As She Fades(10)

Over the next three days my coffee was waiting on me when I arrived, but there was no Slate. Not a sign of him. All day.

Finally the coffee and absent Slate got to me. When I went in to see Crawford at four, I sat my bag down and looked at him. “I’ve met this guy and he’s messed with my head. I think I hurt his feelings and his uncle is very sick and he reads to the kids on the children’s floor and I should have been more thoughtful. He didn’t do anything but bring me coffee. He still brings me coffee. But he’s never there. Doesn’t stop by. I don’t even see him in the halls making out with nurses. Yes, he makes out with the nurses in the halls. He is a player. According to Knox he’s the worst kind of player. They’re frat brothers. You know how frat boys are.” Sighing, I sat down on the chair beside him and stared at the familiar face I missed so much. He was here, but he wasn’t.

“I just need you to wake up. I’m losing it without you, Crawford.”

There was no movement. No new brain activity. Nothing.

“Maybe he would have been a good friend. I need one of those. All of ours don’t come around much. Seeing you upsets them and reminds them that life can change on a dime. I’m disappointed in them, but it’s true. Braxton left for UA this week. He stopped in last week to say good-bye. But he felt awkward. They all do. I can see it.”

Braxton had been Crawford’s best guy friend most of our lives. Of all people, I was most surprised by Braxton’s absence. In the beginning, everyone was here. Stopping by and bringing flowers, candy, balloons, and the like. Then after two weeks it slowed. Three weeks, not a soul. A month and they had all moved on to their summer thing. Vacations, packing for college, and moving.

It had gotten lonely. Slate was helping somewhat. He was a distraction. But I’d let Knox get to me and I’d been mean and run him off. Yet he still was kind enough to bring me coffee.

I should go check on his uncle. That was the nice thing to do. Show I care. I wondered if anyone other than Slate came to visit his uncle. Was he alone, too? Was that why he kept stopping by to visit me? He needed company that didn’t want to crawl in his lap and lick his face? Possibly.

Stupid Knox. I shouldn’t have listened to him.

“I think I’ll go visit his uncle tomorrow. He has cancer and he’s old. I bet he needs company. Besides, it’s lonely in that waiting room.”

Crawford didn’t say anything. But then, he still hadn’t opened his eyes.

“Ready for me to read chapter fifteen? I fell asleep before we got to it last night. Your mom had to wake me up. I’ll try to stay awake longer tonight. But, of course, if you’d wake up I would stay awake forever. It’s the silence that makes me sleepy. And possibly these machines.”

I reached into my bag and pulled out a book and my bottle of water. After taking a long drink, I got comfortable and opened the book to chapter fifteen. It was time the search party got serious. “Hope this ends good. I should have Googled it before I started reading it,” I told him.





CHAPTER EIGHT

KNOX WAS SITTING in the kitchen with a glass of milk and some brownies when I walked in the house. He always seemed to be eating lately. It was a miracle he stayed so slim.

“Where’s everyone?” I asked, setting my bag on the bar and going to the fridge for leftovers. I was starving. It had been a while since lunch.

“Mom is at Dylan’s watching the girls while they go on a date. Dad’s over at Rob’s watching baseball. I’m staying here to check on the baby”—he pointed his fork at me as if I didn’t know what baby he was talking about—“to ease everyone’s mind. It’s Friday night. You’re young and should be out enjoying life.”

“Not in the mood for this,” I told him as I spooned some mac and cheese onto a paper plate.

“You seen any more of Slate?”

That annoyed me. I set the spoon down. “No, as a matter of fact. Not in three days. Not since I told him I wasn’t a challenge and not to chase me.”

Knox’s eyes went wide, then he started laughing. I was very close to tossing the spoon at his head. Or better yet, the whole bowl of mac and cheese. But Mom would kill me. She didn’t like to waste food. Although if I did toss it, I could let Bruno inside so he could lick it clean. He’d love that. Feeding our chocolate lab wouldn’t be considered wasting food. Technically.

“You told him not to chase you?” Knox barked with laughter again.

“I’m seriously close to making you wear this mac and cheese,” I warned him.

He shook his head and tried to stop laughing. He didn’t do a very good job. I turned my back on him and put my plate in the microwave. He had me all worked up over Slate and now he was laughing about my handling it. I didn’t understand brothers at all.

“I’m sorry,” he said through his laughter. “I am just picturing Slate’s face when you told him. That is definitely something he’s never heard before.”

I glared at the microwave. “Well, it worked. He’s not come back around.”

Knox’s laughter faded. “You don’t seem happy about that.”

I wasn’t. I was afraid I’d hurt his feelings, and dang it, I was lonely during the day. Slate’s visits had been nice.

“I think I hurt his feelings.”