Faith stumbled off of her couch. She'd been sleeping there a lot lately,
well for the past 3 days. It seemed the harder she tried to keep her
marriage afloat, the more difficult Fred was. It didn't make for very
inviting company in bed. She couldn't figure out who would be at her
apartment. Bosco was by no doubt asleep at the hospital by Raeanne's side.
That made him rather grumpy during watch considering the hard plastic
wasn't the ideal choice of a resting place. Imagine her surprise when she
opened the door and Bosco nearly fell over himself walking in.
"What are you doing here?" Faith whispered, careful not to wake her family. She could smell the alcohol as he brushed by. Bosco leaned over her couch and flipped onto it. His feet flew over his head for a brief second, knocking off some dirty dishes. They both cringed at the sudden noise. "Would you be careful?"
"Sorry," Bosco apologized. She buzzed around the living room, picking up dishes, magazines, and (how did that get out here?) some of her daughter Emily's underwear. She threw them into three respective small piles, then sat across from her best friend. He was sprawled across her makeshift bed, rubbing his temples.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she repeated.
"I couldn't sleep," Bosco answered.
"Well, yea. Usually when you're at a bar getting drunk off your ass you can't go to sleep. The sleep is an aftereffect, remember?"
"Funny," Bosco moaned. "I couldn't sleep before that, either."
"Why's that?"
"I kept thinking about Raeanne,"
"How's the sweetheart doing anyway?" Faith's smile faded as she saw Bosco's own expression. It was a mixture between despair and anger.
"I didn't tell you?"
"We didn't work today," Faith reminded him gently.
"She's even more- screwed," he slurred, trying not to cuss. God only knew what kids would hear in their sleep and then repeat.
"What happened? I thought she was doing better,"
"Well she was," Bosco shrugged. He then counted off the problems on his fingers. "She's got Hepatitis C and liver disease. They put a new liver in her this afternoon."
"How the hell did she get that?" Faith's eyes widened.
"One of her blood pints was tainted. They think that the banker didn't know he had Hepatitis when he donated the blood,"
"Donor," Faith smiled. "The donor didn't know."
"That's what I said," Bosco shot her an irritable look. "So, anyway. They gave her the new liver, but they said the next 24 to 72 hours were critical. That's when they'll find out if her body will accept or reject the new liver."
"So why aren't you at the hospital?"
"Would you want to see your girlfriend have another near-death experience? I mean, come on. I've had my heart jump so far into my throat over this past month that I think I'm a prime candidate for a heart attack," Bosco bitterly said.
"You want some coffee?" Faith offered. Bosco nodded. She put the coffee on the pot, then headed toward her bathroom. She returned with a bottle of aspirin and a small glass of water. "Here, Bosco."
"Mmm," he mumbled. She approached the couch carefully, only to see him curled up in a ball, asleep. He was resting his forehead in the crook of his elbow, snoring softly. Faith smiled to herself, setting the bottle and glass down. She pulled the comforter out from underneath him then covered his body with it. She pulled another blanket from the top of the couch. She dragged it to the overstuffed recliner that sat in her living room and sat down in it. The last image she saw before she went to sleep was Bosco sleeping peacefully for the first night in 2 weeks.
"What are you doing here?" Faith whispered, careful not to wake her family. She could smell the alcohol as he brushed by. Bosco leaned over her couch and flipped onto it. His feet flew over his head for a brief second, knocking off some dirty dishes. They both cringed at the sudden noise. "Would you be careful?"
"Sorry," Bosco apologized. She buzzed around the living room, picking up dishes, magazines, and (how did that get out here?) some of her daughter Emily's underwear. She threw them into three respective small piles, then sat across from her best friend. He was sprawled across her makeshift bed, rubbing his temples.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she repeated.
"I couldn't sleep," Bosco answered.
"Well, yea. Usually when you're at a bar getting drunk off your ass you can't go to sleep. The sleep is an aftereffect, remember?"
"Funny," Bosco moaned. "I couldn't sleep before that, either."
"Why's that?"
"I kept thinking about Raeanne,"
"How's the sweetheart doing anyway?" Faith's smile faded as she saw Bosco's own expression. It was a mixture between despair and anger.
"I didn't tell you?"
"We didn't work today," Faith reminded him gently.
"She's even more- screwed," he slurred, trying not to cuss. God only knew what kids would hear in their sleep and then repeat.
"What happened? I thought she was doing better,"
"Well she was," Bosco shrugged. He then counted off the problems on his fingers. "She's got Hepatitis C and liver disease. They put a new liver in her this afternoon."
"How the hell did she get that?" Faith's eyes widened.
"One of her blood pints was tainted. They think that the banker didn't know he had Hepatitis when he donated the blood,"
"Donor," Faith smiled. "The donor didn't know."
"That's what I said," Bosco shot her an irritable look. "So, anyway. They gave her the new liver, but they said the next 24 to 72 hours were critical. That's when they'll find out if her body will accept or reject the new liver."
"So why aren't you at the hospital?"
"Would you want to see your girlfriend have another near-death experience? I mean, come on. I've had my heart jump so far into my throat over this past month that I think I'm a prime candidate for a heart attack," Bosco bitterly said.
"You want some coffee?" Faith offered. Bosco nodded. She put the coffee on the pot, then headed toward her bathroom. She returned with a bottle of aspirin and a small glass of water. "Here, Bosco."
"Mmm," he mumbled. She approached the couch carefully, only to see him curled up in a ball, asleep. He was resting his forehead in the crook of his elbow, snoring softly. Faith smiled to herself, setting the bottle and glass down. She pulled the comforter out from underneath him then covered his body with it. She pulled another blanket from the top of the couch. She dragged it to the overstuffed recliner that sat in her living room and sat down in it. The last image she saw before she went to sleep was Bosco sleeping peacefully for the first night in 2 weeks.