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“Marlowe, when she’s released to you, there’s going to be a lot of other things that you’re going to do, like⁠—”

“Kizzie, can we go over this later? I just want to see Chaos.” Kai was standing beside me, his arm around my waist. Kizzie smiled.

“Sure, but she’s still sedated.”

“I don’t care. I just want to watch her breathe.”

“Come on back.”

I followed Kizzie back. She led me into a room where I saw Chaos had an oxygen mask on and an IV inserted. I wanted to cry again, but I wasn’t going to. These were good things. I went over to her and started to pet her behind her ears, just the way she liked. I put my lips really close to her ear.

“I love you, honey. I’m here for you. Pretty soon you’ll get to come home with me, and I’ll make you lots of yummy food, and I’ll get to pet you, and we’ll watch TV together. We’ll watch World of the Wild again. You like that show, remember?”

I thought I felt her ear flick, but it was probably my imagination. Still, I intended to visit her every day that she was recuperating.

“I love you, Chaos. Do what the doctor tells you to do, okay?”

I kissed her, then turned and saw Kai and Kizzie standing there. Both of them were smiling.

“Come on, Marlowe, let’s get you home,” Kai said. “Have you ever sat on the back of an ATV?”

“I’m from West Virginia.”

He grinned.

“Well, that answers that.”

He held out his hand to me and I grabbed hold, tight.

“Kizzie, I can’t thank you enough.”

“Marlowe, this was a fantastic day as far as I’m concerned. I’ll be smiling when I go to bed tonight. That’s all the thanks I need.”

I broke away from Kai and pulled Kizzie in for a hug.

“Well, still, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

15

I parked the ATV at the Whispering Pines and ushered Marlowe inside. Gretchen took one look at Marlowe and rushed out from behind the reception desk.

“What’s wrong?”

“Marlowe got run off the road, and her dog just went through a tough surgery and is going to need to stay at the animal hospital for a week.”

“Oh, honey.” She looked at Marlowe, then stepped closer to her but hesitated. It was clear she wanted to hug her, but unsure if Marlowe wanted one from her.

“I could sure use a hug,” she told Gretchen. Gretchen pulled her into her arms.

“I’m so sorry. Come into the restaurant. Let’s get you something to eat.”

I’d eaten there once, but the prices were high and the portions were small. That was the reason I always ate in town or nuked something that I’d bought at Roger’s supermarket. Gretchen ushered us both toward the restaurant, up to the hostess desk. “Matthew, give them a booth, and their bill is on the house.”

Matthew nodded.

“This way.”

Soon we were ensconced in a private booth, with ice water and a big basket of bread with three different kinds of spreads to put on it, but no butter. Weird.