Page 75 of A Raven Repents

She tapped her cheek and bent down so he could kiss it before she left.

He did manage to feed himself, but was glad of Michael’s company. And when he finished, Michael even helped him to get up and stretch his legs a bit.

“Thank you, Michael. I know you didn’t want to leave Belle right now, and I really appreciate that you came. But you need to go back to her.”

Michael nodded. “I will, now that I know you’re… not well perhaps, but you will be.”

Christina returned after Michael left. Unfortunately, she refused to climb back into bed with him, but it was probably for the better. His door might as well have been a revolving one, with all the people who came and went through it. Donoghue, Doyle, Allister, Fitz, and eventually Dr. Goodluck. Irony of the highest order. Seeing the man could only ever mean you were having the worst luck.

Ash came in while he was taking Giles’ pulse.

“How is he?” Ash asked.

“So far, everything looks very good. I’ll know more once I get the bandages off.” He gave Ash a pointed look.

“Christina, I believe Gwen is in the front sitting room with a few of the other ladies, enjoying some strawberry tarts. Why don’t you go join them?”

Not surprisingly, his wife shook her head. “I’d rather stay.”

“That was Ash’s very kind way of telling you that you need to leave for this part,” Giles explained.

“But I don’t want to,” she said stubbornly.

He raised his brow, and tried not to cringe from the pain it created. “Are you arguing with me?”

She pursed her lips and turned for the door.

“Bring me one of those tarts when you come back.”

At least that got a small smile.

“Dr. Goodluck thinks we should sedate you for this, but I’ve told him you may not want it, so the choice is yours.”

“I don’t want to be sedated again. I still feel groggy.”

“It will likely be painful, and you may also feel some things that are unpleasant,” the doctor warned.

“I want a mirror.”

“No.” The doctor shook his head. “Not right now.”

“I wish to see it.” He sounded like a petulant child, but he didn’t care. They were treating him like one.

“Once it has healed. I will not allow it until then.”

“It’s not going to heal,” Giles yelled. “There’s no bloody eye!”

Ash placed a hand on his shoulder. “You need to calm down, Giles.”

“I don’t want to calm down. I just want to see it!”

“This is your last chance, or you’ll have to be sedated.”

“What is this? An asylum?”

Ash flinched. The pain of those words seemed to weigh down his entire being. Giles had just done exactly what his mother had warned him not to.

“I’m sorry, Ash.” He reached out his hand. “I’m sorry. Please help me through it.”