The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella

Author:Ethan Joella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribner
Published: 2024-11-06T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-ONE

Jack is in a big, bright hospital room, and he has been checked by three people in the last hour. One nurse is the father of a kid who used to work at Schmidt’s, and he updates Jack on everything his son has done since high school. Jack nods and whispers in his hoarse voice, “Please say hi for me,” and the man smiles and walks away.

Deacon and Andie left a few minutes ago, and Jack was told the police will be here shortly to ask some questions, but for now, he lays his head back against the white pillow and tries not to think about how raw his neck and throat feel, how close he came to dying. He mouthed to Deacon today, I owe you one.

Andie rubbed his shoulder, looking proudly at her husband. “He always has good instincts,” she said.

“You owe me a lot more than just one,” Deacon said, and winked, and then he said, “Fuck it,” and bent down and kissed Jack’s head. “Just glad you’re okay, buddy.”

As he lies here alone now, he tries to understand what happened. He didn’t tell Andie and Deacon about Kitty and Patrick, but he asked them not to say anything to her.

He asked Deacon to call Vivian and tell her to close down for a couple of days with a sign that said Closed Due to Family Emergency, but she responded that the restaurant was no sweat and a handful of them could keep it open and Jack shouldn’t be such a martyr all the time. Jack laughed, which hurt his chest and ribs.

“You should either fire her or promote her after this,” Deacon said.

Jack thought about Genevieve then and wanted to ask how she was, where she was, but he decided to wait and ask the police when they came. Outside his window it is cloudy and gray, some of the buildings decorated with Christmas garlands and lights. He wants to call Patrick right now, but he doesn’t trust his bruised voice or his emotions. The high school counselor was right, he does feel let down—by everyone except Deacon and Andie, and Vivian.

He pulls the sheet up to his chin, and his head throbs. He closes his eyes for a second, and he is drifting into a peaceful sleep. He even hears himself snore for a second. He hears the beeping in the hallway and some of the hospital staff bantering about the Ravens and how well they’re playing this season. He sinks his head into the pillow, and then he hears someone clear their throat.

He opens his eyes, and there under the fluorescent lights is Nicole, with four or five Mylar balloons and a box of candy. “What the—?” he whispers.

“If you’re trying to get out of selling, it’s not working,” she says, walking right up to him, like she’s not afraid of someone so bruised and foolish, like hospitals don’t scare her. “My oh my, Jack.” She tsks and shakes her head. “Aren’t you a sad sight.

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