22. Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-two
Deacon
I hadn’t looked forward to going home in a week, but today I was. I’d never been so tired in my life. Not even in prison, where I was lucky if I got four hours of consecutive sleep. Exhaustion ate at my bones like a crippling disease.
Chris looked over at me from the driver’s seat. “You look like shit. Are you feeling okay?” For once, luck had been on my side. Chris and I sometimes carpooled to jobsites, and most of the time, when we did, we took my truck. Today, he’d volunteered to drive. Good thing, too. I wasn’t sure I would have been able to safely get us home.
I rubbed my sweaty forehead, but it did nothing to relieve the ache behind my brow. “Pretty sure I’m coming down with something. Try not to breathe my air. Tilly’ll kill me if I get you sick.”
It’d come out of nowhere and hit me like a freight train. I’d barely been around anyone lately, but I must’ve picked up a bug during the few interactions I’d had.
“You need to stop to get some meds?”
I shook my head. We were nearly home. The thought of being in this truck for more than a few more minutes was almost unbearable.
“I’ve got what I need in my medicine cabinet.” I’d be lucky if I could find a Tylenol, but he didn’t need to know that. “I just need to sleep it off.”
“Good thing it’s the weekend. I see you working in the shed; I’m kicking you out. You need rest.”
My arm dropped to my lap, heavy and lethargic. “I’m not arguing that.” I didn’t know how I’d gotten through my workday. Pure adrenaline, probably, and I was experiencing the crash. My body said, “No more,” and I had no choice but to listen.
Chris pulled up in front of the house, putting his truck in park so he could look at me. “Are you sure you’re gonna be okay on your own? I can run out, get you soup or medicine—anything you need.”
“I must really look like shit if you’re offering to get me soup.”
He guffawed. “Hell yeah, you do.”
“I’m good.” Using every ounce of my remaining strength, I pushed the door open and climbed out. Once I was upright, my legs were anything but steady and my head started to spin. “Just need to crash. I’ll be fine.”
I took a step back—staggered, really—and closed the door, lifting my hand in a wave. That act alone almost sucked out all the energy I had left, and I still had a long flight of stairs to climb.
Dizziness struck me from all angles, but I managed to put one foot in front of the other. Behind me, the steady sound of a big engine faded as Chris drove away. The act I’d put on had been good enough to convince him I wasn’t on death’s door.
At the bottom of the stairs, I stumbled, narrowly avoiding falling by grabbing onto the railing. I looked up. The steps had multiplied since I’d been gone. There were now ten thousand, most of them moving.
“ Fuck .”
This was going to hurt.
I climbed two, and I was breathless. Black spots danced in my vision. Pushing through it, I made it up another two. Sweat flowed down my back and dripped off my brow freely, and my vision narrowed to little more than a pinpoint.
Just need to make it to my door.
Then inside.
I’ll crawl to my bed.
I staggered onward, somehow lifting my leg high enough to climb another step and another until I reached the top. My door…Christ, I could barely get my eyes to focus on it.
I braced one hand on the frame, my head hanging between my shoulders until I caught my breath. Then I reached into my pocket for my keys, but my fingers weren’t wrapping around them.
Frustration swamped me, making it hard to do anything other than groan. Actually, that might have been the virus running rampant through my body. Hell, maybe I could take a nap right here and worry about getting inside later.
Yeah, that sounded like a really good idea.
As soon as I decided, my legs gave out, and I dropped to my knees on my welcome mat.
When had I gotten a welcome mat? I must’ve forgotten. Didn’t seem like me, but what the hell did I know? Glad I had it, though. Cushioned my ass when I fell on it.
With a ragged groan, I let my head drop back against the door. I’d just rest here a little while.
My eyes fell closed.
Just for a while…