Acrasia

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Chris groaned, rubbing his head and trying to sit up. His vision was blurry, but he could tell that he was hooked up to some kind of a machine. When his sight adjusted, he could tell he was alone in a hospital room. He couldn't remember how or why he was there, and there was a bandage on his knee. A nurse noticed him move, and quickly came to his side to help him sit up.

"It's about time, sleeping beauty," she laughed.

"What?" Chris mumbled.

"You've been out for a while. Two days, in fact," the nurse explained. "Your wife was getting worried."

"My wife?" Chris furrowed his brow, then glanced at the wedding band on his hand. "Oh, right. Guess I'm not used to it yet. Where is she?"

"She's in another room."

"Can I see her?" Chris asked.

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to do that," the nurse shrugged.

"What? Why?" Chris suddenly became fully alert. "What happened to her?"

"I assure you, she's alright," a new voice said from behind.

A doctor came by Chris's bedside, smiling at him. He was an old man, but looked like a friendly one. He began to check the monitors and Chris's pulse, writing things down on the clipboard.

"Well, Mr. Butler," the doctor started. Chris gave him a confused look, but quickly remembered the fake medical records Marissa had created. "It looks like you've been through a lot of chaos recently, haven't you?"

"Huh?" Chris rubbed his head again.

"Your accident hurt you more than anyone else in the vehicle, and I can assure you that everyone is doing wonderfully," the doctor said. "Your wife told us about the road trip you two were taking with your friend and young cousins. It's a terrible shame that you all were in such an accident. And the other car managed to drive away. Sick people, really."

"Yeah, they are," a hint of a smile played on Chris's lips.

"However, it does seem that it's been some time since you've seen a doctor, Mr. Butler," the doctor gave him a stern look. "We found several healing injuries on you, but they certainly weren't professionally examined. Especially that wound in your side."

Chris decided against telling the doctor that the wound was from a bullet, and that a sixteen-year-old boy had done the stitches. It was best if no one asked any questions.

"When can I leave?" Chris asked.

"When we're sure that your head injuries are completely healed," the doctor said. "You may feel some dizziness, maybe some nausea. Don't strain yourself too much, and you'll be out of here by tomorrow morning. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Chris sighed.

"Oh, and you have a visitor," the doctor said. "Your cousin, Michael."

Chris gave him another confused look, which was quickly replaced with realization when Tyler was let into the room. He looked pale, and his blue eyes were somewhat sad and tired.

"Restless night?" Chris asked as the doctor and nurse left them alone in the room.

"Yeah," he shrugged, sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Britney just- well, it's complicated. How're you feeling?"

"Fantastic," Chris said sarcastically. "Yourself?"

"Awesome," Tyler laughed.

Chris could tell something was wrong from the way he acted. He didn't have that playful grin on his face, and he didn't seem so childlike anymore. His voice was hoarse, and his appearance was like he simply didn't care anymore.

"You're sure you're okay, kiddo?" Chris frowned.

"I'm fine," Tyler snapped, his voice a little harsher than he intended. "I just hate hospitals, okay? Just get better so we can leave, already."

"Don't sass me," Chris glared at him. "I'm bigger than you."

"Sorry," Tyler mumbled. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Have you ever, like, fucked up?" Tyler sighed. "Like, really really bad? Like, worse than the time you locked lips with that girl? Something that you can't make disappear so easily?"

"Sure, I guess I have," Chris said slowly.

"Don't lie, okay?" Tyler frowned. "I'm talking totally irreversible."

"Unless I can bring people back from the dead, yeah I have," Chris sat up straighter. "Do you know what the last words I ever said to my mom was?"

"What?"

"Right before she died, she gave me a phone call to see how I was doing," Chris started, never having told the story before. "She got me really mad and annoyed, and I told her to 'Piss off'. And then I hung up. Next phone call I got changed my life forever."

"So what did you do about it?" Tyler looked up at Chris.

"I couldn't do anything to tell her I was sorry," Chris explained, "But I did change my ways and become the man she wanted me to be. It all works out in the end. Maybe you fucked up, but it'll work out. Unless you'll sit here being miserable about it."

"Yeah?" Tyler sat there, staring at his feet.

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Chris," Tyler smiled at him, this time genuinely.

"So what did you do?" Chris asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," Tyler sighed, biting his lip.