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“He will be.” Taylor grabbed Angus’ arm and dragged him further away from the door. “What’s wrong with you two?” She gave Georgia an exasperated look. “If he can hear you he’ll chuck a mental.”
Angus shook her off, but he snuck a confirming look at Damon through the doorway. “He can’t hear us.”
“This is a simple thing and the two of you have gone all death wish, atomic catastrophe, nuclear fallout, zombie nation on it. Don’t be around him if you can’t be sensible.”
Protest grumbled in Angus’ chest, but Georgia got in first. “She’s right. He’s going to be fine. He’s going to be a pest to live with for the next two weeks, but he’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that and I mean it, because if he had eyes that worked he’d see the tragedy written all over your face.”
Georgia dodged the intensity of Taylor’s glare, unsure how to deal with her vehemence.
Angus wasn’t. “Ease off, Tay.”
“What, and let you two feed his doubts? Not in a million. If I have to ride both your arses every minute of the next fortnight I will.”
“God.” The word exploded out of Angus with a force that made Georgia back up and reach for the handle of the door to Damon’s room. “Who made you his army?”
She clicked the door closed as Taylor near shouted. “Keep your voice down,” and she’d had enough. There was only so much fix-it inspiration she could bury and she’d buried it to date because these were Damon’s friends first, because he let it go and because it was none of her business and she’d learned that lesson too hard. But things were tense enough and Damon would be extra sensitive to what he was hearing and he wasn’t going to be hearing his best friends bicker when he was in no shape to do anything about it.
“What is it with you both?”
She got two sets of eyes switching her way. Taylor’s expression was daggers at dawn, Angus said, “Nothing,” in a way that said cover-up.
“This thing you do, snapping at each other, is not nothing. And you,” she pointed at Taylor, “talk about me wearing my emotions on my face. What’s with you and Jamie? You growl at Angus and you can barely look at Jamie unless he’s not looking at you and then you look at him like he’s stolen something of yours, and he’s the same with you.”
Taylor folded her arms, popped her weight on one hip. “None of your fricking business, Georgia.”
“You just made it my business by arguing outside Damon’s hospital room.” Georgia cut her glance to Angus. “What’s going on?”
He shook his head, the movement so small, so disdainful when combined with his curled upper lip her surprise bloomed. Angus was protecting Taylor.
“Taylor?”
“What part of none of your business don’t you get?” Taylor blew air through her nose like a bull ready to charge.
Georgia got it. She’d learned to live with it, because it wasn’t her job to fix it. But enough was enough. “What part of this affects Damon and I won’t let that happen don’t you get?”
“It’s got nothing to do with Damon.”
“It’s got everything to do with what he made me see. It’s not fair if we hide things from him, don’t show him the truth, right now more than ever. You’re his family. He needs you.”
“Butt out, Georgia.”
“She’s right. It’s enough.” Angus managed to sound sharp and weary at the same time. “If you don’t tell Jamie, I will. I’ve kept your secret long enough.”
“No.” Taylor leaped at Angus, grabbing his arms. He backed up and she went with him until his heels hit the wall.
“Tell me what?” Jamie stood at the end of the corridor. His expression had the same weariness as Angus’. “Angus, tell me what?”
“Damon is fine.” Taylor stepped clear of Angus, lifting her hands high.
“That’s not what you were talking about.” Jamie jerked his head to look at Georgia, checking.
“He’s fine. He’s sleeping. We’ll know more when his doc comes by in the morning. But this,” Georgia did that thing teachers do, casting her eyes towards Angus, Taylor and Jamie in turn, making it clear she wanted them to behave, “whatever is going on here, it’s time to sort it out.”
“There’s nothing to sort out.” If Taylor could’ve shot death rays from her eyes she would’ve exploded Georgia into red mist. “It’s an old argument Angus and I have.”
“The one that kicked in when I was in Singapore that neither of you will tell me about?” said Jamie, voice hard in a way Georgia had never heard from him before
