Page 112 of Private Exhibit
Andy blinked slowly. “I don't remember,” he admitted.
“All the more reason.” Crawford slowly stood and stretched his back. “We'll pick this back up tomorrow.”
“Wait. Tomorrow?” Andy shot to his feet. “Can he wait that long? What if–”
“Gerard,” Crawford interrupted him, holding up a hand. “You're clearly about to drop, and neither of us has eaten all day. And I am not going to miss a chance to put my kids to bed. Not for anyone. I lost enough time with my son as it is.”
Andy winced. He understood that all too well.
But Devon…
“He's stable,” Crawford said as though he'd read Andy's thoughts. “And you'll be no good to him if you pass out from exhaustion.”
Andy was about to argue, but he knew the man was right. He felt dead on his feet. The mere thought of going back in and doing more work seemed physically and mentally impossible.
And what if he somehow harmed Devon instead of helping him? He'd never be able to forgive himself.
“Fine,” he bit off.
Crawford patted him on the shoulder. “Eat something. Sleep. Donotgo back in without me. That's an order. I promise, first thing tomorrow, we'll pick right back up where we left off. I'm going to have my secretary clear my schedule to be sure of it. Sound good?”
Andy nodded. It was all he could manage when he felt like he was going to fall asleep right then and there.
Crawford left. The moment he was gone, Oliver peeked into the room. The boy eyed the bed, his gaze wary, then handed Andy a bag.
“What's this?” Andy asked.
“I got you something from the cafeteria,” Oliver said. “It was supposed to be lunch, but then you guys didn't come out, so…”
“You didn't have to do that.”
“You're trying to save his life. I feel so fucking helpless. Hayden and Levi came by several times, but I couldn't tell them anything.”
“You're here. And you care. Sometimes, that makes all the difference.”
Oliver almost smiled at that, but then he turned wary again. “How's it going?”
Andy took a bite of the cheeseburger he pulled out of the bag. It was cold, but he didn't care. After the past few days, it was one of the best things he'd ever tasted. He quickly chewed and swallowed, then said, “It's a lot of work. We still have a really long way to go.”
“But there's a chance?”
“Crawford thinks so. And I'm not giving up.”
Oliver gave him a grateful nod.
Andy finished the burger, then nearly considered going home to shower and sleep. That thought lasted about two seconds. He couldn't bear to leave the hospital. He could hardly even contemplate leaving that room.
But Crawford was right. He was in desperate need of a full reset. Andy raced down to the morgue office, grabbed his duffel bag, took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and hurried right back up to Devon's room.
Andy climbed up on the bed and stretched out with a weary groan. His sweet boy was still eerily motionless, barely clingingto life. Andy watched Oliver curl up in a chair, then turned his focus back on Devon.
Stay with me, he thought as his body succumbed to exhaustion.Stay with me.
The next day, they dove right back in. Devon barely acknowledged them, his little voice faint and full of pain. Andy winced. Devon was slowly slipping away. Giving up. Andy could feel it.
He couldn't let that happen. Andy raced down Devon's nerves, quickly double-checking to make sure all their repairs still held, then jumped right back into work. Time slipped away again. Before Andy knew it, Crawford was making them stop for lunch. Then again at the end of the day.
Andy didn't want to stop. They were getting so close. It took Crawford reminding him that Devon's mind needed a rest from their invasion before Andy finally relented.
