“Stop!” Ronnie said. Rainbow shrieked with laughter.
“I can’t hear you!” he teased in a sing-song voice, continuing to tickle both of them.
“I’ll get you for this!” Ronnie said.
“In your dreams, Brum!”
“Ow, seriously, stop. I’m gonna pop my stitches.”
Reg looked apologetic. “Sorry, Brum.”
“No worries.”
25
PERIOD
Reg dropped Rainbow off at Maude’s on Sunday night, then Mattie flew back to Auckland the following Friday. Without them the house felt empty. Ronnie reclaimed Mattie’s old room, then did her best to melt into the guest bed and rot.
Reg woke her up. She blinked up at him owlishly.
“Hey, baby,” he said.
She went back to sleep.
When she opened her eyes again Nev was leaning over her. Ronnie drew a deep breath. “How was your holiday?” Nev had gone somewhere. Why was Nev looking at her like that? Did they think she was milking it?
“Did you take something?” Nev asked.
Ronnie didn’t understand the question. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. Drugs?”
Ronnie snorted. “No. Why?”
“Your dad was concerned. He hasn’t been able to shift you out and about.”
Ronnie frowned, confused. “I’m anemic. I lost four liters of blood.”
“He was wondering whether you needed to return to the hospital. Do you?”
“How would I know? I’m just rotting here like a good doobie. I didn’t take anything. The pills ran out on Sunday.”
“What have you been taking since then?”
“Nothing.”
“Not even over the counter stuff?”
“It wasn’t helping.”
“Right. Can you sit up?”
With help she was able to sit up in bed. A hot flash. She closed her eyes. Her mouth filled with saliva. Lightheaded. Nev helped her swing her legs over the side of the bed and put her balloon feet on the floor.
“You’re still retaining water.”
Ronnie shook her head. She knew her ankles and feet were twice their normal size. That was normal after the surgery. “They said it could take a while. What day is it?”
