2.33 Nagging Tether (2)

“Do you not like the pancakes? I can get you something else. Nonna makes really good soup. Do you want me to bring you some?”

I didn’t realize I had been pushing my pancakes around on the plate, making them soggy and torn to pieces in the syrup. My plate now looked like a mess.

I smiled gratefully, but shook my head as I began scooping up a fork-full of the soggy pancake disaster and shoveling it into my mouth. It still tasted good.

“This is good. Sorry. I think I’m just tired.”

“You should be,” Jamie said. “You just went through fucking hell. The doctors told Darren you needed to stay in bed for the rest of the day if you didn’t want to stay at the clinic for observation.”

I grimaced. Staying in a sterile room with people watching me around the clock sounded horrible after what I had just escaped from.

“Darren will be checking on you before we head back to the meeting to make sure you’re doing as you're told,” Beau said.

“Why does it sound like Darren has some kind of authority in th