manners?”
Before Manny could move, Sophie had the nurse by the lapel, her face an inch from the nurse’s rotund face. “This ain’t no time to think about teaching manners. If you don’t want your fat ass kicked through that door out into the freeze-ass parking lot, answer the man.”
The desk nurse’s eyes widened, and she pointed down the hall. “IC. . . IC room two on the third floor,” she stammered.
“See, that wasn’t so damned hard, now was it?”
Sophie smoothed out the woman’s jersey and then followed him toward the elevator.
“Not nice, you know,” said Manny. “But thanks.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t tell Santa . . . and you’re welcome.”
Bursting through the elevator door, his eyes searched the room numbers. Two was on the left. He hurried to it and then stopped.
Maybe I don’t really want to see this.
But he knew no other way but to be bold. He said another prayer and took a step. Alex grabbed his arm.
“I got this one, boss. I’ll be right back.” With that, Alex strolled ahead.
Running his hand through his hair, Manny let Alex enter the hospital room first, and in doing so, felt some momentary relief. Maybe there was only so much of this heartache thing that people could handle. Maybe that was how it’s supposed to be. Then we’d have to lean on others just that much more. Somehow that made perfect sense.
Alex was gone for about fifteen seconds when Manny couldn’t take it any longer. He took a deep breath, inhaling that inherent hospital smell, and headed through the wide doors.
There are shocking situations in life to be sure. Manny had seen more than his share—good and bad—but all of heaven and earth could have convulsed into some other dimension, and he wouldn’t have been as surprised.
Chloe sat on the first bed, facing the door, with her legs crossed, a small bandage on her temple. Her left arm was draped across her ample chest resting in a beige sling.
In the bed sat Josh. Circling around his head was a gauze wrap. There were scrapes and cuts on his face and arms, but he looked to be relatively unhurt. It took a moment for the scene to register. Chloe and Josh were alive and kicking.
Odd where the mind ran at times like this. His first reaction was one of disbelief, and the second was to thank God that his expectation was not a reality.
“About damn time you got here, agent. We were thinking you didn’t love us anymore,” said a grinning Josh. “Oh, and you can close your mouth now.”
Struggling to her feet, Chloe rushed Manny, who met her halfway. She was a strong woman, and even with one arm, she held tight enough to stop the air from coming, but he didn’t care. He gently wrapped his arms around her.
“Is that all ya got, man?” she whispered.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’ll let you know if ya do.”
He kissed her and pulled her tight. “Better?”
“Oh, much better.”
Manny had no more words, but then again, he was pretty sure he didn’t need them.
After a minute that seemed like a second, he kissed her, held her at arm’s length, kissed her again, helped her onto the bed, and then moved to Josh.
“You’re not going to kiss me too, are you?” he smiled. “There are manly rules about that kind of thing.”
“Not gonna happen, even on your best day,” he said as he leaned and gave him a hug.
“Shit. I will,” said Sophie.
She brushed past Manny and gave Josh a long kiss, square on his lips, then stepped back. “Damn. That was even better than the dip-and-kiss you pulled on me in Lansing.”
Josh’s face turned red. “Ah thanks, Sophie.”
“Don’t mention it. Somebody has to be willing to do what it takes in this group.”
Alex shook his head. “None of you are right. This is supposed to be a Behavioral Analysis Unit, not freaking Woodstock.” But Manny could see the sparkle in his eyes. He was as relieved as Manny.
Manny sat on the side of the bed. “About time? Is that what you said? You’re
Before Manny could move, Sophie had the nurse by the lapel, her face an inch from the nurse’s rotund face. “This ain’t no time to think about teaching manners. If you don’t want your fat ass kicked through that door out into the freeze-ass parking lot, answer the man.”
The desk nurse’s eyes widened, and she pointed down the hall. “IC. . . IC room two on the third floor,” she stammered.
“See, that wasn’t so damned hard, now was it?”
Sophie smoothed out the woman’s jersey and then followed him toward the elevator.
“Not nice, you know,” said Manny. “But thanks.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t tell Santa . . . and you’re welcome.”
Bursting through the elevator door, his eyes searched the room numbers. Two was on the left. He hurried to it and then stopped.
Maybe I don’t really want to see this.
But he knew no other way but to be bold. He said another prayer and took a step. Alex grabbed his arm.
“I got this one, boss. I’ll be right back.” With that, Alex strolled ahead.
Running his hand through his hair, Manny let Alex enter the hospital room first, and in doing so, felt some momentary relief. Maybe there was only so much of this heartache thing that people could handle. Maybe that was how it’s supposed to be. Then we’d have to lean on others just that much more. Somehow that made perfect sense.
Alex was gone for about fifteen seconds when Manny couldn’t take it any longer. He took a deep breath, inhaling that inherent hospital smell, and headed through the wide doors.
There are shocking situations in life to be sure. Manny had seen more than his share—good and bad—but all of heaven and earth could have convulsed into some other dimension, and he wouldn’t have been as surprised.
Chloe sat on the first bed, facing the door, with her legs crossed, a small bandage on her temple. Her left arm was draped across her ample chest resting in a beige sling.
In the bed sat Josh. Circling around his head was a gauze wrap. There were scrapes and cuts on his face and arms, but he looked to be relatively unhurt. It took a moment for the scene to register. Chloe and Josh were alive and kicking.
Odd where the mind ran at times like this. His first reaction was one of disbelief, and the second was to thank God that his expectation was not a reality.
“About damn time you got here, agent. We were thinking you didn’t love us anymore,” said a grinning Josh. “Oh, and you can close your mouth now.”
Struggling to her feet, Chloe rushed Manny, who met her halfway. She was a strong woman, and even with one arm, she held tight enough to stop the air from coming, but he didn’t care. He gently wrapped his arms around her.
“Is that all ya got, man?” she whispered.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’ll let you know if ya do.”
He kissed her and pulled her tight. “Better?”
“Oh, much better.”
Manny had no more words, but then again, he was pretty sure he didn’t need them.
After a minute that seemed like a second, he kissed her, held her at arm’s length, kissed her again, helped her onto the bed, and then moved to Josh.
“You’re not going to kiss me too, are you?” he smiled. “There are manly rules about that kind of thing.”
“Not gonna happen, even on your best day,” he said as he leaned and gave him a hug.
“Shit. I will,” said Sophie.
She brushed past Manny and gave Josh a long kiss, square on his lips, then stepped back. “Damn. That was even better than the dip-and-kiss you pulled on me in Lansing.”
Josh’s face turned red. “Ah thanks, Sophie.”
“Don’t mention it. Somebody has to be willing to do what it takes in this group.”
Alex shook his head. “None of you are right. This is supposed to be a Behavioral Analysis Unit, not freaking Woodstock.” But Manny could see the sparkle in his eyes. He was as relieved as Manny.
Manny sat on the side of the bed. “About time? Is that what you said? You’re
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