Page 97 of Butterfly

His phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his jacket.Captainflashed at him. He’d already ignored the last few calls, knew Captain would be getting worried. Ollie took a deep breath, then answered.

“Where the hell are you?”

“I’m at the hospital,” Ollie replied, counting the floors again. The building stood at seven stories high. While he’d been sat there, he’d seen a helicopter land on the top.

“Shit, are you all right?”

“No… I mean, yes.” Ollie scrunched his eyes shut. “I’m fine.”

“Then why are you at the hospital?”

Ollie didn’t have an answer for that. “Did you need something?”

Captain was quiet for a long time before replying, “You wanted to come with me to Ikea,remember?”

“Shit.”

“Said you wanted to pick out my furniture so my flat didn’t end up looking like an army barracks.”

“I did say that, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, so why are you at the hospital?”

Ollie bit his lip. “I’m at the hospital Teddy was sent to.”

Captain sighed. “Oh, Ollie. Rory told you not to go digging.”

“Did you read about him too?”

“Yes.”

Ollie sniffed. “And?”

“What do you meanand?”

“Do you think it’s true?”

“Ollie…”

“Because I don’t get it. How can he be like he was with me when he did something so horrible?”

“Maybe he’s learned from his mistakes, wanted to make amends in any small way he could.”

“Maybe it isn’t true.”

“He admitted to it.”

“He can’t talk,” Ollie snapped. “Maybe the police just put words in his mouth—”

“He pleaded guilty.”

“A part of me hates him.”

Captain exhaled. “That’s okay.”

“But a bigger part of me doesn’t. Maybe he thought I’d look him up as soon as I was released. Maybe that’s why he never writes because he thinks one day I won’t. I shouldn’t, should I? I shouldn’t write to him.”

“It’s not up to me to tell you whether you should or shouldn’t write to him.”

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