Jared Gets Injured (Waylaid on the Road to Nowhere pt 3)

This is the third in a series of stories about a group of friends taking on a neighborhood drug cartel. Read the first part here.

Jared Novak’s first thought was pain. Dear sweet baby Jesus, kill me now-type pain. He opened his eyes to a world that was upside down. An upside-down face leaned over him, mouthing something that didn’t seem to reach his ears. He shook his head, then closed his eyes to a blissful darkness.

When he opened his eyes again, the scenery had changed. White walls, beeping, and disinfectant greeted him. He tried to get up but pain arced through his back and legs, forcing tears to his eyes. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, which he promptly let go of because shit, that hurt too.

He tried to piece together what could’ve brought him to a hospital. He’d followed Nadine to her place the night before, declining her invitation to come in for a cup of coffee and sex-but-not-sex because he had to be at a job site at 5:30 the next morning. And because she couldn’t be offering him more, could she? Nadine was a sweetheart towards him in the diner, towards all her customers. If it was more with him, was it more with everyone else too? He’d lain awake until nearly two, because every time he closed his eyes her jackass fool of an ex danced in front of him, daring to be punched in…