Chapter 3

Kirk grinned, savoring every bit of Dale’s discomfort. “Oh, honey, you better believe I’m never letting you live that down. ‘Tell my mom I didn’t get to do any gay stuff’—that’s legendary, Dale. Like, award-winning last words material.”

Dale buried his face in his hands, the mortification settling in. “I was half-dead, okay? People say weird stuff when they’re about to meet the Grim Reaper.” He peeked out from between his fingers, trying to salvage a shred of dignity. “Besides, how was I supposed to know I’d end up… well, not dead?”

Kirk burst out laughing, throwing his head back as he sat on the edge of the hospital bed. “Not dead? Try ‘miraculously resurrected!” He gestured around the hospital room, his eyes widening for dramatic effect. “I mean, you flatlined in the ambulance. I was getting ready to give the world’s most touching, most fabulous eulogy—and then, bam! You’re sitting up, right as rain, like you just needed a little beauty sleep.”

Dale tried to keep a straight face, but Kirk’s energy was infectious, and despite himself, he found his lips twitching into a reluctant smile. “Fine. I’m alive. But that doesn’t mean you get to hold my weird last words over me forever.”

Kirk snorted, crossing his arms as he raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Oh, I do. Forever and a day, my friend. I mean, come on, what else is friendship for?”

Dale rolled his eyes, though a warmth spread through him at Kirk’s teasing. Despite everything—the attack, the near-death experience, the fact that his neck felt like someone had tried to rip it open—he couldn’t help but feel grateful. Kirk was here, by his side, grounding him in the way only Kirk could. And for a moment, the horrors of the night seemed almost bearable.

A nurse entered the room then, breaking the moment. She was small and stern-looking, with a clipboard clutched in her hands and a gaze that said she didn’t have time for nonsense. She gave Kirk a quick once-over, her expression bordering on disapproval as if she suspected he was somehow responsible for all this.

“Mr. Witherspoon,” she said, flipping through the pages on her clipboard. “How are you feeling?”

Dale hesitated, glancing between the nurse and Kirk. “Uh… okay, I guess?” He tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he slumped back down, gripping the bed rails.

The nurse raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “I see. Well, the doctor will be in soon to assess your condition. It’s a miracle you’re here at all.” She paused, eyeing him with a strange mix of skepticism and curiosity. “Injuries like the one you sustained would require surgery, but…well, I suppose you’re one of the lucky ones.”

“Lucky,” Dale repeated, still processing everything. His fingers drifted to his neck, where he’d felt the sharp pain of teeth sinking into his skin, but all he felt now was smooth flesh. No stitches, no bandages, no scar. It was as though nothing had happened.

The nurse’s gaze softened. “You should rest. We’ll run a few more tests to ensure there’s no internal damage, but it seems you’re… recovering well.” She gave him a tight smile before leaving the room, her footsteps fading down the hallway.

Dale let out a long breath, his mind spinning. “This doesn’t make any sense, Kirk. I should be—”

“Dead?” Kirk said, earning a withering look from Dale. He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Look, I’m just saying I’m as baffled as you are. One minute, I’m clutching your blood-soaked body in a filthy nightclub. The next, you’re bouncing back like a vampire on a juice cleanse. It’s like some kind of freaky Halloween miracle.”

Dale laughed, though his heart wasn’t in it. “That’s one way to put it.” He shook his head, staring up at the ceiling. “But, how am I okay? It’s like… my body healed itself overnight.”

Kirk leaned in, his eyes glinting with intrigue. “Maybe you’re a superhero! You know, like Wolverine! Or Spider-Man! We could get you a cool costume, maybe some spandex…”

Dale shot him a glare, though he couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “I’m not a superhero, Kirk. I just…I don’t know. I don’t have an explanation for this.” His fingers brushed over his neck again, the smoothness still unnerving. “What if…what if something happened to me?”

