Thrown Off the Ice by Taylor Fitzpatrick

Author:Taylor Fitzpatrick [Fitzpatrick, Taylor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Another month passes, and nothing really changes. They keep shuffling him from doctor to doctor, trying to manage symptoms, but nothing seems to work. They send him to neurologists, psychiatrists, a sports therapist. Try to send him to a psychologist, but he flat out refuses. ‘It’s all in your head’ is technically true, considering his fucking brain, but that’s what the neurologists and the psychiatrists are for. Talking shit over isn’t going to fucking help, or he’d be in perfect health by now.

Liam’s still trying to help, making shit worse every time he does. He’s looking less hopeful, hell, Liam’s down, his mood and his output. Mike can’t watch the games, but he can manage the radio in half hour spurts, he knows Liam’s playing messed up. Playing messed up and coddling Mike like he’ll miraculously recover with the help of some chicken soup and an extra blanket, like Mike’s got a fucking cold or something.

It’s bad enough to be aching, flat on his back with a pain he can’t hit back, to be told he’s never going to play again, maybe never going to get past this, but Liam makes him feel helpless, and Mike won’t be helpless, not for anyone.

Liam lets himself in without bothering to call ahead when Mike’s facing another migraine head on. He can tell when it’s coming, objects throbbing before his eyes and his skin tight. Liam’s been sleeping over at Mike’s as often as not for over a year, but this isn’t his apartment, and Mike isn’t his invalid sweetheart. Mike’s kept him from seeing the worst of it, but he can feel it coming on in waves.

“What are you doing here?” Mike asks. Doesn’t look up from where he’s got his head between his hands, like putting enough pressure on his temples will help stave it off. Nothing will, he knows that by now, but he does it anyway.

“We got back today,” Liam says, dropping his bag on the in the front hall with a dull thud, where he always drops it even though Mike’s told him to use the laundry room if he’s so insistent on leaving his shit on the floor. It’s not loud, but the sound shoots through Mike like a physical blow.

“But why are you here?” Mike snaps, presses harder like he can contain what’s coming. He can’t. He knows that by now. “Who said I wanted you here?”

“Are you feeling okay?” Liam asks, voice close now. “Do you want me to get you something?”

“I want you to stop getting underfoot all the fucking time,” Mike says, quiet, just because anything more would hurt too much to be worth it. “You make a shitty nurse. You’re a fucking fetus, go play with your little friends and go away.”

Liam’s quiet for an uncharacteristically long time. “You want your painkillers?” he asks finally.

“I want you to catch a clue for once,” Mike snaps. “Jesus, do you need me to make it clearer? Do you want me to speak in little words so you can understand?”

“Fine,” Liam says, short.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.