Goldilocks Forever

Chapter 44

New York City, New York

February 2043

"Beau. Can you hear me?"

He opened his eyes with a startle and shifted, tried to sit up, but Parker put a hand on his shoulder to ease him back against the bed.

"Easy there."

Beau's head reeled with the shock of light in the room and the disorienting spin of not knowing where he was.

Parker stood at his bedside in his doctor's coat and scrubs. He typed some data into a tablet and then dropped it into his pocket. "You want to tell me what the hell happened?"

"Huh?" He struggled again to sit up. 

Parker sighed and pressed a button on the side of the bed, raising one end so Beau could sit upright. He pressed another button to activate the privacy sensor. A soundproof opaque pane of plastic whooshed into place next to the bed. "Do you know where you are?"

Beau looked around. He closed his eyes and sighed, let out a little groan. "Shit."

"Yeah, shit is right." Parker crossed his arms over his chest and gave Beau a disapproving frown. "We ran your blood work."

"Wait." Beau lifted one hand off the bed and noticed for the first time the IV plugged into his forearm. "What happened?"

Parker's jaw was set so firmly Beau half-expected that he wouldn't be able to speak. "You were in a car accident. What the hell were you doing up in the mountains in this weather?"

Beau's mind swirled in a haze of confusion and broken memories. "How...how did you know where to find me?"

"The only other idiot in the state of New York out driving during a blizzard saw your car on the side of the highway."

The only other idiot, the only other person crazy enough. He thought of Toby and made a mental note to ask him about it when he next saw him. He groaned and leaned his head against the pillow. Pain burned up the side of his skull. He lifted his fingers to it tentatively.

"Don't touch," Parker snapped. "We have you all bandaged up. You hit your head. No concussion, but you lost some blood."

He knew from Parker's stance that there was more. "What about the blood work?"

"If you weren't my best friend, I'd tear into you so—"

"I bet you're famous for your bedside manner." Beau turned his head away. The loudness of Parker's voice made his head ache even more.

Parker sighed. "You haven't been taking your medication. Do you think this is a fucking joke? Your tests came back much, much worse than they should have." He rattled off some numbers peppered with medical jargon.

"What does that mean?"

"It means your blood isn't carrying enough oxygen to your cells and your organs are going to start shutting down. We had to put you on oxygen and give you a transfusion. It's the only reason you're stable and awake now."

"I feel fine." Beau flexed his toes, relieved to see that he could still feel and control his legs. "What happens now?"

"I gave you a stronger dose yesterday. We'll test you again in a few hours and see if it worked."

"When can I go home? I have to get back to work."

Parker shook his head. "You're not going back to work anytime soon."

"What?" Beau cast an angry glance at him.

"I'm not discharging you until your levels are stable. That might mean more drugs and more transfusions. Beau, the disease has progressed at a faster-than-normal pace." He lowered his voice, his face turned somber and regretful. "I already called and reviewed your results with your hematologist. You have less time than we thought."