Double Indemnity by Maggie Kavanagh

Author:Maggie Kavanagh [Kavanagh, Maggie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC
Published: 2015-01-15T05:00:00+00:00

LISA GAVE Sam a smile and wave when he came in. She looked a little surprised to see another guest behind him.

“Good to see you, Sam,” she said. “He’s been waiting for you.”

“I’m sorry I missed last week.”

She nodded, something sad in her eyes, and glanced between the two of them. Nathan shuffled on his feet.

“This is Nathan. He’s a friend of mine.”

She extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Her eyes drifted to the orchid. “That’s pretty. A gift for Tim?”

“No.” Sam set it on the desk. “You, actually.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet.”

“I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of him.” Sam flushed a little under her pleased smile. It was just a damn plant. “I guess we’ll head down, then.”

It had been a while since Sam had brought company with him to visit Tim. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time. There was something comforting about not having to be alone, but Sam knew it wasn’t a feeling he could trust. This was a one-shot deal, born out of nothing more than Nathan’s curiosity. It didn’t mean anything.

Tim lay on the bed as he always did, staring blankly at the ceiling. A vase of flowers decorated the bedside table, and Sam thought Lisa must have put them there. He was glad he’d brought her the orchid.

“Heya, Tim,” Sam said. “This is Nathan. He wanted to meet you.”

“Hi,” said Nathan. He stood close to the bed, looking down at Tim. When he glanced back at Sam, his eyes were soft. “You two look alike.”

“Do we? You hear what he said, Timbo? You’re as ugly as me.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Sam swallowed the hot feeling in his throat. “Yeah, well. You wanna sit?”

They grabbed two chairs and pulled them up to the side of the bed. Sam’s leg brushed against Nathan’s as they arranged themselves, sitting close together.

“So what do you usually do when you’re here?” Nathan asked.

“I talk to him. Sometimes I read. You know, he never got to finish high school. When he wakes up, I want to make sure he’s familiar with all the classics, so he doesn’t fall behind.” It sounded so stupid to say it out loud, Sam wanted to cringe. Nathan merely smiled.

“That’s a good idea.”

For some reason, the answer made indignant rage bubble out of his mouth. “No, it’s not. It’s a fucking dumb idea. He can’t hear a goddamn thing I say.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because if he could hear me, he’d wake up.” Again, a child’s answer. Sam suddenly wished he could kick Nathan out or reverse time so that he’d never invited him in the first place. He turned back to his brother on the bed. Tim’s face was placid, as innocent as an angel’s. The fact that Nathan thought they looked alike didn’t make any sense.

“What do the doctors say?”

“That he can probably hear, or maybe…. They don’t know. They don’t know anything. They told me he’d never breathe on his own, but look, he’s breathing. They say even if he wakes up, he’ll be a vegetable, because of the brain trauma.

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