CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
HANK
“Gilligan, is that you?” Angie asks with a shaky voice, and I wake from the sleep I’ve fallen into.
She steps into the hospital room. I’m lying flat on my back, wearing one of those paper blue dresses, and I’m receiving fluids through an IV.
“Angie. Thank god.”
My twin hurries over to me. She’s in her pajama sweatpants and a plain gray t-shirt, clearly having rushed here from sleep.
My sister throws her arms around me. “Hanky.”
We hold each other for a minute, squeezing tight. I get all choked up, and when Angie releases me, she’s wiping her eyes.
“I’m so glad you’re alive.”
“I’m sorry to scare you.”
“I knew you weren’t dead because of the psychic twin thing,” Angie tells me.
“Sure.”
“But I’ve never been so worried.” She glances at the machines. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”
I raise up a weak smile. The machines are beeping, and everything is so clinical and sterile. It’s unsettling after the island, but I feel far better now that Angie is here.
“Mom and Dad are on the way and grabbing a couple of things. I think I’m okay, overall. Although I can’t seem to brush my teeth enough.”
Angie sits in a chair next to me. “You never can.” She takes my hand. “I’ve been handling things at your condo, watering the plants and picking up your mail. Although there’s so many damn plants, I’m really not sure. Mom and Dad have been a wreck, Dad especially, ever since they got to town.” She studies me for a moment. “I have a million questions for you, starting with what the hell happened?”
I nod as I sit up. It’s like I’m starting to feel better, the IVs having their effect, but that’s allowing me to notice all the ways my body hurts. “It’s a long story.”
“I’m sure. You were gone nearly three weeks.”
“It felt like months.” I bury my face in my hands. “I think I started to crack around day two.”
“I’m curious about day one.”
“After I walked down the forbidden deck, I found Elliot.”
Angie nods. “Mr. Peterson’s son who went overboard with you.”
“He was on the life rafts. I tried to help him back to the deck, we each pulled a wrong rope, and something collapsed. It probably set off an alarm, and there must be cameras, so I imagine you know all this.”
“Unfortunately, no. The casino boat was apparently negligent in their safety standards. Criminally so, possibly. It’s part of the whole scandal. No one noticed what had happened until we were nearly back to Seattle, when I finished at the poker table and couldn’t find you.”
“That’s…” A machine beeps next to my ear. “What whole scandal?”
Angie shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter. You need to rest.”
I tighten my brow. “Seriously. What scandal?”
After a moment, she sighs. Angie reaches for the remote. I haven’t turned on the TV, and when she clicks it, it’s set to cable news.
...early reporting, the island belongs to a baron from the United Kingdom. Oh, correction. I’m hearing he’s a baronet.
My face is plastered on the screen. It’s my work photo with the bad smile, and next to me, there’s a snapshot of Elliot on the beach wearing a T-shirt that readsMermaid Fan Club.
