“Just some guy on the street.” Brian can’t even look me in the eye as he says it.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“So I’ve been told.”
I glare at the cold, white floor. My stomach is still all twisted up, and there are too many thoughts running through my head. What really happened? Was he going to have a big scar? Would he have to stay in the hospital for a long time to recover, or would he be able to come home?
Above all other questions in my mind, one keeps blaring at me like a military bugle: What if it had been worse? What would happen to me if Deklan were to die?
The automatic doors at the entrance open, and two police officers walk into the waiting area and go up to the nurse at the counter. I can’t hear what they say, but they both turn to look at me.
“Mrs. Kearney?” The tall, blond cop walks up to me.
“Yes?”
“I’m Officer Jim Longbow,” he says. He motions to the other uniformed man, also blond but slightly shorter. “This is my partner, Allen Sloan.”
“Congratulations on the marriage,” Officer Sloan says. “I didn’t realize Deklan was married.”
“Thank you,” I say softly. “It was just a month ago.”
“We need to ask you a few questions, Mrs. Kearney,” Longbow says. “Were you with your husband when he was injured?”
“No,” I say with a shake of my head, “I was at home.”
“Can you give us an idea of what occurred?”
“I…I don’t know what happened. I haven’t seen him yet.”
“How about you, Brian?” Longbow places his hands on his belt as he turns to my companion.
“I wasn’t there,” Brian says. He maintains eye contact with the officer with cold, blank eyes. “I don’t know anything.”
“You brought him to the hospital?”
“Not me. He must’ve got himself here.” Brian leans back in the seat and crosses his arms.
“And how did you know he was here?” the officer asks.
“I’m clairvoyant.” Brian continues to stare but refuses to offer any more information.
A nurse emerges from the double doors and heads in my direction.
“Mrs. Kearney, your husband is awake. Would you like to see him?”
“We need to speak with him,” Longbow says.
“Family first.” The young nurse smiles and leads me away from the police officers. She takes me through the doors and down a hallway to a room shielded with a large curtain. When she pulls the curtain back, I see Deklan lying on the bed with a tube running out of his arm and an oxygen feed in his nose.
Deklan’s gaze meets mine. He doesn’t smile, not even after the nurse leaves.
“Who brought you here?”
“I was worried about you.”
“Brian wasn’t supposed to tell you anything, let alone bring you here.” Deklan sighs and looks away.
“I made him bring me,” I say. I walk over to the side of the bed and pull up a round, rolling chair.