I blurted again, “You were naked.”
Erik stopped ushering me through the kitchen doorway and instead eased me back against it so I could lean. Then he stepped up close, so close that I thought for a second he was going to kiss me. That would make me forget what we’d been talking about so it might have been a good tactic.
He didn’t though. He said, “Yes, I was.”
“How?”
The silence stretched out between us and Erik’s eyes drifted down my face to rest on my lips. I licked them, suddenly nervous.
“I can’t explain it,” he said at last. “It was the only way I could reach Sonny in time.”
I nodded. I’d take that explanation, as long as Sonny were alive and well.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t do something for him?”
“Why don’t you take the paracetamol in and try to get him to take them? I’ll make us some lunch.”
Taking the little packet, I made my way back through the cottage, hesitating in the doorway of the bedroom. When I went in, I noticed that the air was cool but Sonny had shoved his blankets down and was sleeping fitfully.
I made my way across to the side of the bed and sat down facing him.
“Sonny? Sonny, you need to take these.”
I popped two of the tablets from the packet and grabbed the bottle of water still on the side table.
Sonny opened his eyes and looked at me, though I wasn’t sure he was really seeing me. He looked flushed and his fair hair was damp with sweat.
“Here,” I said again and helped him to lean up and take the medicine.
When Sonny lay down again, he breathed out a long sigh. His voice was hoarse. “They’re gone.”
“What are gone?”
“My tentacles. They saved me.”
“Yeah, sure, of course they did.”
He nodded and closed his eyes, mumbling, “Will they come back?”
“If you want them to.”
I stayed with him for a while longer, just watching him sleep, listening to his regular breathing and the little moans he let out as he thrashed his head from side to side. I wanted to take away all his pain, wished I could draw it into my own body and keep it away from him. My ray of sunshine. Love of my life.
The first tear that rolled down my cheek took me by surprise and I brushed it away. My eyes were fixed on Sonny, almost afraid to look away. Even now, with his flushed face and damp hair, he looked so beautiful.
I wanted to reach out and wrap myself around him, desperate to keep him here with me after he nearly slipped through my fingers.
“Don’t leave me, Sonny,” I whispered.
He moaned and thrashed his head again. I didn’t think he’d heard me. Probably just as well.
I jumped guiltily when Erik opened the door and peered around it. “Lunch is ready.”
When he saw Sonny, he came further into the room and walked around the bed to the other side. He sat on it, mirroring me, and placed one hand on Sonny’s forehead.
“Is he getting worse?” I asked.
“No, the same.”
