Behind the Secrets (Behind the Lives #4) by Marita A. Hansen

of answering back, he turned his dark glare on the
nurse. “I’m sorry for calling you a bitch twice. Happy now?”
    Exhaling, the nurse turned to Corey’s
mother. “Thank you. I’ll inform the doctor of what’s happened. Good luck.” She
left the room.
    Corey turned to his mother. “Can I be
with Sledge alone for a bit?”
    His mother frowned. “As long as you talk
some sense into him, because if he keeps acting this way, I won’t bring you
back.” Her gaze moved to Sledge. “The nurses are here to help you, not to get
insulted. I know what it’s like to have to deal with ungrateful and rude
patients, and I will not tolerate seeing you treat anyone like this
again. Do you hear me, Sledge?”
    Sledge mumbled under his breath.
    “Do. You. Hear. Me?!”
    “Yes,” Sledge grunted. “But she—”
    “I don’t want to hear excuses. She was
trying to help your ungrateful behind. End of story.”
    Sledge cast his eyes down, mumbling:
“Sorry.”
    “I wish your apology to the nurse had held
the same sincerity. Now, I will go find her and apologise again for your bad
behaviour.” She turned to Corey. “I’ll make myself scarce for half an hour. If
you need me, call my mobile.”
    Corey nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Mum.”
    She touched his cheek. “You’re welcome,
sweetie.”
    As she left the room, Corey headed over
to Sledge’s side.
    Sledge patted the mattress. “Climb onto
the bed.” Unlike his older brothers, Ash and Dante, Sledge was much harsher-looking,
his face rougher and his complexion darker. Sledge had recently found out that
Ash and Dante were cousins, not brothers. Sledge and his twin sister had been
adopted into the family when they were babies, their mother having died shortly
after they were born.
    Sledge patted the bed again. “Stop pissing
about and get up here.”
    Corey glanced at the neighbouring bed,
where a woman was visiting her husband. The couple were casting sideways glances
at him and Sledge. It made him wonder whether they were disapproving of him
like Beth had or were just wary of Sledge.
    “I can’t,” Corey said, refocusing on
Sledge.
    “Why not?”
    “I can’t climb on the bed, cos of my
moon boot.”
    “You did it last week.”
    “That wuz in a different ward.”
    “What difference does that make?”
    “There are people here.”
    “So?”
    “They’ll see us.”
    “I don’t care.”
    “I do.”
    Sledge’s face hardened. “Are you ashamed
of me?”
    “Of course not, I already told ja that,
but you hafta understand that you can’t do certain things in front of other
people.”
    “I just wanna hug and kiss you. What’s
so wrong with that?”
    Corey’s gaze shot to the man and woman
again, this time noticing their looks were disdainful. He dropped his gaze. “We
just can’t do that here.”
    “Then I wanna go home.” Sledge slung his
legs over the side of the bed, looking like he was going to get up.
    Corey moved closer. “Don’t, Sledge, you
can’t walk far.”
    “Get me a wheelchair, then.”
    “You’re not allowed to leave.”
    “I’m eighteen, so they can’t stop me.
So, get me a wheelchair.”
    “I can’t, I’m on crutches. I can’t push
it.”
    Sledge turned his head to the woman
visiting her husband. “Can you get me a wheelchair?”
    She ignored him, her gaze now worried.
    “Oi! You . I asked if you could
get me a wheelchair.”
    “I don’t work here,” the lady said, not
looking at Sledge.
    “That makes no difference; just get me a
goddamn wheelchair so I can leave.”
    “I’ll ask a nurse.” She got up and left
the room.
    “I don’t want another fuckin’ nurse,”
Sledge hollered, “just a bloody wheelchair.”
    “Sledge, calm down,” Corey said, now
wishing his mum had stayed. He pulled out his mobile phone and dialled her
number.
    Sledge’s gaze moved back to Corey. “Who are
you calling?”
    “My mum.”
    “Get her to get me out of this shithole.
I’ve had it.”
    Corey nodded, waiting for his mum to
answer.