“Oh, sorry, I—”
Derrick smiled. “No worries. The kiss is worth the pain.”
Cooper pressed a button on a cord at the side of the bed.
* * * *
“You’re going to be fine, Mr. Fredricks. It will take some time but you should fully recover,” the doctor said after examining him. He had related the extent of the damage inflicted on him from the accident, and told him how lucky he was to be alive, let alone having gotten off with so few serious injuries.
Derrick looked from the doctor to Cooper, who stood on the opposite side of the bed, holding his hand and smiling.
“Yeah, I am pretty lucky for sure,” he said.
“You need to get some rest now,” the doctor said. Then turning to Cooper, added, “You, too.” He addressed Derrick again. “This friend of yours,” the doctor laughed gently, “refused to budge an inch until he knew you were going to pull through. You’re fortunate to have friends like that.”
Derrick looked into Cooper’s eyes and nodded, swallowing hard.