Page 139 of String Boys
Oh Jesus.“Kelly Cruz,” he said, feeling shell-shocked. Seth and Lindsey Stirling—both YouTube phenomena. Now he knew why people knew about him.
“Oh! Well, I’ll have to tell my son. He’s out too. He was very excited to see Seth’s stuff online—”
“Is he there?” Kelly asked, the fine edge of panic in his voice. Matty had spotted him and Craig in the car and was coming their way.
Oh Jesus.That thing in his hand—Kelly knew those things well. Lily, Lulu, Agnes, Chloe—at one time or another, he’d carried all of them in one.
There was a baby in that carrier, and Matty looked like hell.
“Yes,” came the answer. “Yes, he was admitted with the first wave of the injured. He’s in ICU in stable condition, but they’re awaiting his tests to see if he has internal injuries or any significant head injury. Are you planning to come visit him?”
Oh Jesus.“Yes,” Kelly said. “Where is he?”
While the clerk relayed the department and the room number, Kelly repeated it, catching Craig’s eyes so he could type the info into his phone. He thanked the clerk and hung up, and then he and Craig looked at each other grimly.
“I’ll get Seth,” Craig said. “You get your brother.”
No.“I want to get Seth!” Kelly snapped. “He’s mine. When does he get to be mine!”
Craig dropped his chin against his chest. “He’s always been yours, Kelly. But I’m nobody to Matty. Whatever brought him here, whoever that is in the baby carrier, you are the person he needs to see.”
“Just….” Kelly looked at this kind man—plain, graying, his amazing green eyes and delicate cheekbones the only testament that his son was the boy Kelly loved. “Just wait for a minute. Let me talk to Matty. Maybe I can come with you, okay?”
Craig nodded. “Okay. Here—I’ll park the van. We can take my car instead.”
Good idea.Kelly got out and walked toward his brother, his heart panic-beating in every step.
“Matty?”
Matty turned to him blearily, and Kelly saw that Lily and Lulu had been right. His eyes were yellow and the skin under them was gray. His face was blotched. And he hadn’t showered in too long a time.
“Kel?” He smiled.
Kelly’s throat grew tight. How long, Jesus, how long had it been since his brother had smiled when he saw him?
“Yeah. What’s doin’ man? Who’s that in the car seat?”
Matty let out a harsh, hoarse bark of laughter. “My son?”
Kelly looked at him sideways and then crouched, taking in the baby’s appearance. He was tiny—maybe two weeks old? His skin was pink, and even under the soda lights, Kelly could see the hair haloing around his head was a blondish brown.
Chloe’s hair and skin and eyes were all brown. There was no doubt she was Matty’s child—none.
“Uh, Matty?”
Matty shook his head. “Isela showed up three days ago,” he said with a shrug. “She had him with her. I was like, ‘Uh… babe?’ She said he was mine. Could be. She was around for a while last year. But it doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter if he’s mine. She took off, and I can’t… I just can’t. He’s a baby, Kel. He’s a baby, and he needs someone. And he doesn’t have a chance with her. I know I’m a shitty father, but I’m a good enough one to know that my family is raising my daughter decent.” He unshouldered the bag on his other side. “I got nowhere else to take him, and I’m almost out of formula and down to my last two diapers.”
Kelly stared at him, mouth gaping, as Matty thrust the baby carrier into his hands, followed by the bag.
“Dude, come up and talk to Mom at least! Man, she deserves that much.”
Matty shook his head, and then to Kelly’s horror, he started coughing. A deep, wet, chest-sucking cough that he covered with his shoulder.
He wiped his mouth, and Kelly saw the blood spots he’d left behind.
“Jesus,Matty!”
Matty shrugged, like Seth would have, if he’d known. “Vasculitis,” he said. “I’ve got two kinds of hepatitis, Kelly. He can’t stay with me. My body’s falling to shit. I’ll be lucky if I make it ’til Christmas.”
