Brian told me. I’ll be there in a few with his lollipops. Jace is f**kin’ missing again. I swear I’m going to kick his ass when I see him. Doesn’t he know I need a ride?”
“You could call a cab.”
“I guess. Dave wants to come visit too. Do you think Trey would be okay with that?”
“I don’t know. He needs someone to cheer him up.” Their soundboard operator wasn’t known for his amazing sense of humor, but he was a good guy.
“I’m on it. Later.”
Sed ended the call and headed to Trey’s room with his meager offering of Life Savers. Five flavors? There was no guarantee any of them were cherry.
Sed walked in without knocking. “I couldn’t find any cherry suckers, but…”
Trey had his pretty brunette physician’s assistant in his arms, kissing her as if there was no tomorrow.
“Whoa! Pardon me.” Sed spun on his heel to leave, but the PA brushed passed him and ran from the room, fleeing for her life apparently. Sed glanced over his shoulder at Trey, who looked rather pleased with himself.
“Even crippled, I still got it.” He smoothed his eyebrow with the side of his finger.
Sed didn’t like his use of the word crippled, but didn’t know what to say. “Uh. I hope these Life Savers will tide you over until Eric gets here with your suckers.”
“Eric’s coming?”
“Yeah. He’s bringing Dave.”
“Cool. Why don’t you call Jake and have him round up some groupies for me?”
Sed’s brow crinkled with confusion. “Huh?”
Trey unwrapped a roll of Life Savers, flicking candies off one at a time with his thumb until he came to a red one. He popped the red one in his mouth. It took some concentration for him to use his hands, but he was already doing better than he had been even a half hour ago. What had changed? Sed decided he was pissed instead of feeling sorry for himself.
“I told you I was bored,” Trey said. “Some group sex should take care of that.”
“Where is this coming from?”
“Well, you’ve got Jessica back now and Brian is f**kin’ married, so that leaves more pu**y for me and Eric, right?”
“Trey—”
“You know I never do what people tell me to do.” With a loud screeching sound, Sed dragged a chair across the tile floor to the side of the bed and sat.
“Sed, I honestly don’t—”
“Those staples in your head look bad ass. You should keep them permanently.”
Trey ran his hand over the shaved side of his head, his slightly curved index finger brushing over the arc of black staples. “I don’t know. I don’t think this haircut is me.”
Sed chuckled. “Looks more like Eric’s style.” Sed dropped his gaze to meet Trey’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Always a bad thing.”
Trey lowered his arm to rest on the bed beside him. Sed forced himself not to fixate on Trey’s fingers, which he continually bent and straightened in sequence. He was trying his best, God love him, but Sed didn’t see any thirty-second notes in his immediate future. And the band was on tour. They needed him. Now. Not in a month. Not in six months. Now.
Trey tucked his hand under the covers again and Sed forced his attention to his scowling face.
“I want you to concentrate on getting better. Don’t worry about the band,” Sed said. “We’ll wait for you to recover. Cancel tour dates. Put the new album on hold. Whatever is necessary. I haven’t talked to the guys, but I know they feel the same way.”
“Jesus, Sed, I’ve been awake three hours and you’re already deciding if you’re going to kick me out of the band?”
“That’s not what I meant. I just…” God, he was bad at this serious discussion bullshit. “I don’t want you to feel any pressure. Well, yes, some pressure. You’d better work your ass off to get better because we need you, but otherwise, don’t worry. We’ll wait.”
“You really suck at pep talks.”
“Yeah, I know. Fuck.” Sed took a deep breath. “Did I make you feel worse? I’m sorry, man.”
Trey shook his head slightly. “Nah. How long do you think they’ll keep me in this place?”
“Are you bored?”
“Fuck yeah, I’m bored. And I’m dying for a cherry sucker.”
Sed grinned. Something he could do to help. Even if it was minor. “One cherry sucker coming up. Then you have to get some rest, because tomorrow everyone is going to be all over you.”
He smiled slightly. “You’re probably right.”
“You know I am.” Sed stood to leave.
“Sed?”
“Yeah, buddy?”
“What am I going to do if I don’t get better?” Trey asked in a small voice.
Sed paused, his heart rising to his throat. “Don’t talk like that, man. You are going to get better.”
“Guitar. The band. That’s all I have. All I know. I don’t know how to do anything else.”
“You don’t have to know how to do anything else. We aren’t going anywhere, okay?”
Trey lowered his gaze and nodded. “Is Brian still here?”
“No, he left a while ago. Do you want me to call him?”
Trey shook his head. “No. He has Myrna now.”
Sed didn’t know how to deal with someone this depressed. It just wasn’t in his skill set. “I’m going to go get you that sucker now.” Maybe that would help.
He wasn’t sure if Trey even heard him. His eyes had drifted out of focus.
Sed headed for the elevator in search of some place that would sell him a cherry sucker. The gift shop was closed. The cafeteria didn’t sell candy. He found a vending machine that sold Life Savers and used all his change to buy as many rolls as possible. On his way back to Trey’s floor, he called Eric. “Hey, are you coming in to the hospital soon?”
“I thought Trey didn’t want to see anyone.”
“Do we care? He’s majorly bummed. Bring some cherry suckers with you. He’s going through withdrawal.”
“Will do. How’s he doing? I talked to him, but it’s hard to tell on the phone.”
“Better, I think. He looks good. The staples in his head look hardcore. The fans will love that. You know about his hands, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Brian told me. I’ll be there in a few with his lollipops. Jace is f**kin’ missing again. I swear I’m going to kick his ass when I see him. Doesn’t he know I need a ride?”
“You could call a cab.”
“I guess. Dave wants to come visit too. Do you think Trey would be okay with that?”
“I don’t know. He needs someone to cheer him up.” Their soundboard operator wasn’t known for his amazing sense of humor, but he was a good guy.
“I’m on it. Later.”
Sed ended the call and headed to Trey’s room with his meager offering of Life Savers. Five flavors? There was no guarantee any of them were cherry.
Sed walked in without knocking. “I couldn’t find any cherry suckers, but…”
Trey had his pretty brunette physician’s assistant in his arms, kissing her as if there was no tomorrow.
“Whoa! Pardon me.” Sed spun on his heel to leave, but the PA brushed passed him and ran from the room, fleeing for her life apparently. Sed glanced over his shoulder at Trey, who looked rather pleased with himself.
“Even crippled, I still got it.” He smoothed his eyebrow with the side of his finger.
Sed didn’t like his use of the word crippled, but didn’t know what to say. “Uh. I hope these Life Savers will tide you over until Eric gets here with your suckers.”
“Eric’s coming?”
“Yeah. He’s bringing Dave.”
“Cool. Why don’t you call Jake and have him round up some groupies for me?”
Sed’s brow crinkled with confusion. “Huh?”
Trey unwrapped a roll of Life Savers, flicking candies off one at a time with his thumb until he came to a red one. He popped the red one in his mouth. It took some concentration for him to use his hands, but he was already doing better than he had been even a half hour ago. What had changed? Sed decided he was pissed instead of feeling sorry for himself.
“I told you I was bored,” Trey said. “Some group sex should take care of that.”
“Where is this coming from?”
“Well, you’ve got Jessica back now and Brian is f**kin’ married, so that leaves more pu**y for me and Eric, right?”
“Trey—”
