Page 53 of The Battery
When my back was to Leo, his hand shot out and grabbed mine. I spun.
Those eyes.
Full of pain. Full of pleading.
Maribel closed the door as she left us alone. I stood with Leo at the foot of his uncle’s bed, locked at his side with an iron grip on his hand.
“I have a promise to keep,” he said so quietly I didn’t quite catch it.
“What promise?”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple rising and falling. His lips pursed together as the intensity of his stare at his uncle only increased. I wouldn’t ask again. He could take as long as he needed to.
A full minute passed. He held up his right arm—the one holding my hand—to show me his forearm while our fingers remained interlaced. His left forefinger traced a particular symbol woven into the swirling patterns of other tattoos. I had to squint and cock my head to understand. It melted into everything else…
A scythe locked around an hourglass almost empty.
My lips mumbled words I didn’t speak aloud. Did he mean…?
When I looked at him in question, he had been staring at the nightstand. The pictures?
No. There, in the corner. A vial of morphine.
“Is he in pain?” I asked delicately.
“She said no. But still…”
Andy pulled in a slow, ragged breath. A death rattle. His faced pinched together. It was like he knew.
I lifted Leo’s forearm again and ran my thumb along the symbol. “I’ll support whatever you do, Leo.”
He pulled me to the side of the bed where his foot hooked a nearby chair so he could sit beside his uncle. I stood behind him. Hands on his shoulders for support.
Leo prepared the concoction by dipping a dropper into the vial and loading the plastic tube all the way. I had no idea how much was too much or just enough. I knew they were using morphine for pain management. I also knew it would be quick once Leo administered the dose under his uncle’s tongue.
I squeezed his shoulders. “You need to speak to him,” I said as gently as I could without being forceful. “If you haven’t already, okay?” His shoulders hitched. I couldn’t see his face but I could imagine the pain there. “This…” I swallowed.Be strong.“This is your last chance to talk to him, Leo. Say anything you need to say. I can step out for that if you want.”
Leo took in a quivering breath. I squeezed his shoulders harder. No dismissal.
Silence.
Then, “I love you, Uncle Andy. You didn’t need to take me in but you did. I’m… I’m so sorry for how I treated you those years. I was so angry. All the time. And you just took it and understood me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. This is all because of you, Uncle Andy.
“I love you. And I’m… I’m gonna…” A sob pushed through but he mastered it quickly. “I’m gonna miss you. I love you, Uncle Andy.”
His hand was steady when he pulled his uncle’s chin down and emptied two dropperful doses of morphine under Andy’s tongue.
Leo put his elbows on the edge of the bed and picked up his uncle’s hand in his. Held the knuckles to his lips as he whispered “I love you” repeatedly. Twin streams of tears ran down his face. I fought for my own control. It was a losing battle.
Leo’s chin quivered against his uncle’s hand, his own shaking. I sank to my knees beside him and glued myself to his side. I willed as much love and sympathy his way as I could but I knew he lost himself to the sorrow.
Only space and time would save him. A continuum.
So I stayed in his space. Passing the time.
Leo remained calm on the surface. The only sign of his pain came from the endless flow of tears. He remained as stone, no longer quivering or shaking, as if he could master the reaction as easily as he could his hours on the field. Strangely, I could feed from that strength and together we rebounded it to each other, amplified by our presence alone.
I stood again. Put my hands on his shoulders. He could sit there for hours and I wouldn’t budge.
