Page 55 of Shades of Henry
New Horizons
LANCE HADbeen running all day. A six-car pileup on I-5 had all hands on deck in the ER, and with the impact of airbags on fragile chest cavities, a cardiac specialist was in high demand. He got another call about a possible heart attack during a shoot-out and hit the ambulance bay just in time to see Henry’s new hero wheeled out on a stretcher, a tall, dark-haired man with a sharp nose and angular chin getting out behind him.
“Rivers?” Lance said in surprise, and found himself pushed aside by two ICU nurses who were chastising the patient.
“Really, Jackson?” said Dave, the tall nurse with dark freckles on pale brown skin. “Really? You invite us to a party next week and now you’re gonna die on us?”
“As. If.” Jackson was talking through an oxygen mask, but his irritation was quite clear. “See my shark in a suit? He’s gonna bitch me back to health.”
“Yeah,” said Alex, Dave’s boyfriend and thirty-five-year-old twinkie. “But he’s getting tired. Jesus, Rivers, give the poor guy a break!”
“You’re not—” Jackson took a gulp of air. “—going to leave anything for Dr. Keller to bitch at.” They wheeled him through the corridor. “C’mon, guys, I called him first.”
At that moment, a tiny African American woman with snow-white hair strode past Lance with a courtesy pat on his arm. “Excuse me, Dr. Luna,” Dr. Keller said. “This is my patient. His husband called me from the ambulance. I’ll take over if you don’t mind.”
She did just that, asking Jackson questions, running by his stretcher on their way to ICU. Lance looked behind him in bemusement to see Henry’s lawyer sagging shakily against a wall.
“Mr. Cramer?”
Ellery looked up, wiping his mouth with his hand. “Dr.…?”
“Hi, I’m sorry. I’m Dr. Luna. I stitched up Mr. Rivers’s back the other day. I’m Henry Worrall’s, uh, roommate?”
Ellery straightened up and swallowed, his backbone going perpendicular to the ground and his shoulders squaring. “Oh, yes,” he said, his eyes shifting back to the corridor down which Jackson had disappeared. “Jackson said you were very good.”
“That’s kind.” Lance forced himself to take a deep breath. “I… uh, I heard there were shots fired? Is Henry, uh….” His voice wobbled. “Is Henry okay?”
Ellery heard the break at the end, though, and a pair of large dark-brown eyes snapped into focus.
“Lance?” he said, a slight smile on his face. “That’s your name, right? You and Henry are in love?”
Lance practically swallowed his tongue. “Uh, I’m not sure how Mr. Rivers gotthat,but—”
Ellery shook his head. “It’s true,” he said, his eyes growing bright. “Jackson’s usually right about those things. Henry’s fine, Dr. Luna. All of us are fine except Jackson.” A crack appeared in Ellery’s façade then, and he wiped his face with the back of his hand. “Jackson’s never fine, but, you know, he does his best. But Henry’s okay. He won’t be arrested, and he’s no longer under suspicion.”
“Thank God,” Lance whispered, wanting to hold on to the wall. “That’s… that’s really great to hear. Here, let’s get you to the waiting room, okay? You should hear something shortly.”
“Thank you,” Ellery said, his voice stronger than the paleness in his cheeks suggested. “That’s nice of you.”
Lance smiled crookedly. “I’m just so relieved to hear Henry’s okay. I thought I’d return the favor. So, all the bad guys are in jail?”
Ellery grimaced. “Well, one of them is dead, one is heading to jail, and there are a few extraneous bad guys I probably have to brief the police about. But….” He waved his hand.
“Priorities,” Lance said, understanding. “Henry’s all about solving the puzzle and getting the bad guys. I’m more about saving the patient. It’s a different way of thinking.”
Ellery’s social smile grew a little stronger. “Lance, my friend, I have the feeling we’re going to enjoy being the only two sane people in a crazy world.”
“Yessir. Your, uh, friend, Jackson Rivers—”
Ellery looked at him sharply. “Dr. Keller believes he’s my husband. Perhaps we should let that, uh, stand?”
Lance couldn’t protest. He’d been worried about Henry all week, and he wasn’t sure he could ever eat again. He couldn’t imagine how worried this man might be for Jackson Rivers, and how long he’d worried as well.
“He was giving Henry pointers on how to get his PI’s license,” Lance said. “I… uh… I’m a little afraid.”
Ellery met his eyes. “I don’t think Henry’s going to end up in the hospital nearly as much as Jackson does,” he said, and Lance couldn’t figure out if he was speaking with bitterness or humor. “But….” He bit his lip, and a wave of weariness passed over his features. “You just have to decide if it’s worth it. Do that right now. Before your relationship goes any further. Is the worry worth it?”
“Yes,” Lance responded automatically. He heard his own voice in his ears and felt shock, but he wouldn’t take it back for the world. “It’s worth it.”
