FLYBY (b. bradshaw)

𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙍𝙏𝙔

"Housekeeping!" a high pitched voice said from the other side of the door. There were three knocks.

"He's an idiot." I told Bradley as he helped me under the covers, but I couldn't keep the smile from playing across my lips.

Bradley opened the door for Reuben. Mickey was behind him, but hidden because of the height difference. Payback held two platters of food in his hands, just like he had when he'd brought us lunch.

"Kitchen was closing up," he said with a shrug as Bradley gave him a 'you didn't need to do that'. "And she can't even get up all of those flights of stairs."

"I could," I objected, trying to slide out of bed. Bradley put his hand on my shoulder, shoving me back down.

"No."

"Fine." I grumbled, rolling my eyes. I reached my arms out and pinched the air. Reuben chuckled, handing me one of the plates. The other went to Bradley. He set it on my nightstand.

I let the plate sit in my lap as all three of us watched him riffle through his bag. I heard the sound of shaking items and he revealed my sleeping pills. I threw my fork at him. It hit him in the head, clattering onto the floor behind him. He didn't even flinch.

"What are those?" Mickey demanded, taking a step towards where Bradley was studying the bottle the nurse had given us and my own.

"Better question, whose are those?" Reuben questioned, his eyes never leaving me. I wanted to shrink.

"Lilah's," Bradley answered, refusing to glance up. "And they're supposed to be for night terrors and PTSD."

"And are they?"

"No," was Bradley's response. There was fire in his eyes as he whipped around to face me. "They're exactly the same as what's in this," he held up the one the nurse had given us, "container."

"Listen - " I tried to start, but I was cut off by three shouting men. I let them bark and scold me with a bored expression for a minute before I whistled. They shut up immediately, like dogs. "You really wanna know why I have sleeping pills? Because my mother tried to kill me. So yeah, I'm pretty fucking traumatized, pardon me for having trouble sleeping."

"You. Are. Sedating. Yourself." Bradley snapped, anger on every word. "You said you weren't!"

That caused Mickey and Reuben to turn on him.

"You knew!" Reuben accused, almost ready to shove Brad up against the wall. "And you didn't tell us!"

"I was drunk," Bradley defended. "We were about to have sex!"

Groans.

I quietly stood out of bed, letting Bradley's too big sweatshirt fall around my mid-thighs. The sleeves were rolled up a few times so I was able to use my hands.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen." They all turned to face me. "I've used them for years, bought from the same supplier. Brad, you actually beat him up." Bradley grumbled something I didn't catch, but 'murder' was definitely in the sentence. "And I am not sedating myself, I am letting myself get a good goddamn night of sleep. I haven't had one of those without the pills since I was 14."

"Lilah -"

"Don't 'Lilah' me, Reuben, I'm not a child. I'm not that stupid, not anymore." I said, my voice cracking slightly. "I'm not gonna overdose, I know my limits."

"A coma, Lilah, you were into a coma. Remember that? Well, I do, I remember every goddamn second of those 50 hours." Bradley rasped out, the words like they were vile, shaking the pills as he spoke. "These! These can do that again, and next time you might not wake up."