Kirk’s teasing expression faded, replaced by a look of genuine concern. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Something…weird.” Dale tried to articulate the feeling gnawing at him since he’d woken up. “When he bit me… I felt this… this burning. And now I feel different. Like, different.”

Kirk tilted his head, studying him with a serious gaze that felt foreign on his playful face. “Different, how?”

Dale hesitated, unsure how to explain. “It’s like… everything is sharper. Like I’m more aware of things. Sounds, smells…I can even hear the guy's heartbeat in the room next door.” He shuddered, the sensation eerie and almost overwhelming.

Kirk’s eyes widened, his mouth forming a small “o” of surprise. “That’s actually…cool. Creepy, but cool.”

Dale shot him a look. “Cool? Kirk, I died last night. I don’t think ‘cool’ is the word I’d use to describe it.”

Kirk rolled his eyes, a smirk creeping back onto his face. “Fine, dramatic much? I get it. At least you’re here, right? Alive, and now a human bloodhound.” He paused as if considering something. “Hey, maybe we should test this new sense of yours! Can you smell what I had for breakfast?”

Dale couldn’t help but laugh, the tension easing. “Please don’t make me try. I’m still figuring this out.”

“Fine, but if you start sniffing around like a bloodhound, I’ll expect you to help me find my missing keys,” Kirk quipped, nudging him.

Just then, the door swung open, and a doctor entered—a tall, gray-haired man with wire-rimmed glasses and an expression that screamed “no-nonsense.” He gave them both a curt nod before approaching Dale’s bed.

“Mr. Witherspoon,” he said, glancing at his chart. “It seems you’ve made quite a recovery. How are you feeling?”

“Uh…pretty good?” Dale answered, glancing at Kirk as if looking for confirmation.

The doctor frowned, his eyes narrowing as he examined Dale’s neck. “Remarkable. Truly remarkable. There’s no sign of any trauma.” He paused, shaking his head. “In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Dale swallowed, unsure how to respond. “Is…is that a good thing?”

The doctor nodded, though his expression remained guarded. “In this case, I would say so. However, to be safe, I’d like to keep you under observation for a little longer.”

“Sure, of course,” Dale said, a little dazed. He glanced at Kirk, who gave him an encouraging thumbs-up.

The doctor made a few notes on his chart, then looked back at Dale with a slight frown. “If you notice anything unusual—any symptoms, any changes—you let us know. Understood?”

Dale nodded, the words settling on him. “Yeah…understood.”

The doctor gave a final nod and left the room, leaving a strange, charged silence in his wake. Dale glanced at Kirk, who was watching him with awe and concern.

“Well,” Kirk said, breaking the silence with a grin. “Looks like you’re officially a medical mystery. How does it feel?”

Dale shook his head, trying to process it all. “Honestly? I feel…confused. And a little scared.”

Kirk’s smile softened, and he squeezed Dale’s hand. “Hey, you’re gonna be fine. We’ll figure this out together, okay? If you’re secretly a werewolf or an alien or something, I’m here for it. I’d make an excellent sidekick, don’t you think?”

Dale laughed, feeling a strange warmth settle in his chest. “Yeah, I think you would.” He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Thanks, Kirk. For everything.”

Kirk waved him off, though there was a hint of a blush in his cheeks. “What are best friends for? Besides, if you are a werewolf now, I’m cashing in on all the cool perks. Like super strength. And being able to smell breakfast from three blocks away.”

Dale chuckled, shaking his head as he settled back into the pillow, exhaustion tugging at him. “Fine. But let’s just get through today first.”

Kirk grinned, patting Dale’s shoulder. “Deal. And hey—no more dying on me, got it? It’s hell on my manicure.”

Dale laughed, closing his eyes as he felt sleep tugging at him again. “I’ll do my best, sidekick.” And with that, he drifted off, Kirk’s quiet presence a comforting anchor as he slipped into a sleep that felt peaceful for the first time.