Roses Are Red

Chapter Thirty-Four

I stayed in the hospital with Jannie all night. I was as saddened and afraid as I've ever been; the fear was a living thing constricting my chest. I slept some, but not much. I thought about the bank robberies a little just to put my mind somewhere else. Innocent people had been savagely murdered and that hit home with me and everybody else.

I also thought about Christine. I loved her, couldn't help it, but I believed she had made up her mind about the two of us. I couldn't change it. She didn't want to be with a homicide detective; and I probably couldn't be anything else.

Jannie and I were both awake around five the next morning. Her room looked out on an expansive sun roof and a small, flowering garden. We sat quietly and watched the sunrise through the window. It looked so stunningly beautiful and serene that it made me sad all over again. What if this was our last sunrise together? I didn't want to think like that, but I couldn't help it.

"Don't worry, Daddy," Jannie said, reading my face like the little necromancer she can be sometimes. "There'll be lots of pretty sunrises in my life … I am a little scared, though. Truth be told."

"Truth be told,” I said. "That's the way it always has to be between us."

"Okay. So I'm very scared," Jannie said in a tiny voice.

"Me too, little girl."

We held hands and stared at the glorious orangey-red sun. Jannie was very quiet. It took all of my willpower to keep from breaking up. I started to choke and hid it with a false yawn that I was sure didn't fool her.

"What happens this morning?" Jannie finally asked in a whisper.

"The rest of the pre-op work-up," I told her. "Maybe another blood test."

She wrinkled her nose. "They're vampires here, you know. It's why I made you stay the night."

"Good thinking on your part. I fought off a few dastardly attacks in the wee hours. Didn't want to wake you. They'll probably give you your very first shave."

Jannie put both hands over her head. "No!"

"Just a little in the back. It will look cool."

She continued to look horrified," Yeah, right. You think so? Why don't you get a shave on the back of your head too. Then we can both look cool."

I grinned at her. "I will if you want me to."

Dr. Petito walked into Jannie's room and heard us trying to cheer each other up.

"You're number one on our list," he told her and smiled.

Jannie puffed up her little chest," See that? I'm number one."

They took Jannie away from me at five minutes past seven in the morning.