Heir by Judy K. Walker

Author:Judy K. Walker [Walker, Judy K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781946720085
Publisher: Judy K. Walker

48

JJ knew what she’d seen, and yet she couldn’t believe it.

Oh, my God.

His eyes were open, and Harlan was staring back at her. Right at her.

JJ squeezed around Rachel, who was still holding his hand, and rested her fingers on top of his head. His eyes were good. Pupils reactive. Tracking her as she moved. Even now, she hesitated to touch his bare skin without gloves. Instead, she looked him in the eyes (he’s in there, I swear to Christ he’s in there) and spoke to him.

“Harlan, can you hear me? Do you know who I am? If you do, blink twice,” she said.

She heard the painful crackling of his sticky, dry throat as Harlan swallowed. His tongue snuck out to wet his lips—just a tiny bit, at the center—and she realized, he’s going to try to speak. A moaning sound came from his mouth, a little like warming up a piece of machinery. She turned her cheek and leaned closer, until she could feel his breath against it.

“What’s that, Harlan?” she asked.

“Don’t be a dumbass, JJ,” he whispered.

Tears sprang to her eyes as her hand flew to her mouth. Her breath caught in her throat, but she managed, “That’s Nurse Dumbass to you.”

His smile was stronger this time, deepening the creases in his face, and JJ almost kissed him on the lips.

Harlan and Rachel were the only calm people in the room. Evie was wide-eyed with wonder, and Grant, stunned, had dropped his hat on the floor, where it remained, forgotten. JJ smiled at her daughter. It struck her that here, in the very room where they’d helped Maxwell Tulley endure the worst days of his life and ultimately pass on, they were sharing something miraculous, the likes of which they would probably never see again. JJ held out her arm, inviting Evie to join them. Evie pushed eagerly past Grant—

And the closet exploded.

The louvered doors burst out on the far end, popping completely off their track. Their top edge caught the corner of the bed, and she heard a snap! as Teddy’s massive body fell on top of them. She hoped the noise was only the doors.

“Still there?” she asked Harlan.

“Yeah,” he whispered.

His eyes closed—but briefly, she suspected in his best approximation of an eye roll.

Grant hadn’t moved except to pull Evie clear (which JJ appreciated). Evie opened her mouth to say something—undoubtedly an elaborate cover story—but JJ shook her head firmly as she maneuvered around her daughter and the Sheriff to reach the downed man. Teddy was lying awkwardly on his belly, slightly hyperextending his back.

“You okay?” she asked. “Don’t move until you tell me what hurts.”

“Just my pride,” he said. “I didn’t realize my leg had fallen asleep, so when I moved… well, my leg didn’t, but the rest of me did.”

Teddy tried to roll over, but with the doors crushed beneath him, there was no solid surface to rest his knees. JJ struggled to move a big piece, hanging together only by the tilt rod.

“Here, let me help,” Grant said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.