Gone

CHAPTER 36

Rick wanted me to stay in the hospital another night for observation but I said enough.

He laid on all the medical authority but nothing helps in the face of industrial-strength obstinacy. I called a taxi and checked myself out, carrying a goody bag of painkillers, anti-inflammatories, steroids, and a small-print list of dire side effects.

Robin had been by earlier. Allison had called once but hadn’t shown up since the first time.

“I got to know her,” said Robin. “She’s lovely.”

“Female bonding?” I said.

“She’s nice, that’s all.”

“And you talked about the weather.”

“Egomaniac.” She stroked my hair. “I called you Wednesday because I decided to move back. Still want that?”

“Yes.”

“Allison’s okay with it.”

“Didn’t know we needed her permission.”

“She adores you,” said Robin. “But I love you.”

I had no idea what that meant. Had regained enough coherence not to ask.

“I told her to feel free to come by to visit you but she wants to give us some time together. She feels horrible about what happened, Alex.”

“Why?”

“Leading you to Hauser.”

“He had a knife to her throat, she didn’t have much choice. I’m sure Hauser asked around, found out we used to…hang out. Knowing me endangered her. I need to apologize.”

My eyes brimmed with tears. What was that all about?

Robin wiped them. “It’s no one’s fault, Alex, the guy’s obviously unbalanced.”

“Now he’ll be an unbalanced cripple. Wonder when the police are coming by to interview me.”

“ Milo ’s taking care of all that. He says given Hauser’s previous arrest, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

“In a perfect world,” I said.

Cool lips braised my forehead. “It’ll be all right, honey. You need to rest and keep healing- ”

“Allison really blames herself?”

“She feels she should’ve known better, given what you’d told her about Hauser.”

“That’s utterly ridiculous.”

“I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to hear that from you. In those exact words.”

I laughed. The bandages around my ribs felt like sashes of ground glass.

“It hurts, honey?”

“Not a bit.”

“You poor lying baby.” She kissed my eyelids, then my mouth. Too damn delicate, I needed something closer to pain, reached around and pressed her head down. When she finally pulled away, she was breathless.

“More, woman!” I said. “Ugha ugha.”

She snaked her hand under the bedcovers, reached down. “One of the parts seems to be in working order.”

“Man of steel,” I said. “You’re really coming back?”

“If you want me to.”

“Of course I want you to.”

“Maybe after the pain goes away, you’ll change your- ”

I placed a finger across her lips. “When are you doing it?”

“A few days.” Pause. “I’m thinking I’ll keep the studio. Like you said, for work.”

“And when you want to get away from me,” I said.

“No, baby, I’ve had plenty of that.”