“How about ten o’clock? I’ll settle for ten o’clock.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Detective Lindenhurst chuckled, rising, and everybody behind him stood up, getting ready to leave.
“Thank you.” Bennie stood up, too. Her ribs were hurting again but she ignored it. “I’m sorry I yelled at you before.”
“It’s okay. It happens.” Detective Lindenhurst’s smile widened.
Declan burst into laughter. “At least she apologized to you. I think she likes you better than me.”
Bennie laughed too. “I don’t like anybody better than you right now. You’re golden!”
They all laughed again, said their good-byes, and walked to the door of the meeting room. Detective Lindenhurst and the others went left, heading for the elevators, and Bennie and Declan turned right, toward the lounge. Just then, she spotted a familiar figure midway down the hall, coming toward them. Nate, wearing a blue sweater, pressed jeans, and a contrite expression.
“That’s Nate Lence,” Bennie said under her breath.
“The Nate Lence?” Declan focused on Nate like a police dog. “Am I allowed to take him outside? We’re already at the hospital. He won’t have to go far to get stitches. Or crutches. It’s convenient for all parties.”
“No.” Bennie smiled. “Just be nice and civil.”
“Is hand-to-hand combat civil?”
“Please be nice, for Mary’s sake. She’s what matters now.”
“Fine,” Declan said, resigned.
Nate reached them in the hallway. “Bennie, I heard what happened and I came to say how sorry I am. About Mary, about you, and everything.”
“Thank you. Nate, meet Declan Mitchell.”
“Nice to meet you, Declan.” Nate pursed his lips, extending a hand to Declan, who shook it without breaking it off.
“Hello, Nate.”
Nate turned to Bennie. “I was just in the lounge. I met Simon’s family and Mary’s. I’m going to get to the bottom of what happened at OpenSpace. I’ll find a way to make it right. First thing in the morning, I’m going to speak to Corporate Giving at CHOP. I’m sure the Blood and Marrow Unit could use a contribution.”
Declan interrupted, “Does money excuse what you did? Firing Bennie? Accusing Mary of disciplinary violations?”
Bennie rushed to say, “Nate, I’m sure CHOP would appreciate that. Now, we have to go. We want to be with Mary’s family as well.”
Nate avoided Declan’s eye. “I truly am sorry. We can talk later.”
“We don’t have anything to talk about, Nate. Good-bye.” Bennie started to walk away, taking Declan’s hand before he used it to commit bodily harm.
“But Bennie,” Nate called after her, turning. “We do have cases coming in, and I’d like for you to represent Dumbarton again. We need you in your former role.”
“No, thank you,” Bennie called back, taking Declan away. “We have to go. Good-bye.”
They left Nate behind, and Declan looked over. “Nice burn, babe.”
“Wasn’t it? And you behaved yourself. Sort of.”
“That’s because I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Bennie smiled, but it faded as they reached the lounge. She could see Mary’s teary family through the glass window. “I hope she’s going to be okay.”
“Me too,” Declan said quietly, opening the door.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Mary didn’t open her eyes, though her head felt better. They’d told her that she wouldn’t need surgery but had to be monitored, with “neuro checks” and “serial CT scans” administered at regular intervals. She couldn’t eat in case she had to go to surgery, but she wasn’t hungry anyway.
She was so tired, but she could hear all of the people she loved around her, and she listened to their quiet voices as if it were the most beautiful music she had ever heard. Anthony was talking to her mother-in-law El Virus, her mother was praying softly, and her father was whispering for the first time in her life. Mary heard Bennie, Declan, and Judy too.
Mary waited to hear Simon’s voice, but she didn’t, and it nagged at her as she drifted in and out of sleep. She worried about Feet and Rachel, wondering how they were. She assumed The Tonys were with Feet.
Mary knew it must be daytime because she felt a warm square of sunlight on her bed, though she didn’t know what time it was. Her head felt heavy and her throat hurt. She could feel the oxygen tube lying against her cheek and a plastic clip around her index finger. She knew she would look horrible, but luckily she was among family, which was best defined as people who love you no matter what you look like.
She drifted back to sleep to the lullaby of everyone talking, and the next time she woke up, she recognized another voice: Simon’s. Mary worried that Simon wouldn’t be in the room long, since he had Rachel and Feet to take care of, so she tried to wake herself up to talk to him.
“How’s Rachel?” Mary opened her eyes enough to see them clustering around her. But no one answered her question about Rachel. She felt a tingle of concern that there was bad news and they were keeping it from her.
“Simon, how’s Rachel?” Mary asked again, dry-mouthed.
“She’s fine,” Simon answered, materializing at Mary’s side and giving her arm a reassuring squeeze.
“For real?”
“Yes, absolutely. They think they might have found a new donor. We have only one more test to go, then we’ll know for sure.”
“That’s wonderful.” Mary felt the news suffuse her with joy. “And your father?”
“Dad’s still stable. He might get a stent. He’s worried about you.”
“We’re all worried about each other.”
“That’s love.”
“Yes, it is.” Mary felt a familiar grasp on her hand, but this time it felt different than before. It was Anthony. “Anthony, you okay?”
Everybody smiled, and Anthony answered, “Now I am.”
“Good. Love you.” Mary let herself drift back to sleep. She didn’t need to hear Anthony tell her he loved her. She already knew.
She was lucky and blessed in him and all of them, and when she finally succumbed to sleep, she felt in a state of grace, even on Earth.
Because Heaven was right here.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Bennie and Declan didn’t get back to her house until dawn, and Bennie shut the door behind them, exhausted and in some pain. The Advil and adrenaline had finally worn off, as if her body knew it was finally time to let down, and as she turned away from the door, she felt a deep ache from her broken ribs.
“Hurting?” Declan asked, concerned. “Why don’t you go upstairs and lie down? I can make you some eggs and bring them up.”
“No thanks, I’m not hungry.” Bennie trundled to the staircase. “All I want is to get out of these disgusting clothes, take a shower, and sleep for a month.”
“Go right ahead. I’ll be up in a minute. I’ll make you a cup of tea.”