Page 160 of Beyond Protection
Mac stared at me. His expression was unreadable.
Silence stretched between us. Outside, snow fell.
He didn't say anything at all.
Chapter nineteen
Mac
The nurse spoke too fast about wound care while I scribbled notes on a pharmacy pamphlet. My handwriting reminded me of a seismograph readout.
"Change the dressing twice daily. Watch for redness, swelling—"
"I've got it." Eamon was politely impatient.
"Sir, these instructions—"
"He'll follow them." I looked up. "I'll make sure."
She handed me the discharge packet. "Keep the follow-up appointment. First physical therapy appointment is next week."
Eamon reached for his shirt one-handed. I took it from him without asking.
The flannel was soft, borrowed from Michael because they cut off Eamon's clothes in the ER. I worked it carefully over the sling, bunching the sleeve.
His skin was warm.Alive.
"Other arm."
He lifted it. I guided the sleeve up and started on the buttons. My hands shook.
"You need anything, you tell me. No stoic bullshit."
"Okay," he said quietly. "I'll tell you."
The nurse left. We stood in the beige room that smelled like antiseptic and cafeteria turkey, Christmas muzak drifting in from the hallway.
"You ready?" I asked.
"To leave the hospital? Yeah."
I helped him stand. He braced himself with a hand on my lower back. I leaned into it.
I signed discharge papers while a nurse wheeled Eamon to the entrance. When finished, I jogged ahead to bring the car around.
Eamon waited under the overhang. He moved like every joint needed oil, but made it to the car without help.
"Seatbelt," I said.
"I know how cars work."
He managed it one-handed. Leaned back. Closed his eyes. "Let's go home."
Home.Ma's house. Not his apartment or my condo. The family's home.
I pulled away slowly. The roads were slick, while the plows struggled to clear them.
"You okay?"
