Low Red Moon by Kiernan Caitlin R

Author:Kiernan, Caitlin R. [Kiernan, Caitlin R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2007-08-06T20:00:00+00:00

“It only hurts when I breathe,” Sadie says, a grimace where a smile was meant to be, and Chance gets up and goes to the window looking out and down on the city.

“I’m so sorry,” Deacon says again, and Sadie closes her eyes.

“Why?” she says. “You aren’t the psychotic bitch that tried to kill me. There’s nothing for you to be sorry for.”

The air smells like disinfectant and the big, gaudy bouquet of flowers on the table across the room, yellow and purple daisies, baby’s breath and ferns, flowers from Sadie’s parents in Mobile. The much smaller bouquet of white roses Deacon and Chance bought downstairs in the hospital gift shop is still lying in Sadie’s lap, wrapped in tissue paper and cellophane. Sunlight streams in warm through the parted curtains, eclipsing the cold and lifeless fluorescents set into the ceiling.

“Anyway, Mom and Pop will be up here tonight. I think that’s the worst part,” Sadie says and opens her drug-clouded eyes again, glances at Chance standing at the window.

“Deacon, why don’t you get her to sit down. Her feet must be killing her.”

“I’m fine,” Chance says. “I don’t need to sit down.”

“We can come back later, if you don’t feel like talking right now,” Deacon says, and Sadie’s watery white-blue eyes drift his way.

“No. There are things you need to know.”

“It can wait, Sadie.”

“No, Deke, I don’t think so.”

Deacon leans back in the hard plastic chair, molded plastic almost the same color as the ugly pea-green walls. Better to look at the floor beneath her bed than at Sadie in her white plaster cast and bandages, the strawberry-red and violet-black bruises on her face, so he stares at the tile instead.

“I was right,” she tells him. “She thinks she’s a werewolf.”

Chance sighs a loud, long exasperated sigh. “I’m going for a walk,” she says. “I’ll be back later.” Deacon nods his head, but doesn’t do anything to stop her, knows better than that by now, and the very last thing Sadie needs is to have to listen to the two of them bickering.

“Thanks for the roses,” Sadie tells Chance as she walks past the foot of the hospital bed. “You’re welcome. I hope you feel better soon,” Chance replies, and Deacon can tell she’s at least trying to sound like she means it.

“I won’t be much longer,” Deacon says.

“Take however much time you need. I just—” but she doesn’t finish the sentence, leaves the room as quickly as she can, and neither Deacon nor Sadie says anything else until she’s gone. He sits listening to the sound of her footsteps growing fainter and farther away, the squeaky soles of her tennis shoes against the shiny, sterile floors.

“Someone’s not a happy camper,” Sadie whispers, and Deacon shrugs.

“Don’t take it personally,” he says. “This whole thing’s got Chance bent out of shape. I can’t really say I blame her.”

“She knows what’s going on? You told her?”

“A little,” Deacon says, but Not enough, he thinks, even less than he’s told Sadie.

Sadie presses

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.