I turned on my heel and walked out of his room. Out of his life once again as I heard him shout my name. This time it was on my terms.

2

HUCK

Twelve hours earlier - Friday morning

“Is what Graham told me true, Lettuce?” I asked, sliding back the curtain around a gurney in the emergency room.

I set my hand on the butt of my gun at my hip as I looked Kale Bradford over. When I’d heard he’d been in an accident, I’d panicked but had been reassured his injuries were minor. So when I came to the ER to check on him, I fucked with him. As usual. I never let him live it down that he’d been named after a leafy green. We’d grown up together, surviving middle school growth spurts and high school fuckups without breaking a sweat. We’d been little assholes who’d grown into bigger assholes before we got our shit together in our early twenties. Kale had gone to law school, and I’d gone into the police academy. Now we enforced the law instead of trying to figure out ways to bend it.

A nurse passed, and I gave her a nod. I was here often enough for work to know most of the staff.

“Completely true. Can’t make this shit up,” he said, grinning as he tried to shift. He was propped up on a gurney in a hospital gown, an IV tube sticking out of his forearm and leading to a bag hung on a hook beside his head. His hairy lower legs and bare feet hung off the edge. His arm was in a sling, and there was a bandage on his forehead.

“A cow?” I asked, slowly shaking my head. “How is it possible you didn’t avoid a cow in the middle of the road?”

He frowned, then winced again. “Fucker, . I avoided the fucking cow. That’s why I’m here. He was in the middle of the curve on Old Thompkins Road. Since the curve was occupied, I went straight.”

“Heard your truck’s totaled.”

He rolled his eyes. “Better the truck than me.”

I’d had enough death in my life. I saw it often on the job, unfortunately. I didn’t need my friend to bite it, especially because of a fucking cow. “Damn straight. Probably one of the Zinke’s animals. The land to the north is all alfalfa.”

I’d grown up here, knew what was going on in and around town.

“These drugs are good,” he murmured, his eyes closing.

“They keeping you overnight?” He didn’t look too banged up, but what did I know?

“A couple of hours. The hot nurse with the pink scrubs said they’re not giving me any more of the pain meds through the IV.” His eyes opened, and he tapped the tube that led to the bag. “I fucking have to piss.”

I went over, took his arm, and helped him stand. He gripped the IV pole, and we walked to the bathroom, his ass hanging out. “Please tell me you can take a leak on your own.”