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I closedthanks that I wouldn’t have to worry about O’Connell being locked up I tried hard to openback into the darkness, and as I did, I could swear that he was crying

"WHAT’S WRONG, DOC Why won’t she wake up?"

"Mr O’Connell Your wife has only just been moved from intensive care The fact that she has co her asleep is her body’s way of taking care of her while it repairs itself The knife pierced her lung and only just missed the main artery It’s likely that she’ll have respiratory problems for the rest of her life, and the road to recovery will be a long one You’re very lucky that she’s still alive"

"I fucking know that, doc What I want to knohen she’ll wake up!"

"Con! For fuck’s sake, rein it in," I heard Danny chastise hi from O’Connell I desperately wanted to calain inside ised "I can’t thank you enough for saving Em’s life I’m just worried, that’s all I need to hear her voice and feel her touch to know that everything’s okay"

"You will, Mr O’Connell, but right now our biggest concern is the risk of infection I know it’s crass to say, but you need to learn to be patient, and I mean it about the visitors No more than two at any one time I’ve lost count of howlady’s room"

Their conversation faded away Be patient, baby, I’ll be there soon

DANNY WAS READING Moby Dick to me when I finally came around I didn’t disturb him, content to let his raspy voice narrate the story for lanced up to findhim and slammed the book shut

"Thank fuck for that" He snorted "I thought I was gonna be reading this shite for days"

"Moby Dick isn’t shite," I whispered

"Whatever," heroo to you in case you could hear, so I picked this shite to read so you’d wake up and tell me to stop"

I smiled at him and reached out my tired hand He held it in his own, and I remembered his touch as one that kept me waro and have a shower and a shave and so to eat Course now he’ll be pissed that you woke up, and he wasn’t here"

"How long have I been here?"