Page 84 of Worst in Show

“I thought she’d break up the monotony,” I say. “How are you doing?”

We chat for a bit about his rehab, the store, Halloween, and who didn’t get a rose on The Bachelor.

“They say I might be able to come home early December,” Harvey says. “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.”

Micki has been standing guard near the door, but now she looks at me as if she senses the flicker of concern Pop’s words have triggered. It means my window to prove myself is running out.

I put on a brave face. “You’ve had enough of being waited upon already? There are no bells to ring at home. No cute nurses to chat up.”

He waves me off. “I’m aging twice as fast in here. Don’t get me wrong, everyone’s fantastic, but a man wants his own.”

Micki cranes her neck toward the doorway. “Cora, someone’s coming. Maybe put Cholula away in case.”

“Yes, yes,” Harvey says, getting in a few last pets.

“Hurry,” Micki whispers, as footsteps approach.

Cholula gets in the bag at the same time the door opens.

“Well, good morning, gentlemen,” a stout, silver-haired nurse says. “And visitors. You must be Harvey’s granddaughter,” she says to me. “He talks about you all the time.”

“Morning,” I say, moving away from the bed, closer to Micki.

“How was physical therapy?” the nurse asks Harvey.

“Excellent as always.” He sits with his hands properly in his lap, but every so often he glances at my bag. Like Jaz, he’d make a terrible spy.

“Now let’s get you comfortable,” the nurse says to Charles in the bed next to Harvey. The man is awake this time but hasn’t said a word so far. “Is your sister coming in later?”

Charles doesn’t respond, but Harvey perks up. “Not until one. Sylvia’s getting a new washing machine delivered between ten and noon.”

Micki and I look at each other. Harvey knows a lot about Sylvia.

“Dog.”

The sound startles all of us. It sounded like a honk, and it takes me a moment to realize it came from Charles.

“You’re talking!” Harvey exclaims. He turns to us. “He hasn’t spoken since his stroke, and now Sylvia missed it.”

That’s exciting and all, but did Pop not notice what word was said?

“Dog,” Charles says again.

The nurse raises the back of his bed farther and takes his hand. “That’s very good, Charles. Do you miss your dog?”

Charles turns his head slowly to look at Harvey. “His dog.”

“Yes, Harvey has three dogs. What are their names again, Harvey?”

“Um… I have Boris, Cap, and—” Panic rises in Harvey’s eyes, and next to me, Micki is stiff as a board. My bag is moving.

“Dog,” Charles says in a louder voice.

“And Cholula,” Harvey finishes.

As soon as her name is spoken, Cholula pokes her head out of the bag and lets out a happy bark.

The nurse spins, mouth round like an O. “What on earth?”

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