Springsteen

Chapter 15

Luke was discharged the day after Louis. I'm helping him to the car now.

"Baby girl, do you want to go to Walmart?"

"No, I want to get you home safe so I can baby you." I shut the car door and go around the driver's side.

"I can ride those scooters! Please? We need certain foods anyways."

I sigh slowly.

"Alright." I give in and back up.

I drive to Walmart and help Luke to one of the scooters.

An old lady is heading towards it, but Luke got their first.

"Baby girl, how do I drive it?" he asks. "God, this is so embarrassing."

"Sweetie, you either use the scooter or we're leaving."

He sighs slowly. I put my hand on his shoulder. "I think that's go." I say, pointing to the gas pedal. "And then the brakes are the same as a bike."

"But what's reverse?" Luke asks.

"Uh..." I point to a level. "Pull that.

"Baby girl, please can I walk?" he pleads, looking at me. I plant a soft kiss on his lips.

"No." I say.

"Excuse me?" a guy says. I turn around. He has a blue button down on and kakis and a name tag that says Manager and then Hi, my name is Josh.

I raise my eyebrows. He has four old people with him, and Luke's on the last scooter.

Luke cringes.

"Can you guys walk please? You don't need that scooter."

For some reason, I get pissed.

"We need it a hell of a lot more than lazy old people." I snap. "If you must know, my fiancé just had surgery the other day and had a seventy five percent change of dying. Buy more scooters."

Luke looks shocked because I never snap at people.

"Actually, Luke, let's go, we're leaving."

Luke looks shocked.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes to them.

I help him up and give the old people and the manager the finger, and help him out of the store and back to the car.

"From now on, you're not coming to stores with me." I say. "Not until you get the okay from the doctor to go back to your regular life."

"Baby girl, wasn't that a bit uncalled for?" Luke asks after he's situated and we're driving.

"No." I say.

"You ripped their heads off."

I sigh and just shake my head.

We drive in silence the whole way home.

I situate him in bed and then start cleaning, starting with the bloody vomit.

"Babe, what are you doing?" Luke calls.

"Nothing." I say.

If he finds out I'm cleaning this he's going to feel horrible.

I turn the TV on to distract him and keep cleaning.

I clean the entire house and then take a shower.

Luke is texting.

When I walk out after my shower, he looks at me.

"Did the doc say anything about me taking a shower?" he asks.