Is he suffering for no reason?
She crossed to him and dropped to her knee. “Is there anything I can do? Get you? Something over the counter?”
With a trembling arm, he wiped a drape of drool from his lips. His expression was pained, looking as much embarrassed as agonized. “Pain relievers... sometimes they take the edge off.”
“Like what?”
“Maybe Archie left some ibuprofen. But naproxen usually works better. Even soaking in a hot bath with Epsom salts relieves some of the pain. But we don’t have either.”
She turned to the French doors off the balcony, picturing the small village beyond. “When we got into town, I spotted a pharmacy a few blocks off. I should be able to pick stuff up there.”
“We’re not supposed to leave the hotel,” he reminded her.
“Then I’ll have it delivered.”
“Not without a credit card.”
She cursed under her breath.
He’s right. And we only have a little cash left.
“Actually,” Tag gasped out, “what works best is marijuana.”
She raised a brow toward him. “Weed? You? Mr. Holistic?”
He smiled wanly. “It’s herbal and medicinal. Right up my alley.”
“That’s true.”
He swallowed, which clearly took great effort. “The cannabinoids in marijuana have efficacy in both relieving pain and relaxing muscle spasms.”
She frowned at him. “You don’t have to get all scientific to explain why you want to get high.”
He started to laugh but curled into a hard jag of coughing. When he could finally breathe, tears coursed from his eyes.
Screw this . . .
She headed toward the door, grabbing her jacket.
Tag grunted at her in concern. “Naomi . . .”
“Weed is illegal to buy in Italy,” she said. “So, no prescription is needed, making it technically over the counter. And this town is full of shiftless ski bums, waiting for the season to start. Someone out there has to be holding.”
He called after her. “If you can score some Valium, I wouldn’t object.”
She turned to him.
He forced a painful shrug. “Sometimes Western medicine has its advantages, too.”
You got it.
Naomi headed out, hurried down the stairs to the lobby, and made a discreet inquiry with the woman who had been their server earlier. Twenty minutes later, she found herself crossing into an icy park.
She kept bundled, not just from the cold, but to keep her features hidden. She wore a cap with its bill tugged low and a scarf covering her nose and mouth. She searched the neighboring streets but spotted no one staring suspiciously at her.
Satisfied, she crossed through the park to a fountain. Its basin had been drained for the season. The statue of an angel rose at the center, encrusted with ice and crowned by snow.
Off to the side, a pair of figures lounged on a nearby bench.
