"Hey." Nick said weakly. His voice was quiet and scratchy.
"Hey buddy. How ya feeling?" Warrick was suddenly nervous. 'He's probably pissed at me...I did punch him in the face...' he thought.
"It hurts...a lot..."
"You're just sore bro, don't worry you'll feel better soon. Everything's gonna be okay, I promise." Nick shook his head and closed his eyes. Warrick thought he had fallen alseep, but then he spoke.
"I heard what you said...all of it. I didn't want to wake up, before. I was trying to just...give up. But I couldn't...I didn't want to anymore...I'm sorry, Warrick..."
"Nick, you don't have a damn thing to be sorry for, okay? I screwed up. Hell, I was married when you slept with Catherine, so you shouldn't have felt as guilty as you did. It's my fault, not yours."
"I'm still sorry."
"Don't be. I'm the one that needs to say sorry to you. "I'm Sorry" doesn't even begin to describe it. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be here right now. I'm gonna make this better Nick, I swear." A few tears had fallen from Nick's tired eyes. 'After everything Nick's done for me, I go and do this to him...'
"Mr. Stokes, glad to see you're awake." Neither Warrick or Nick had heard Dr. Hanavan walk in. He put some pain killers in Nick's IV and tried to give him sedatives, but Nick refused. Warrick knew how much Nick hated them, he wouldn't let the doctors give them to him after he had been buried alive, either. "Okay, Nick, get plenty of rest and make sure you drink a lot of fluids, and I don't see why you can't be out of here in a couple of days."
"Thanks doc." Nick said before Hanavan left.
"Well, you should probably get some sleep man. I'll leave you alone." Warrick stood up to leave, but Nick didn't let go of his hand.
"You...uh...busy?" Nick asked softly.
"No."
"Will you stay with me? I still hate being alone..."
"Of course I will."
"Thanks, bro." Warrick sat back down in his chair next to Nick, who was obviously too tired to hold up his end of a conversation. So Warrick turned the TV on and found a football game and they watched it for a little while, talking and joking like they always did. It didn't take long for Nick to fall back asleep.
Thanks for all the reviews. The last chapter will be up later tonight.
