Blood From a Stone (211 page)

“
I
’
m
su
r
e
he
i
s,”
sa
i
d
W
ill
ow
s
m
ili
n
g
.
“
T
hey
ha
v
e h
i
m schedu
l
ed
f
or
d
i
scha
r
g
e
t
h
i
s
a
ft
e
r
noon
i
f
a
l
l
h
i
s
l
abs
co
m
e back
no
r
m
a
l
.“

H
i
s
m
o
t
her
k
i
ssed
h
i
m
li
g
h
tl
y
on
t
he
f
o
r
ehead.
“
I
t’
s
li
k
e
a
m
ir
ac
l
e.
I
w
as
he
r
e
a
l
l
n
i
g
h
t
.
I
w
as
s
itti
ng
he
r
e
i
n
t
he cha
i
r
and
dec
i
ded
t
o
g
o
g
et
so
m
e
co
ff
ee.
I
w
as
g
on
e
…
w
ha
t
? Ma
y
be
20
m
i
nu
t
es
and
w
hen
I ca
m
e
bac
k
,
he
w
as
a
w
a
k
e
and ac
ti
ng
li
k
e
no
t
h
i
ng had
e
v
er
happened.”
H
er e
y
es
m
i
s
t
ed o
v
er as
she
s
t
a
r
ed
do
w
n
at
h
i
m
,
as
he
sat
on
t
he
ed
g
e
of
t
he
bed bounc
i
ng
up and do
w
n.

“
D
o
y
ou
m
i
nd
s
itti
ng
he
r
e
and
k
eep
i
ng h
i
m co
m
pany
w
h
il
e I
g
o
g
r
ab a snac
k
? I
ha
v
en
‘
t
had a b
it
e
t
o eat
a
l
l
da
y
.”

W
ill
ow
s
m
il
ed.
“
S
u
r
e,
I
can.
I
don
’
t
m
i
nd
one
b
it
.”
S
he
p
l
un
k
ed
do
w
n
i
n
t
he
cha
i
r
next
t
o
D
a
v
i
d
’
s
bed.
“When
y
ou
ca
m
e
i
n
he
r
e
y
ou
w
e
r
en
’
t
e
v
en
a
w
a
k
e,
y
oung
m
an.
I
’
m
g
l
ad
t
o see
y
ou s
m
ili
n
g
.”

“Me
t
oo
!
” sa
i
d
D
a
v
i
d en
t
hus
i
as
ti
ca
ll
y
.

H
i
s
m
o
t
her
nodded
and
sa
i
d,
‘
I
’l
l
be
r
i
g
ht
bac
k
,”
as she s
li
pped out
t
he doo
r
.

W
ill
ow s
m
il
ed
at
D
a
v
i
d.
“
S
o…how a
r
e
y
o
u
f
ee
li
n
g
?
D
o
y
ou hu
r
t
an
y
w
he
r
e or
i
s
e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng
a
l
l
be
tt
er
n
o
w
?”

“I
f
eel
g
ood.
T
he
nu
r
se
g
a
v
e
m
e
i
ce
cream
l
ast
n
i
g
ht a
ft
er
I
w
o
k
e up.”
H
e s
m
il
ed. “
C
an I
ha
v
e so
m
e
m
o
r
e
?
”

W
ill
ow
s
m
ir
k
ed.
“
I
’
d
say
w
e
can
w
o
r
k
t
hat
out
but
fir
st
y
ou
ha
v
e
t
o
eat
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
hea
lt
h
y
.
D
i
d
y
ou
h
a
v
e
y
our
l
unch
y
e
t
?”

D
a
v
i
d nodded en
t
hus
i
as
ti
ca
ll
y
.

H
er
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
her
f
or
a
m
o
m
en
t
. “
C
an
y
ou
t
e
l
l
m
e
w
hat
happened
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t
?
H
ow d
i
d
t
h
i
s
happen.
D
i
d
y
ou
j
ust
w
a
k
e up and
f
eel
be
tt
er
a
l
l
of
a sudden?”

H
e
sat
t
he
r
e
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
as
t
hou
g
h
he
w
as
t
h
i
n
k
i
ng ca
r
e
f
u
ll
y
about
h
i
s
ans
w
e
r
.
“
Y
eah,”
he
fi
na
ll
y
sa
i
d.
“I
j
ust
w
o
k
e up.”