Page 81 of Light Up
“We’re having a party on New Year’s Eve and we’re going to invite some suitable guys and you’re going to give one of them a chance. Or a fuck. Just to keep your hand in.”
Tal said nothing.
“They should let you out in a day or so. They’ve only kept you in because you were unconscious a bit too long. Scrambled brains need time to recover. You’ll stay with us until you’re better. No arguments. At the first sign of snow, Mojo bought enough food to feed us for a month. Of course, the snow didn’t last five minutes.”
Snow.Tal remembered snow. A lot of it. It was so deep. He’d had a conversation about the deepest snow in the UK… When had that happened? But the snow had gone? Obviously, five minutes was an exaggeration but… He realised the other two were still talking.
“If you really can’t cope with the party, we’ll take you home,” Benjamin told him.
“Now you’re giving him an excuse. It’s a party not an orgy.”
Tal didn’t have the energy to argue. “Are my clothes in that cabinet?”
Benjamin checked. “Yes. Suit, shoes, shirt, overcoat. Since when have you worn a pink fluffy hat?”
He pulled it out to show him and something buzzed in Tal’s head. The hat looked… How could it be familiar? Because it belonged to that fragile bird who’d just fluttered away. It had to be his.
“Want your phone?” Benjamin held it up.
“Yes, please.”
“We’ll go now. Don’t spend too long looking at a screen. Your head took a battering. Your brain is too beautiful to risk.” Louis pushed to his feet and gave him a gentle hug.
When Benjamin did the same, he whispered, “Solas Suas,” into Tal’s ear.
Tal had no idea why. His eyes were closing even as they headed off. Why was Louis so unwilling to tell him what Corey wanted? What had Louis looked at that he shouldn’t have? He assumed it was his medical records, checking everything had been done thathewould have done. There were no secrets. Tal didn’t mind. And what did Solas Suas mean? Why had Benjamin whispered it so that Louis didn’t hear? His last thoughts jumbled together as he slid into sleep.
The next day, Tal felt much better, though his memory was still in tatters. He’d spoken to the police who’d told him he and Corey had been found sheltering in Corey’s vehicle behind a makeshift cardboard windscreen. They’d been wrapped in a duvet. He had no memory of that. Nor could he recall any detail about the truck but it had to have sustained damage in at leasttwo places. Still, there had been no fatalities, so he wondered how much time and effort the police would feel it worth expending to look for it.
He contacted his insurance company, gave them the incident number provided by the police and said he’d be in touch when he was out of hospital. There was no point having a courtesy car when he wasn’t fit to drive.
Tal behaved himself, hoping he’d be allowed out the following day. His head no longer ached. Well, didn’t ache as much. He was bruised but there were no other significant injuries. He’d have preferred not to stay with Louis and Benjamin but accepted he had to. He also wanted to ask Benjamin why he’d whispered those two words to him and clearly hadn’t wanted Louis to hear.
The day before Christmas Eve he was discharged from the hospital with instructions on what to look out for that indicated he should seek immediate medical attention. He didn’t tell them he’d be staying with doctors who’d undoubtedly watch him like hawks.
“Don’t forget your polar bear,” a nurse told him.
“It’s mine?” Tal asked.
“That young man who kept coming to see you left it.”
Tal picked it up and put it in his coat pocket. He’d wondered about it and assumed it was just something the hospital was using to make the ward look more festive.
Benjamin and Louis turned up to get him after they’d finished work.
“Is there anything we need to call and get from your house?” Benjamin asked as they pulled out of the car park.
“I’d packed enough to be away until the twenty-ninth, so no thank you.” He’d put his suit in the case and was wearing jeans and a sweater.
“I’m working tomorrow but after that, I’m off for two days,” Louis said. “Mojo’s not working. He can keep an eye on you.”
They began talking about the new car he ought to get and Tal tuned out. He felt…out of sorts. He supposed it was the concussion. His ribs had been bruised by the airbag but it was something more than that. Tal had a feeling it was to do with Corey Jenkins.
Corey had told the police he’d pulled Tal from his car. Louis might doubt it but if Corey had rescued him, he ought to be thanked. Tal wrapped his fingers around the little polar bear in his pocket. It was important, but he didn’t know why. Not knowing upset his equilibrium and he found himself tapping his fingers on his knee.Oh God.He thought he’d done with that.
While Louis was cooking dinner, Benjamin sat with Tal in their living room. There was a large twinkling tree in front of the window. The silver decorations made him think…
“Solas Suas,” Tal said. “That’s what you said, right?”
