Ballistic Kiss (Sandman Slim 11)
Page 144
“Thank you. You don’t know what that means to me.”
“You can tell me later. You should stop talking and rest.”
“I love you all, my friends. And you, my darling Allegra, so much.”
“I love you too.”
“What I will miss are you and the stars. I would like to see them with you one more time.”
“You’re not missing anything. We’ll see them together soon.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes.”
He pulls her hand to his lips and kisses her fingers.
Allegra says, “Rest now.”
“Just you and the stars.”
He holds her hand.
Allegra waits for a moment.
“Vidocq?”
He doesn’t move.
She shakes him.
“Vidocq?”
Nothing.
She gently begins to cry. Puts a hand on his head and rests her head on his back.
I touch her shoulder. She turns and we put our arms around each other. She cries and I just stare at the old man.
I never had a son, you know.
My eyes burn and I just stand there with Allegra. My head swims and I stumble back a step.
Allegra looks at me.
“You okay?”
“Stark is bleeding,” says Janet.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Allegra pushes my coat open.
“Goddammit, Stark. No one else dies tonight.”
The others take my coat off as Allegra shoots me up with a painkiller before stapling the wound closed. Then she wraps my ribs in bandages.
“I look like the fucking mummy.”