“I don’t kill good, decent people or people who save the innocent. Unless you hit me with another book,” Grim muttered. Hawk laughed as he took out his pen light and raised it so he could check Grim’s pupils. Grim slapped at Hawk’s hand but he gave him a threatening look.
“I won’t hit you unless you give me a reason to.” He waited until Grim’s hands returned to his lap to check his pupillary response then gently pressed against his chin so he’d open his mouth. Once again, Grim’s pale grey eye was wide and trembled as he obediently opened his lips and allowed Hawk to check his tonsils. They were clear and Hawk was surprised at how healthy Grim’s teeth appeared. They weren’t straight and Hawk suspected he’d removed his own wisdom teeth but he didn’t see anything that might explain Grim’s fever. “How about another bag of fluids and another round of IV antibiotics?” He said. It was mostly rhetorical but Aiden’s profile described Grim as highly intelligent and a self-educated scientist. Aiden suspected that Grim was mentored by a highly competent doctor or scientist. There were no school transcripts but Hawk could tell that Grim had an extensive knowledge of medicine, despite the crude scars on his body and the obvious signs of physical neglect. There was a loud knock from the hall and Hawk turned and stretched toward the door.
“Dr. Hawkesworth?” The tech called.
“I’ll be right there,” Hawk called back and tossed his pen light on the table. “Let’s get you settled,” he said, then gathered Grim and made sure he was comfortable on his bed on the floor before Hawk dashed from the room. The tech was waiting at the top of the stairs with a large envelope and a pained grimace. “That bad?” Hawk asked and the tech nodded.
“Almost complete tendon detachment and severed bursa. There’s more necrotic tissue in the calf and the Achilles is elongated.” He offered Hawk an apologetic wrinkle of his nose.
“That would explain a lot. You can pack up. I’ll tell Mr. Blink and make sure you’re taken care of,” Hawk said but the kid shook his head quickly.
“Mr. Blink has been very generous and instructed me to make sure you had my direct number, in case you need any other images,” he said as he handed Hawk his card then gave him a salute before he ran down the stairs.
“Thanks...” Hawk replied distantly as he read the card then tucked it into his pocket as he went to hang another bag of fluids. Grim was hiding beneath the covers but the hand with the saline lock protruded. Hawk tossed the envelope on the table and considered their lunch options. There was still bacon and really nice bread left over from breakfast and Hawk found a griddle in the kitchen. The cottage was located at the far end of the kitchen's extravagant garden and Hawk was looking forward to helping himself. He’d send the contractors away for a lunch break soon. “How about BLTs for lunch?” He mused and Grim’s head popped out from under the covers.
“I wouldn’t hate that... Do you cook...a lot of things?” Grim asked hopefully, tugging at Hawk’s heartstrings. He nodded as he hooked up the bag of Ringer’s then lowered so he could connect the line to the saline lock. Grim jerked away but he clenched his jaw and his hand curled around the edge of the quilt. He allowed Hawk to start the fluids and push the antibiotics. Grim looked vulnerable and beautiful again as his eyelashes spread across his cheek and a weary exhale spilled from him. “I don’t always eat well or want to. Blink sends a lot of food and I’ll eat when I’m in the mood for tea. But I wish I could eat more,” he admitted quietly, hitting Hawk in the gut hard. Hawk sniffed and itched his nose with the back of his hand as he watched the drip to make sure it wasn’t too fast.
“I didn’t like my father’s family so I left after my parents died and went to live with my mother’s parents. They were bakers, baking and cooking’s how I stay sane. My nonna made everything from scratch. Pasta, sauces, cheeses... Grandpa was a gardener and he canned and dried whatever we didn’t eat because he was a teenager during The Depression,” he rambled as he checked Grim’s hand and made sure the urinal was handy. Hawk checked his blood pressure because he didn’t trust Grim to tell him if he was in pain and noticed that it was slightly elevated, despite his calm, drowsy state. “I want you to take a nap while I study your X-rays and we’ll talk about them after lunch,” he said as he drew a dose of ketamine with a syringe. It would block the worst of Grim’s pain and sedate him enough that he could drift off but it wouldn’t leave him too groggy to wake up and eat in a few hours. “How’s your hip feeling?” He asked and flicked to make sure there weren’t any bubbles in the syringe.
“Significantly improved,” Grim said as he watched Hawk approach. “What is that?”
“Something for the pain and to help you rest. I want you to be able to eat and we’re going to have to talk about your leg, once I’ve taken a look at those,” Hawk explained with a nod at the desk.
“I am tired,” Grim said and used his free arm to pull the covers over him while Hawk slowly pushed the ketamine through the lock. Grim yawned and his face relaxed on a soft sigh. His hair fell across his cheek, draping the scarred flesh in glossy black that shimmered like a raven’s wing in the soft mid-morning light.
“Go ahead and rest,” Hawk whispered as his fingertips hovered over the thick veil then silently rose. He retrieved the envelope and took one last look to make sure Grim was comfortable before leaving him.
Chapter 6
“I found berries and basil in the greenhouse while I was hunting for tomatoes and lettuce and I was able to sweet talk the cook out of this ricotta,” Hawk told Grim as he pointed his spoon at his bowl. He’d made some kind of syrup with the berries and it was divine over the ricotta with thin ribbons of basil. Casper groaned as he scraped his bowl then licked the spoon. It was heavenly and almost enough to make up for the rude awakening. Casper was roused by the smell of bacon but it quickly turned into another wrestling match. Hawk held him down and forced a brace and bandages around Casper’s knee and ankle to stabilize and immobilize them.
“I might have been too quick, when I told you to go to Hell,” he confessed and offered Hawk a sheepish grin. Hawk gave him a hard look as he dropped his bowl and swiped the iPad off the desk as he hopped to his feet.
“I want to reinforce and rebuild part of your femur but there’s nothing worth salvaging below it. I think an above-the-knee amputation is the best way to go to reduce the risk of infection. I know exactly who to call and I know how to fit you for a new prosthetic,” Hawk reassured him briskly. Casper’s neck stretched so he could see if there was anything left in Hawk’s bowl; he already knew his leg wasn’t worth saving. Hawk stepped in Casper’s way and pointed at the screen. “I’ve lost track of how many legs I’ve helped rebuild and I know the best occupational therapists,” he said as he held the iPad out to Casper. Just as expected, there was an X-ray of Casper’s shriveled leg with its withered remnants of bone and cartilage. Casper used the nubs of the fingers on his left hand to enlarge his knee. He could remove it himself if there was some way to get around all the necessary anesthesia... The increased mobility was attractive but Casper instinctively recoiled at the ease and wondered if he’d lose his edge or his drive if he lopped off half of his shame. Would he forget if the pain wasn’t there to remind him?