Page 74 of Reacher
The nurse walked back in. “Doctor is on his way. What’s… are you upsetting him?” She had noted the rapid heart rate, and checked Ice’s pulse, like she had to prove the machines wrong.
She leaned over Ice so he could see her, speaking in a low calm voice.
“Try to breathe, Mr Silver.”
“Ice,”I reminded her, and she nodded.
“Ice… breathe with me, don’t try to speak.”
She turned to me then. “You’ll wait outside please.” I squeezed his hand once, and backed up, leaving the room, and heading for the waiting area.
Stitch watched me approach.
“What the fuck was that? He wasn’t just incoherent. He was… I don’t know what that was.”
I stared at the room we’d left, seeing the doctor appear and head inside, the door closing.
“He’s afraid, and he thinks he caused whatever happened to him. I’m starting to wonder if he found the cartel himself, and this is just a coincidence of epic proportions.”
Stitch cursed, running a hand through his hair.
“Like he’s been buying from them?”
I desperately hoped that the answer to that question was no. Unfortunately, until Ice was up to speaking, and making a little more sense, we wouldn’t have the answer to that question. All we had was more shit to worry about, and no plan of action to keep our people safe.
Ally approached me then. “Are you okay?”
Was I? I had no fucking idea. I hauled her against my chest, because I needed the comfort that she provided, just by existing,just by being in my arms. I rested my chin against the top of her head.
“I’m gonna send the boys home to rest. They’ve been here most of the day.” Stitch disappeared, and a few moments later we heard Torch and Micro leaving, both looking exhausted, and demoralised.
“This can’t be it, man. He has to get better, because that guy in there? That’s not Ice. That’s…Jesus… there was no sign of the man we know.” Did I sound fucking defeated? How else was I supposed to sound, or feel, when I felt like we’d just been talking to a frightened fucking child, rather than the man we knew so well?
Stitch went off to find coffee for us, and Ally led me back to those crappy plastic seats to sit down.
She held one of my hands, and stroked it with her thumb.
“I’m sorry it didn’t go well.”
I watched her thumb moving against my skin, taking comfort from her touch, because I needed something to soothe the shock of how broken Ice had seemed.
“He… it wasn’t just that he was afraid. I think he blames himself for it, and there might even be more to his story than we know, but he’s not up to telling us right now.”
Ally sighed. “I’m so sorry, if it is because of me, but I’ll help no matter what. Do you want me to make contact with Raoul?”
Did my blood boil in my veins just at the mention of that fucker’s name? The last thing I wanted was my woman near that fucker. There was no way that’d help the situation, or any situation at all. Ever.
“Hell no. At least, not until we know what we plan to do. If he gets any idea of where you are, he might come for you. I want to be ready if that happens. I plan to peel the skin from his fucking body, while I listen to his screams.”
Stitch cursed as he approached with coffees.
“You want to keep your fucking voice down, Reacher? You’ll scare the staff here, and they already think we’re barbarians.”
He passed coffee to each of us, and disappeared again to get his. He was right though, this wasn’t the place for statements like that.
“Ally, I need to make something clear to you, and I need to say it in a way that won’t terrify the staff here. I hate the fact that any other man has been near you. I hate the fact that I wasn’t your first, and your only. To say I want to destroy your previous lovers is an understatement. Most of all, this bastard Raoul, who hurt you, and caused all this shit… that guy I want to take apart, but I need to hold back what I want to say right now. Just know that whatever the worst is that you can picture… that’s what I’m going to do, and then some.”
She shuddered, and when I met her eyes again, I could see it wasn’t shock or horror, or disgust. She was fucking turned on by my words. By how I wanted to kill every man who’d ever touched her. My fucking old lady. I would kill for her, and I’d die for her. I hoped I wouldn’t have to do the latter for a few years at least. A hundred would never be enough, but I’d settle for a few years if that was all I’d get.
