but I want the two of ya to disappear for awhile. Hold down your corner, but nice and quiet like. We’ll talk again tomorrow night, same time aight?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Good ‘nuff. Get some hot food downstairs and some sleep over at my crib.”
Saul waited for Bolo to open the door and step out unto the stairs; he really didn’t like the idea of walking down in front of him.
“Hey Saul,” Vesper said as he was about to leave.
He turned, "Yeah?”
“You gonna leave without sayin’ thanks?”
“It ain’t ‘bout thanks, right?”
Vesper smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Exactly.”
Chapter Seven
In absentia
Seth woke this time up to the image of himself on television. There was no volume, but the pictures flashed past one by one: an older one, graduation from college, and then one from the employee party last year or the year before, Seth couldn’t remember. Then his dad, grey and foxy as ever, pulling through the gates out in front of his estate in his long nosed burgundy Jaguar. It had been many, many years since Seth had been through those gates, but he knew the ground well. The look on his dad’s face was priceless as the reporters closed in with their microphones and cameras. Don’t scratch the fucking paint. He let the gates close behind him, probably hoping he’d get lucky and skewer a reporter or two in order to ward off the others.
Seth turned when a nurse walked past. She caught the movement out of the corner of her vision and leaned in. "Can I get you anything?” He shook his head, winced, and then just closed his eye. “My wife, I need to see her.”
“How’s your pain?” she asked instead.
It seemed the worst possible of questions to Seth. “When can I see her?”
The nurse consulted the room clock and then her own, "Doctor Stewart will be through in half an hour or so.”
Seth watched her through his good eye as she saw the television for the first time. His picture was back. She stopped, pulled the remote over, and laid it within Seth’s reach. “If you want some sound, it’s on the right side.”
“No sound.”
“Kay,” she hustled out.
As promised, the doctor arrived not long after and again introduced herself as Sam. She wore the same expression in different clothes. “I won’t ask how you’re feeling if you promise you’ll tell me the truth.”
Seth just watched her.
“Are you going to be able to handle seeing your wife?” she asked without hesitation.
“I don’t understand.”
“She’s in bad shape. She won’t look like the pretty girl that she is when you see her, and it isn’t going to help one bit if you fall apart when you come in the room. Understand?”
“Yeah.”
She flipped open her PDA and poked at the screen with the stylus. “Think you’re up to it? I want you two together. It’ll help you both, but I want a straight answer out of you before I allow it.”
“I can handle it,” Seth said.
“Alright then,” she said. “We’re moving her today sometime if she’s doing well. If you’re ready, we’ll take you down sometime after that for a little while. Deal?”
“Yes.”
“She is better. A long way to go, and some big hurdles, but
“Yeah, okay.”
“Good ‘nuff. Get some hot food downstairs and some sleep over at my crib.”
Saul waited for Bolo to open the door and step out unto the stairs; he really didn’t like the idea of walking down in front of him.
“Hey Saul,” Vesper said as he was about to leave.
He turned, "Yeah?”
“You gonna leave without sayin’ thanks?”
“It ain’t ‘bout thanks, right?”
Vesper smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Exactly.”
Chapter Seven
In absentia
Seth woke this time up to the image of himself on television. There was no volume, but the pictures flashed past one by one: an older one, graduation from college, and then one from the employee party last year or the year before, Seth couldn’t remember. Then his dad, grey and foxy as ever, pulling through the gates out in front of his estate in his long nosed burgundy Jaguar. It had been many, many years since Seth had been through those gates, but he knew the ground well. The look on his dad’s face was priceless as the reporters closed in with their microphones and cameras. Don’t scratch the fucking paint. He let the gates close behind him, probably hoping he’d get lucky and skewer a reporter or two in order to ward off the others.
Seth turned when a nurse walked past. She caught the movement out of the corner of her vision and leaned in. "Can I get you anything?” He shook his head, winced, and then just closed his eye. “My wife, I need to see her.”
“How’s your pain?” she asked instead.
It seemed the worst possible of questions to Seth. “When can I see her?”
The nurse consulted the room clock and then her own, "Doctor Stewart will be through in half an hour or so.”
Seth watched her through his good eye as she saw the television for the first time. His picture was back. She stopped, pulled the remote over, and laid it within Seth’s reach. “If you want some sound, it’s on the right side.”
“No sound.”
“Kay,” she hustled out.
As promised, the doctor arrived not long after and again introduced herself as Sam. She wore the same expression in different clothes. “I won’t ask how you’re feeling if you promise you’ll tell me the truth.”
Seth just watched her.
“Are you going to be able to handle seeing your wife?” she asked without hesitation.
“I don’t understand.”
“She’s in bad shape. She won’t look like the pretty girl that she is when you see her, and it isn’t going to help one bit if you fall apart when you come in the room. Understand?”
“Yeah.”
She flipped open her PDA and poked at the screen with the stylus. “Think you’re up to it? I want you two together. It’ll help you both, but I want a straight answer out of you before I allow it.”
“I can handle it,” Seth said.
“Alright then,” she said. “We’re moving her today sometime if she’s doing well. If you’re ready, we’ll take you down sometime after that for a little while. Deal?”
“Yes.”
“She is better. A long way to go, and some big hurdles, but
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