I lounge in the chair by Nate's bed. I'm exhausted from all the running around he's made me do. That boy can sure be a pain in the ass if he wants to be. But he's worth it, I think to myself.

I inwardly groan as the nurse pushes her cart into the small room. I have to move to give her space.

"Hello, Nate. How are you feeling today?" she asks.

"I'm doing fantastic," he says holding up his casted arm. The dislocated shoulder only needs a sling now, but his elbow is going to need at least three months to heal. It's going to be a bitch getting Nate to go that long without climbing something.

The nurse has Nate lay against his pillows so she can get a better look at his arm. "Drink these while I set up the big one, okay?" She gives him a cup with five pills and a Dixie cup filled with tap water. Nate obediently downs them in one go. They weaned him off the IV a few days ago, but he still needs the pain killers.

I have to look away when the nurse picks up the needle. I know he needs the antibiotics to keep away infection, but why does it have to be injected? Nate's a good sport about it, but I see him tense up every time they wheel in the cart. Apparently, the worst part isn't the needle, but the burning sensation the leaves behind like a trail as it makes its way around the body. Luckily, it knocks Nate out within an hour of injection so he doesn't have to feel it for hours.

"Sully?" Nate calls.

I turn around slowly, but breathe a sigh of relief when I see the nurse has already stuck him. "Yeah?"

"Can you get my history book from my bag?"

"Sure."

"You're not planning on reading it, are you Mr. Drake?" the nurse warns. "No reading until Dr. Lu says so."

Nate groans and rubs his new band-aid tenderly. "Never mind," he scowls. "We'll find something else to do."

"Good boy." The nurse pats his head then pushes her cart out into the hallway.

He sighs and folds his arms gingerly. "Now what?" He does it to try and hide the pain, but I can see right through him.

"Have you already run out of ways to torture me?"

Nate smirks and narrows his eyes at the challenge. "Let's... play a game."

"What kind of game? I don't have a deck of cards on me."

"How 'bout Never Have I Ever?"

I shake my head and quirk my mustache. "I'm not a teenage girl."

"Today you are," he says, crossing his legs crisscross applesauce style. "Come on, let's play."

"Alright, alright. How do you play?"

"Okay, so you hold up your hand like this." He holds up his right hand and extends his fingers. "Then you say something you've never done and if the other person has done it, they have to put a finger down."

I take a second to process before finally saying, "...Come again?"

Nate rolls his eyes in exasperation. "I'll give you an example. I would say something like 'never have I ever grown a creepy mustache', then you would have to put down a finger because you have grown a creepy mustache. But usually you don't do anything that obvious because that's not fun. If you lose all your fingers, you lose the game."

I shrug. I'll pick it up as we go.

"I'll go first," Nate volunteers. "Never have I ever peed my pants in public."

"So... if I have pissed myself, I have to put a finger down?"

"Yes."

"Well then, you're out of luck."

He wrinkles his nose. "Boo. Your turn."

"Okay..." What have I never done that Nate probably has? "Never have I ever eaten a dozen donuts in one day."

"Ha ha, ditto. You're gonna have to do better than that," he taunts. "Never have I ever... drank wine."

"Really? That's not even close!"

"It's not that far off," he defends. "I've never actually seen you drink any."

"Well, I am more of a beer person, but if the lady wants wine..."

"Ew, stop. We're moving on."

I chuckle and say, "Never have I ever been grounded."

"Nah, nuns don't ground. They carry rulers."

"Alright, you go."

"Never have I ever been to college."

Sneaky little... "I'm not answering that."

"But I thought you said anything."

I press my lips together and give him a look. He wants a game, I'll give him a game. "Fine. I never went to college. I joined the Navy right out of high school." I continue before he can ask any questions. It's my turn. "Never have I ever changed my name."

Nate freezes, all traces of a smirk suddenly missing. "I... I've never-"

"Don't lie," I say. I've known since the day we've met, but I'm curious if he'll own up to it.

"I..." He swallows and lifts his chin. Very slowly, his thumb folds towards his palm. I don't feel victorious, however. I actually feel guilty. That's private information and I shouldn't have pried. Well, then again... he started it.

Nate wiggles his four remaining fingers and says, "Never have I ever hit my best friend."

The look of pain on his face hits me square in the chest. I guiltily put down a finger, following it with: "And never have I ever felt like a shittier person." Nate smiles a little, so I know I've said the right thing.

Then he yawns, stretching his arms over his head. "Alright, kid, time for bed." It comes out of my mouth before I can stop it, but Nate waves me off.

"It's okay. I kind of like it when you call me kid. I feel like I *yawn* belong somewhere." His eye lids droop a little further.

I shrug happily. "As long as you're okay with it." I gently press him against the mattress and fiddle with the bed's controls until it lowers itself. "I've got some other nicknames for you if you want. I kind of like squirt."

Nate shakes his head, amused. "I will personally strangle you if you call me that."

"I won't call you squirt if you don't call me old man. Deal?"

"Deal."

I put a hand over his and squeeze lightly. "Get some sleep. Rest is the best medicine."

"'Kay."

...And he's out like a light. I move my hand from his to scoot my chair closer, but Nate grabs onto it tightly, preventing me from leaving. I pat his hand with my unoccupied hand and whisper, "I'm not going anywhere, kid. I promise."