Read Online Silversword by Charles Knief - Free Book Online Page B

went out on his round of errands for Chawlie, we had a little celebration. Three bottles of Dom had been sent up from the hotel bar. We drained them before dinner and got a little giddy. Angelica looked at me as if I were some kind of conquering hero.
    â€œYou are a good patient, John,” she said.
    â€œThe word is interesting,” I said. “Patient. As in wait.”
    She giggled. “You must wait. Your body is healing. You will be well, soon.”
    I nodded. “Now tell me why they call what doctors do a ‘practice’?”
    She smiled a crooked smile. “You have lost a lot of weight.”
    â€œI’ll gain it back.”
    â€œBut a lot of it is muscle. It will be difficult for you. At your age.”
    â€œAt my age?”

    â€œYou are not a young man. It will be difficult.”
    â€œYou mean when I return to working out?”
    â€œYes. It will not be easy.”
    â€œAngelica, honey, if I shied away from things just because they were hard, I would have done something else with my life.”
    She shook her head. “Chawlie said that you are a good man, that you are like an ancient warrior. Chawlie said that you must once again prove to yourself that you are a man.”
    It took a moment before the subtext registered. “What are you saying?”
    â€œChawlie is worried about your manhood. He says it will be a problem for you if you cannot … do what a man has to do.”
    â€œAre you saying what I think you’re saying?”
    â€œChawlie told me to make you happy. Tonight I think I will see what we can do.”
    â€œWait a minute. That’s not a part of your duties.”
    â€œIt is if I want it to be,” she said. “I am to make you well, and to make you well I am to make you happy.”
    â€œIt’s all right, Angelica. I’m old enough and tired enough I don’t need you to do anything for me.”
    â€œI am not one of your American women who think sex is bad, or something merely to be bartered. I am a healing woman. Sex has much to do with healing.”
    â€œThank you, but—”
    â€œI notice when I wash you, your member doesn’t even stir.”
    â€œWell, that’s just …” I had no answer for that. I had noticed it, too, and it did bother me, but only a little. It had happened before, after major trauma. But she was a beautiful, healthy young woman, and when she touched me it should have caused some reaction. Even wounded, I wasn’t dead.
    â€œSee, I can tell that it bothers you.”
    â€œBut that doesn’t mean you have to …”
    â€œI don’t have to. That’s the point. I want to.”
    What do you say to that? The other nurses were watching and listening intently, keeping quiet, their warm, dark eyes following every nuance of the conversation. I had no idea what they were
thinking. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. I felt like an object in a museum.
    â€œI, ah …”
    â€œWe don’t have to do anything right now, if it makes you uncomfortable, John. Drink your champagne. It will help you.” She filled my glass again.
    â€œTherapy, huh?”
    â€œChawlie wants to know that you’re still a man.”
    â€œTell Chawlie it’s none of his business.”
    â€œHe says that it is. If you cannot be a man in that sense, then he says you cannot be a man in the other.”
    â€œThat’s nonsense.” Now I was getting angry. Chawlie had his ways and his culture, but he didn’t have to impose them on me.
    â€œI have to tell Chawlie what you do.”
    â€œThat’s even worse. You’re a beautiful woman, but even if I were inclined to bed you on a moment’s notice, I couldn’t now because I’d know that Chawlie would be getting a blow-by-blow description.”
    She blushed. “I don’t usually do that.”
    â€œThat’s not what I meant, Angelica.”
    â€œWhat shall I tell