many times."
"Internal bleeding?"
"No. I began to bleed after a time, but I was not bleeding to begin with."
"Yes?" he frowned. "I don't get you. Why were you being pumped out if-"
"I don't know." She smiled suddenly and shook her head. "It was a very long time ago. Anyway, it is not pleasant to talk about."
"But-"
"And I think you should not talk so much, either. You will just lie still, please, and do nothing to disturb your stomach contents."
"I don't see how there could be any contents."
"Well, anyway," she said firmly. And he let it go at that.
It was easy to drop the subject. Easy, in his insistent need to survive, to ignore all possible distractions. Years of practice had made it so easy that it was almost automatic.
He lay quietly, watching Carol as she moved about the room, seeing her youthful freshness as a refreshing relief from Moira. A very nice little kid, he thought, just about as nice as they came. So doubtless she must be left that way. On the other hand, wouldn't it be a little strange if a girl as attractive as she was had remained strictly on the nice side? Weren't the odds all against it? And if she did know the score…
Well, it was something to think about. Certainly, it would be a pleasant way of putting Lilly in her place.
The doctor returned. He checked the glass container of the pump, and chortled happily. "Nothing but bile. That's what he's full of, nurse, as if you didn't know."
He removed the stomach tube. Then, wonder of wonders, he ordered the intravenous needles removed from Roy's arms. "Why not? Why should we baby a goldbrick like you?"
"Oh, go to hell." Roy grinned at him, flexing his arms luxuriously. "Just let me stretch."
"Sassy, hmm. How about something to eat?"
"You mean that liquid chalk you call milk? Bring it on, brother."
"Nope. Tonight you get steak, mashed potatoes, the works. You can even have a couple of cigarettes."
"You're kidding."
The doctor shook his head, became serious. "You haven't bled any in three days. It's time your stomach resumed peristalsis, started toughening itself up, and it can't do it on liquids."
Roy was just a little uneasy. After all, it was his stomach. The doctor assured him that he had nothing to worry about.
"If your stomach won't take it, we'll just have to open you up and cut out a piece. No trouble at all."
He walked out, whistling.
Again, Carol looked after him, frowning. "That man! Ooh, I would like to shake him good!"
"You think it will be all right?" Roy asked. "To have solid food. I mean. I'm not particularly hungry, and-"
"Of course, it will be all right! Otherwise, you would not be allowed to have it."
She took one of his hands in hers, looked down at him so protectively that he wanted to smile. He restrained the impulse, clinging to her hand while he gently urged her into the chair at his side.
"You're a good little girl," he said softly. "I've never known anyone like you."
"T-thank you…" Her eyes fell, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I have known no one like you either."
He lay studying her in the gathering twilight of the room, examining the small honest face with its tenderly upturning features; thinking how much she looked like some gravely innocent child. Then he turned on his side, and eased over near the edge of the bed.
"I'm going to miss you, Carol. Will I see you after I leave here?"
"I-I do not know." She was breathing heavily, still not looking at him. "I-I would like to, b-but I must work whenever I can, whenever I am c-called and-"
"Carol?"
"Y-yes?"
"Come here."
He drew her forward by the hand, his free hand dropping around her shoulders. She looked up at last, eyes frightened, hanging back desperately. And then, suddenly, she was in his arms, her face pressed against his.
"Like me, Carol?"
"Oh, yes!" her head jerked in assent. "So, so much! B-but-"
"Listen," he said. And then as she listened, waiting, he was silent. Putting on the brakes. Telling himself that this was as far as it
"Internal bleeding?"
"No. I began to bleed after a time, but I was not bleeding to begin with."
"Yes?" he frowned. "I don't get you. Why were you being pumped out if-"
"I don't know." She smiled suddenly and shook her head. "It was a very long time ago. Anyway, it is not pleasant to talk about."
"But-"
"And I think you should not talk so much, either. You will just lie still, please, and do nothing to disturb your stomach contents."
"I don't see how there could be any contents."
"Well, anyway," she said firmly. And he let it go at that.
It was easy to drop the subject. Easy, in his insistent need to survive, to ignore all possible distractions. Years of practice had made it so easy that it was almost automatic.
He lay quietly, watching Carol as she moved about the room, seeing her youthful freshness as a refreshing relief from Moira. A very nice little kid, he thought, just about as nice as they came. So doubtless she must be left that way. On the other hand, wouldn't it be a little strange if a girl as attractive as she was had remained strictly on the nice side? Weren't the odds all against it? And if she did know the score…
Well, it was something to think about. Certainly, it would be a pleasant way of putting Lilly in her place.
The doctor returned. He checked the glass container of the pump, and chortled happily. "Nothing but bile. That's what he's full of, nurse, as if you didn't know."
He removed the stomach tube. Then, wonder of wonders, he ordered the intravenous needles removed from Roy's arms. "Why not? Why should we baby a goldbrick like you?"
"Oh, go to hell." Roy grinned at him, flexing his arms luxuriously. "Just let me stretch."
"Sassy, hmm. How about something to eat?"
"You mean that liquid chalk you call milk? Bring it on, brother."
"Nope. Tonight you get steak, mashed potatoes, the works. You can even have a couple of cigarettes."
"You're kidding."
The doctor shook his head, became serious. "You haven't bled any in three days. It's time your stomach resumed peristalsis, started toughening itself up, and it can't do it on liquids."
Roy was just a little uneasy. After all, it was his stomach. The doctor assured him that he had nothing to worry about.
"If your stomach won't take it, we'll just have to open you up and cut out a piece. No trouble at all."
He walked out, whistling.
Again, Carol looked after him, frowning. "That man! Ooh, I would like to shake him good!"
"You think it will be all right?" Roy asked. "To have solid food. I mean. I'm not particularly hungry, and-"
"Of course, it will be all right! Otherwise, you would not be allowed to have it."
She took one of his hands in hers, looked down at him so protectively that he wanted to smile. He restrained the impulse, clinging to her hand while he gently urged her into the chair at his side.
"You're a good little girl," he said softly. "I've never known anyone like you."
"T-thank you…" Her eyes fell, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I have known no one like you either."
He lay studying her in the gathering twilight of the room, examining the small honest face with its tenderly upturning features; thinking how much she looked like some gravely innocent child. Then he turned on his side, and eased over near the edge of the bed.
"I'm going to miss you, Carol. Will I see you after I leave here?"
"I-I do not know." She was breathing heavily, still not looking at him. "I-I would like to, b-but I must work whenever I can, whenever I am c-called and-"
"Carol?"
"Y-yes?"
"Come here."
He drew her forward by the hand, his free hand dropping around her shoulders. She looked up at last, eyes frightened, hanging back desperately. And then, suddenly, she was in his arms, her face pressed against his.
"Like me, Carol?"
"Oh, yes!" her head jerked in assent. "So, so much! B-but-"
"Listen," he said. And then as she listened, waiting, he was silent. Putting on the brakes. Telling himself that this was as far as it
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