Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [563]
“I thought I died,” Maggie confessed. That much she could remember.
“So did the two men who found you,” Gwen told her, moving in closer against the bed railing. “Luc Racine told me that he was sure you were dead. They couldn’t get a pulse. Your eyes wouldn’t respond to light. But he said Professor Bonzado wouldn’t give up on you. You’re really lucky he didn’t, Maggie. Hypothermia can easily disguise itself.”
“You’re probably going to wish you died when Cunningham gets ahold of you,” Tully said, but he was smiling.
“So I guess he knows.”
“Let’s just say he sent that white flower plant.” Tully pointed to the potted plant on one side of the table. “The card says it’s a false dragonhead, commonly known as an obedient plant.”
“Are Luc and Adam here?” Maggie asked, hoping to change the subject.
“They’ll be by later. In fact, Tully, why don’t you go call them.”
Maggie thought she saw Gwen and Tully exchange a look, some secret between them.
“I’ll be right back,” Tully said, and squeezed Maggie’s shoulder. “Emma wanted you to know that she’s taking good care of Harvey.”
“Just don’t let her think she gets to keep him, Tully.”
“Yes, I know.” And he left.
“Maggie, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She braced herself and suddenly tried to move her legs. Yes, legs worked. Arms worked.
“What are you doing?” Gwen laughed. “No, you’re fine. Really. But I just thought I should warn you. Your mother is here. She’s down in the cafeteria taking a break. She’s been here since Thursday night.”
“Oh. Okay. Wow! You really were worried about me, huh?”
“The procedure for bringing someone back from severe hypothermia can kill the patient,” Gwen said, the pent-up emotion of two days revealing itself. “I’m sorry. But I was really worried. Your mother’s not the only one I called. Now, you can be upset with me all you want, but there’s someone else I called.” Gwen squeezed her hand then went to the door. “You can come in now.”
Patrick walked in, not hesitating, and came directly to the bed. But then he stood there, staring down at her.
“They’ve told you?” she asked.
“And it’s a good thing. I wonder how many more trips and how many more Diet Pepsis it would have taken you.” He smiled their father’s smile.
“It was you,” she said.
“What?”
“I thought I was dead. I thought I saw my dad…our dad. But it must have been you I saw.”
“So you’ll tell me about him sometime?”
“How much time do you have?” She smiled at him.
He sat down, taking Gwen’s chair at the bedside. “My shift doesn’t start for a couple more hours.”
EPILOGUE
Three months later
Connecticut Mental Facility
Simon hated this room. It smelled of disinfectant, but it wasn’t clean. He could see cobwebs on the ceiling in the far right corner. And the nurses or wardens or what ever they called them weren’t very clean, either. The one with the tattoo had greasy long hair and bad breath. But at least they treated him okay. And Dr. Kramer had even given him something for his stomach that seemed to make it better…sometimes. It still hurt once in a while. Once in a while around midnight.
They had brought in two trays of food, which meant he was getting a new roommate. Already he had drunk his juice and hidden the plastic cup under the bed, under a floorboard he had worked on and pulled up. That’s where he kept his new specimens. He had to pace himself, but it was getting easier and easier to steal jars from the supply closet. The night clerk, better known as Broom Hilda, forgot to lock it sometimes.
He heard the door locks click open. They still made him jump.
“Simon.” And here she was now. “Here’s your new roommate. I want you to meet Daniel Bender.”
He looked like a kid, skinny and pale with shaggy brown hair and empty brown eyes.
“Hi, Daniel,” he said, standing up to shake his hand and disgusted to find it sweaty and cold. Simon wiped his hand off on Daniel’s bedspread while Broom Hilda showed the kid where to put his few things.
After she left, Daniel sat on the edge of his