“My grandma’s an artist,” he told her. “She paints portraits, mostly.”
“Does she know you can do this?”
“Sure. She taught me.”
“I’m still trying to get you moved to a bigger room,” she said as they walked to the end of the hallway. The area was set out like a T, with the top of the letter against a bank of windows.
“It’s not a problem. I’ve been in less comfortable places in my life. Can you get me more books?”
“Let me know what you like to read, and I’ll see what I can do.”
“You mentioned a spy book by a French guy—”
“John le Carré, yes.The Spy Who Came In from the Cold. I’ll look for it. Anything else?”
“Surprise me.”
“Have you read any of the James Bond novels? You’d love them, I think.”
“I’ve heard of the movies. Sure. I’d read those. Thanks.”
“Interesting trivia: the author of those books, Ian Fleming, trained at Canada’s spy school not too far from here during World War Two.”
He frowned, clearly doubting her. “Spy school?”
“It’s true. It was called Camp X. Amazing story.”
In the common area, she chose a table with two chairs. Nurses frequently passed by, and an occasional patient shuffled along the corridor, but she and Daniel would be left undisturbed.
He sat facing the window so he could watch a winter storm as it blew in. Early flurries danced in the dwindling light.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” she asked softly, admiring his profile. “So calm.”
He nodded, looking thoughtful.
When a nurse walked past, he asked her, “Can we have something to drink?”
The nurse bobbed her head at both of them. “Tea or hot chocolate? They’re making up a big pot of hot chocolate in the kitchen. With marshmallows.”
“Tea!” shouted one of the men at the neighbouring table. “Tea, please! Tea for Stanley, too! He wants milk in it.”
“All right, Henry. I will bring those right out. How about you two?”
Marion and Daniel glanced at each other. “Hot chocolate,” they said together.
After the nurse left, Daniel smiled. “I haven’t had hot chocolate in years. Makes me think of home. My mom always made it.”
“I’ve never been to Nova Scotia.”
“So you said. You need to do some travelling, Doc. I’ve got you two for two.”
“I have a question about Vietnam.”
He kept his gaze still, observing the snowflakes. “Are you asking me about the place or what I did there?”
“I was asking about the place, but I’m open to whatever you’d like to talk about.”
“Why?”
