"You're very pretty, you know that?"
Heath cleared his throat."You've said so twice now."
"Well, you are.I can see why Ben dated you.You're so pretty.And nice.And you smell good too.Usually.Not today though.Today you kinda reek like burned coffee."
Heath sighed in relief as the nurse bustled in, ready to take my vitals again."Okay, Mr.Murphy, Doctor Martin will be along in a few minutes to go over your x-rays with you and talk about what comes next."
"I hope it's pie.I love pie.I haven't had pie in a long time.Do you think I can convince Ben the tea shop needs to sell pie?"
The nurse exchanged a look with Heath that I couldn't decipher."I'll make sure they dial back on the fun stuff next med check," she said.
Boo.
Heath followed the nurse out and I was lone in a curtained-off booth, something old playing on the t.v.suspended over the foot of the bed.The sound was off but that was okay, I was too busy having loud thoughts. “Pamela Sommers killed Beth Ellison.And Gerald Tubbs.I think...I think both were accidental.But the fire...she set the fire on purpose.The one at Beth’s house.She wanted to hide what she’d done.Why didn’t she burn Tubbs then?Why...”I yawned, swimmy and floaty.
“Try to get some rest, Damien,” Heath urged, his hand on my arm.It was warm and heavy and comforting, but I was low key annoyed.“Gwendolyn Terhune told the MCU everything.”
I shook my head carefully—I'd learned my lesson earlier when I tried to do it at normal speed and ended up vomiting all over a nice CNA named Amber who was pretty much done for the day after that. "Don’t brush me off, Heath.Not now.”
Heath sat on the plastic chair beside my bed, sighing as he tried to perch comfortably."She confessed to attempted murder and to the murder of Gerald Tubbs Junior.She's claiming self-defense but clammed up on advice from her attorney via a phone call."
"She didn’t kill him.It was Pamela Sommers.But I think it was an accident.The video—”
“Ben called.He’s on his way back.Probably getting a dozen speeding tickets in the process.He sent the file to one of the departments in LA, where Beth died.It’s in their jurisdiction so it’s up to them what happens with Ms.Sommers.But Ms.Terhune is adamant she killed Tubbs.”
"She’s lying.It’s on the video.”
“That,” he sighed, “you’ll have to take up with the MCU.They’ve taken jurisdiction now.”
“Jesus,” I muttered.“Don’t you care that Gwendolyn islying?What about Anmorata?What—”
“Damien, calm down.You need rest.”
“Oh, go to hell,” I muttered, sleep heavier than my outrage.
Heath left for a while again, and I drifted, not quite asleep but nowhere near awake. After a bit, and one more IV check, someone came to sit beside me in the dimly lit ward.It must still be night, I thought, because earlier all of the lights had been on and now they weren't.I must have asked about that out loud because someone answered me.
"Just past eight."A pause, then, “In the morning.”
"Ben?"I asked, trying to open my eyes and finding them too heavy to open fully."What day is it?And can you read minds?"
"Thursday," he said quietly."And you were talking out loud.Your filter's even worse than usual," he added with a small, tired smile."Heath called to let me know what was going on and I headed out immediately."
Tears pricked my eyes and I moaned softly."Oh, you didn't have to!Ben, you're gonna get yelled at."
He chuffed softly."I told you—I've got a lot of banked PTO.Besides, they can't fire me—no one else knows how to get the databases to cooperate."
I grunted, closing my eyes again.When I opened them, it was still Thursday but later, brighter, and Ben was gone.His satchel was on the chair beside my bed and a CNA with cotton candy colored hair and so many pins and stickers on his badge and lanyard was checking my telemetry."You stopped giving me the good stuff.I can tell because everything hurts and life sucks."
He smiled."Sounds about right.There's some people out there who want to talk to you but hospital policy says one guest at a time.Any preference for who we send in first?"
"Um.What're my choices?"
His smile grew."Hot and blond, hot and brunet.Both grumpy but blond is in uniform and grumpy is in a suit."
"Send in the grumpy one.Dealer’s choice," I said, my grin forced but apparently passing muster because the CNA gave me a thumbs up and a wink before heading out of my little curtained off area.A few minutes later, or maybe longer—time was like syrup at the moment—Heath appeared.Unshaven, eyes dark-circled and reddened, he looked like crap and I said as much as soon as he stood close to the bed.
“Thanks.I’ll be sure to write that in my diary.”
