* * * *
He awoke to cursing. Loud noises filled the room as Terrell stumbled around. When Dakota pried his eyes open, he saw a frantic and distraught man aimlessly wandering around his bedroom. Coughing, he asked, “What’s wrong?” He squinted into the light.
“Why’d you let me fall asleep here?!” Terrell practically shouted.
The sudden change in mood and the spite in his voice sent a pang of fear through Dakota. “What? Terrell, you were upset. I—”
“I can’t get my leg to work because I slept on it funny,” he returned angrily. “And now the cat’s out of the bag! I wanted to tell them on my own terms, dammit. Now, they get to find out this way?! Now, of all times?!”
“Huh?” He rubbed at his eyes sleepily. “Terrell, you—you were crying. I just wanted to make you feel better. You were in pretty rough shape. I didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”
Sadness and panic shadowed his expression. “They’re gonna find out now.”