He called to them, “No need to tiptoe, I’m not zombied out on drugs. In fact, I’m doing so well the SICU nurses and doctors don’t want me around any longer. They need my bed for someone who really needs to be here, not a slacker like me. They’re going to move me very soon now to the biggest private room in the hospital. They call it the Taj—can you imagine? They’re gathering the troops right now.” He didn’t mention the long conference at his bedside that morning with Dr. Kardak and Marshal Maynard, debating the pros and cons of moving him. There was too much traffic through the ICU to suit the security team, and too many interruptions by law enforcement to suit the nurses and the medical staff. They had compromised by agreeing he would leave the ICU a bit early, for a secure room on one of the inpatient floors, with an extra staff nurse assigned to him.
He said, “Come here, Emma, and give me a big hug.”
She ran to him, drew up short. Was she afraid to touch him? Probably so. She studied his face as she reached out her hand and lightly laid her fingertips on his forearm. When she realized his eyes were clear and focused on her, she seemed to accept that he wasn’t lying to her because she was a kid. “If they’re going to move you away from all these machines, it for sure means you’re getting better.” She moved her fingers to hover over his whiskered cheek.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Daddy.”
He grinned up at her. “Nah, no chance of that. Do you remember a long time ago when I told you I was tough and you could always count on me? Forever?”
She swallowed, nodded.
“Nothing’s changed, Emma. I’m still the same. There’s nothing here your old man can’t handle.”
He knew even a small movement might hurl him into a well of pain, but he raised his hand to gently stroke her face. Slowly, Emma leaned down and hugged him. “Doesn’t it hurt to lie on your back?”
“Not much. They wrapped me up like a mummy. Don’t be afraid, Emma. Everything is all right now.”
But how could everything be all right? Emma wondered. Whoever had shot her father was still out there, and he might try again. Would there be guards around him forever?
Emma said, “Officer Hughes told us he heard you laugh this morning. He said it was a good sign.”
He’d laughed? He couldn’t remember. Ramsey had probably been riding the morphine express to LaLa Land and heard a nurse say something funny, or not funny at all, it wouldn’t matter.
“There you go,” he said, looking over at Molly, who cocked her head toward Emma and nodded. She was pleased he was finally getting some alone time with his daughter. Emma’s fingers stroked his face, as light as butterfly wings.
He said, “Your mom told me you’re keeping a close eye on Cal and Gage in case she gets so worried about me she forgets to feed them. I tried to think what Gage would do if food didn’t magically appear whenever he wanted some. It wasn’t a pretty picture.”
Emma laughed. “They’d both go next door to Mr. Sproole’s house and out-cute each other so he’d clean out his refrigerator for them.”
Ramsey laughed along with her and managed to hug her again, though the pain in the back of his chest spiked. Pain tasted foul, he thought, not for the first time, and how odd was it that you could actually taste pain? It wasn’t coppery, like blood. Maybe like rotted asparagus? He said, “I know Mr. Sproole is an ice-cream junkie; he’s always got some in his freezer. Do you think he’d break out his chocolate-chip cookie dough ice cream for Gage and Cal?”
“No, that’s his favorite. He’d give them an old carton of vanilla. They’d be happy enough with that.” She settled herself on the bed beside him, still clutching his hand like a lifeline. “Sean was over at our house this morning, playing with Gage and Cal while I was practicing. When I finished a piece he tapped me on the shoulder. He was real serious and polite, Dad. He said he wanted to marry me, and even though he would have three wives he could promise me that I’d be his number-one wife, since I was older than his other two. He said if I agreed, I couldn’t date any other boys until he grew up and came to fetch me.” Emma giggled.
A laugh spurted out of Ramsey’s mouth. He couldn’t help it, though it made him groan. He breathed slowly in and out, and when the pain settled into a steady throb again, he asked, “So what did you say about being Sean’s number-one wife?”
“Sean wasn’t done. He asked me if I wanted a big wedding. When I told him I probably would, he said he was going to have to get three jobs, since both Marty and Georgie wanted big weddings, too.”