Those blue eyes caught his again, purely scared, but Sam eased back a little. There. There it was. Jesus. Sammy could hear him, understand. That was his Sam, coming back to him, God damn it.
Beau couldn’t stop smiling. He knew he looked stupid, but he couldn’t help it. “I got you, Sammy. This here is Kelly. Been taking care of you a lot.”
Sammy took a deep breath, then another. And another. His eyes closed, then popped open again like he couldn’t bear not to be awake.
“Yeah. So now they’ll have to check all sorts of shit.” He laughed a little, like he’d forgotten how. “I been asking them a million questions about what would happen when you woke up.”
“Yep. In fact, the doctor’s on his way, Mister Lafitte, to check all Mister Bell’s shit.” Kelly had a wicked sense of humor.
“There you go. They might have to keep the tube in for a few days.” Sam was trying to get that hand to move, get it up to the tube.
Sam shook his head, then groaned, the sound pure pain.
“No. No shaking. You’re hurt. Just be still, man.” Kelly started pushing buttons and messing with tubes and shit.
“Sam. Sam, remember that time when you fell off the roof of the barn and grandpere made you stay still for an hour before he could splint that leg? You need to be still like that.”
Sammy’s eyes met his again and he wanted to just hoot when Sam went still. Praise Jesus. Sammy remembered. Sammy could be still. That meant he had way more control than they’d said he would. Way more. That meant the tube might come out as soon as tomorrow. He’d asked and asked.
“Beau, why don’t you go, let your people know he’s awake. The doctor’s going to need to do some tests.”
Sammy’s fingers squeezed his.
“I know. I know. I just…” Beau took a deep breath. “I’ll stay until the doc comes, okay? Okay, Sammy? Then I’ll go call Dillon and Balta and Doc Madding. They been here all this time. Days.”
Sam blinked at him, squeezed his fingers again.
“I know, huh? Doc has been riding herd, huh, Kelly?” Beau was babbling and he didn’t care. He’d been talking for well over a week, and no one had heard him as far as he knew. Now he had Sam’s undivided attention.
“We’re so glad to see you awake, Sam. You’ve been sleeping hard. I bet we’ll have you in a room in no time. Something with a TV and a view.” Kelly kept working and talking and Sammy’s eyes weren’t moving away from him.
Sammy squeezed his hand again, and Beau laughed. “No gumbo, though.”
“No. His belly’s going to be a little sensitive for that.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Oh, God.” His eyes teared up, but Beau didn’t hide it or nothin’. Sam was awake and he could see and hear and he knew what was what.
He wanted Sam to know everything.
“Breathe, Beau. He’s awake, you maybe can sleep a little now.”
“Maybe. Like I said, I’ll wait until the doctor comes.” He didn’t want to let go, let Sam think he was alone.
Sammy took a couple more deep breaths, holding his hand, then something Kelly did must have helped him, because Sam relaxed, tense muscles easing.
“Good. That’s good, Sam.” He glanced at Kelly, who backed out mouthing, ‘I’ll wait outside.’ “I love you, Poot. Thank God you’re back. I missed the hell out of you.”
Sammy moaned, obviously trying to talk, fingers clenching his.
“No, babe. No talking. That tube won’t let you anyway. How about you squeeze my hand once for yes and twice for no, huh?” He would have gone with blinking, but Sam was doing that a lot against the low light, his eyes obviously trying to adjust. “You hurtin’?”
He got a quick squeeze, then Sam glanced toward the door. No, he didn’t think this was the time for his cowboy to go out against medical advice.
“No, buddy. Doc says you got to stay and heal up. He’s been here for eight days, babe. Doc. Can you believe?”
Sam’s eyes went wide.
Then his fingers got two squeezes.
