Flawless(65)

She finally righted her chair, bundling the sheets to the side. When she turned, Julie was holding Bobby’s hand, Bobby was awake and they were both grinning at her.

“Bobby!” Kieran said. “You’re good?”

“Ah, why does everyone misuse that word? If I said I was, it would mean I was without sin, or maybe out there in the world doing something good for someone. Now, am I well? Yes, feeling much better, lass, especially knowing you were there beside me, watching over me during the night. Thank you.” He turned to Julie. “And you, too, of course.”

“I just got here,” Julie said with a grin. “You have to give me some time to do some good.”

Bobby’s smile faded slightly, but he forced it back into place. “Where are those wretched doctors? When are they going to let me out of here?”

“Bobby! You’re in critical care, so you’re not going anywhere right now,” Kieran told him firmly.

“They have any decent food around here?” he asked.

“I’m not sure if you’re allowed to have food yet,” Kieran said.

“No food? Now how will I be healing without something substantial in me belly, eh?”

“There’s good stuff running through that IV line,” Kieran said.

“I’ll go out and ask about breakfast,” Julie said.

“Now that, my lass, would be doing a body some good!” he said.

When Julie left the room, he turned to Kieran, and spoke swiftly and fiercely. “I’ll tell those coppers what happened when I walked down the street, but don’t you repeat anything else I said. I’ll call you a liar, do you understand me? You’re not to repeat anything I said.”

“Bobby, if you know something—if someone at the pub has been threatening you or anyone else in any way—we have to tell the cops, and the FBI, too,” Kieran said.

“If I actually knew something, don’t you think I’d say so and have the bastards locked up?” Bobby asked, staring at her very seriously. “Lass, I’m an old man, alone in some ways but not in others. Wife gone, never blessed with wee ones, and I can’t even be having me a pint o’ stout now and then, but I like living. I love my life. I think someone out there thinks I’ve heard things I shouldn’t. Thing is, I don’t know what I’ve heard. Don’t know why they didn’t shoot me, except that wouldn’t look much like a mugging now, would it? Stupid bastards forgot to steal my wallet, though.” He pointed a finger at her. “I’ll be talking to Declan. Meanwhile, don’t you be in that pub alone. Don’t any of you be in there alone.”

He had her curious, but also frightened, really frightened.

She couldn’t ask him anything more, though, because at that moment, Julie walked back in.

“Liquids,” she said.

“What?” Kieran asked blankly.

“Bobby, they’re starting you on liquids. Clear liquids,” Julie said.

“Liquids, eh?” Bobby said. “That’s something, I guess.”

“The nurses are changing shifts right now, but there’s a lovely aide who’s going to come in soon with apple juice. You hold that down and you get broth, and if that goes well...Jell-O. And then maybe you get to eat.”

“Our Sweet Lady Mother and Jesus be praised,” Bobby said. “Broth, did you say? Why, my mouth is just watering already.”

“Behave,” Kieran told him. “You’ll drink your apple juice first and love it, and then we’ll talk about broth.”

“Aye, Miss Finnegan,” Bobby said. “Whatever you say.”

Julie had been standing with her hands behind her back. Now she produced a cup with a spoon in it. “I brought you ice chips,” she told him.

They all laughed.

“Maybe juice won’t be so bad,” he muttered, once his dry, cracked lip had been soothed.

A new nurse came in, Jarrod, tall and fit, with a quick smile and easy manner. He was pleased to see that Bobby was doing so well. He was there to take Bobby for another scan, but he expected positive results, given how alert Bobby was.

Bobby told the nurse about his desire for a Danish.

“If all goes well, you can have one in a few hours. Ice chips were good?”

“As sweet as me Sainted Mother’s tit,” Bobby said.

Jarrod grinned, glancing at Kieran and Julie, then left, telling them that Officer Clayton was on duty outside the room and would be happy to know Bobby was doing so well.

Bobby’s smile faded the minute the three of them were alone in the room again. “I suppose the lawmen will be here any minute with their questions. Aye, and that’s fine. I’m up to talking now.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door opened. An aide was there with a plastic pitcher of ice water and a glass of apple juice. She warned Bobby to drink slowly.

The minute she was gone, Officer Clayton walked in, a nice young guy in his early twenties, and told Bobby how happy he was to see him doing so well.

As soon as he left, Julie said, “I guess everyone is hoping you can help catch the guys who hurt you, Bobby.”

“Don’t you think that I’d like them caught?” Bobby asked softly.

A technician came and rolled Bobby down for the promised scan; Julie and Kieran stayed in the room, looking worriedly at each other.