Heal the Heart

48.

"There's no time for that. Either you come with me, or you go with Brij. Those are your only two options."

"Why are you still here? Fuck off already. You're adding on to my headache."

"You need to come with one of us!" he yelled. "You have a fucking concussion, do you get that? You might be at risk for a brain injury. Someone needs to supervise you while you sleep. Why you are you being so stubborn?"

I hung my mouth open in faux surprise. "Oh my God, Syama! How did you ever manage to get a medical degree between all those sixty-hour work weeks?"

"You know what?" He said to Brij. "I have a better idea. Let's just leave him here. If he can run his mouth, then he can find his way back."

Brij sneered. "This fucker is made of steel. No matter how many times you put him in the hospital, he always finds his way back."

Well, that was oddly nice. "See, I'll be fine. You guys can leave."

Brij side-eyed me. "But all those other times, you had all four functioning limbs. Now, you're two short." He gestured to my splinted arm and fingers. "I'd love to see you wipe your own ass like this."

"In case you haven't realised, you've cracked both your arms. How are you even going to open your front door? Say khullja sim sim and hope for the best?" Syama smirked. "You got two options. Me or Brij. Choose."

"Neither."

All our heads snapped to Beck. His grip on the footboard tightened. "Sam, you're leaving for Amsterdam in two days, and Brij, you're needed for the wedding planning. You also have your job to focus on."

Brij immediately protested, "But I can—"

"I know, I know." Beck flapped a hand in a placating gesture. "Just hear me out. It's the off season and the only reason I step out of the house these days is for physiotherapy. I can take care of him. Besides, we stay in the same building."

"No." My sudden outburst jostled my resting head and instead of two Becks, I saw multiple Becks surrounding the bed. I blinked a couple of times to reel in the dizziness. "You don't need to trouble yourself. I can hire someone."

"Of course, why didn't we even think of that?" Syama chimed in. "You say I want, and a hot male nurse will just appear out of thin air. Marvellous. Magnificent idea."

"Money can buy anything," I said dryly.

"This is not India, Neil. Do you have that kind of money?"

He really did not need to mention my financials. I wasn't in a bad spot, but I wasn't the richest man on the planet just yet.

"Let me pay then," he said.

"I just came out of debt. I'm not going to voluntarily jump into the pool again."

"I'm not asking you to pay me back."

"Didn't I tell you to fuck off? Take your charity with you while you're at it."

That set off his rage. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"Why are you so irritating? I said I'll manage. I broke my arm, not my neck."

"Would have been much easier on us if you had," Brij mumbled.

"Okay, that's it." Syama threw hands. "I'm calling your mother."

"What? No!" I moved my legs, trying to kick the phone from his hands since my upper two limbs were out of commission. That woman would actually break my neck if she got to know I broke my arm and fingers from falling off the stairs like a toddler. Which was weird in its own way. I had extended my arms to cushion my fall, instead the opposite happened, and I got stuck with a splint for my dominant arm and another for my fore and middle finger on my other hand. Add in a concussion, for when I slammed my head against the wall towards the end, and I was wrapped up as the perfect patient for the ER. I wished I was unconscious for the entire ordeal, but just my luck that I wasn't. The embarrassment from everyone watching as the paramedics strapped me into a gurney would forever haunt my memories.

Anyway, my mother... No, not a chance. She had just begun to relax after my surgery, last thing she needed was another reason to worry about me.

"Don't... Don't tell my mom," I said. "She doesn't need this on her plate."

"Then you're stuck with one of us."

I swallowed. The only option I could go with wasn't one I wanted, but I didn't really have a choice, did I? "I'll stay with Be—Christopher! I'll stay with Christopher." His nickname wasn't one that most people used these days. Apart from his close circle. And I wasn't a part of that.

"Then, that's settled." Beck clapped his hands, looking a little too awfully pleased. "I'll get the doctor, and we can check you out."

"But only until I get the all clear for my head," I added. Once I got this concussion supervision shit out of the way, I could just saunter down to my place and scream into my pillow with no interruptions.

Syama intervened before Beck could. "Until your finger splint gets off, and you get a medical clearance."

Fuck no. That would take almost ten days. "I—"

"Don't argue with me." He waved his phone in my face.

"I wouldn't cross him if I were you," Beck said, giving me a small smile before disappearing behind the curtain.

Brij soon followed to get coffee for all of us which left Syama and me in a staring match.

"Will you be okay?" Syama asked. "With him?"

"Didn't really have a choice, did I?"

"You did. You just chose him."

Wasn't that the kicker? I chose him. Again. What was that saying? You fool me once, that's on you. You fool me twice, that's on the idiot who's giving you another chance. There probably wasn't a bigger idiot than me, apparently.

"Look, Neil." Syama moved closer and hugged my shoulders. "I know you're a private guy and you don't like sharing your problems, but please don't forget, I'm here for you. Maybe we're not as close as we were in the beginning, but just because I'm in a relationship now, it doesn't mean I have no time for you. Okay?"

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry about it."

It wasn't Syama's fault. With Beck suddenly in the picture, my emotions were all over the place, and it made sense to step back from social obligations that weren't mandatory. Perhaps pushing Syama away wasn't the best idea, but I didn't have a choice. This wasn't my story to tell alone.

The doctor who'd fixed my splints soon came and cleared my discharge. She and Beck had some conversation that I wasn't privy to, and it didn't matter how hard I tried to eavesdrop, Syama continued to bother me by shoving me into clothes Brij brought back from my place.

"Be good, okay?" Syama instructed, buttoning up my shirt. "If it gets too much, call Brij or call me. I'm gone for just three weeks. I'll be back soon."

"You're not my mom, Sammy. I'll be fine." My head was swimming and slightly lolling from side to side. The giddiness returned now that I wasn't able to rest it on a surface. Maybe a bit was also from the fact that I was about to step foot into Beck's home. Willingly.

"Take care of yourself. Listen to what the doctor says. Take your meds on time. And don't throw any tantrums."

Okay, now that last part was offensive. "When have I ever thrown a tantrum?"

Just then, Beck swiped the curtain to the side, and the wheelchair in front of him was enough to make my blood boil.

"Oh, hell to the no!"