Page 19 of Hush

“You don’t have to wear a shirt like that today,” Elise said.

He searched her face for reassurance.

“We’re going to the clinic. Not the place we did the surgery.” She shifted his position again to more upright. “Did you think we were going to have another surgery today?” she asked.

Jaden shrugged.

“What else is on your mind?” she asked, because she had learned that what set him off was often only the beginning.

He fiddled with the bracelet she was wearing, spinning it around and around.

Elise waited, but Jaden didn’t say anything more. Elise made a note to talk about it again, maybe over the weekend.

“Can I bring Deirdre?” Jaden asked, squinting at her.

“Of course,” Elise replied, wondering why she hadn’t thought to bring the lovey he slept with every night. “Come on, let’s go get her.”

Chapter 9

Ben

After grabbing the laptop, Ben approached the exam room, pausing for a split second to steady his racing pulse. Opening the door, he found Jaden tucked low in Elise’s lap. Her smile clicked on like a five-hundred-watt bulb, but her eyes told a different story.

“Sorry we’re late,” Elise said, shifting Jaden so he could sit more upright, but he curled against her. Ben saw he was holding a faded scrap of fabric, its texture worn flat.

“That’s okay,” Ben said. “Gave me a chance to enjoy my lunch a little longer.” He turned his attention to Jaden. “Who did you bring today?” he asked, pulling up his stool and gliding in closer.

Jaden didn’t answer.

Ben lifted his eyes to Elise. She rubbed his back.

“Deirdre,” Jaden said.

“Deirdre is welcome here anytime,” Ben said. He met eyes with Elise. “How’s the wrist feel, Jaden?”

Elise’s eyes tightened at the edges.

“Has it been hurting at all?” Ben asked, opening the laptop on the desk. He logged in, still listening.

Jaden shook his head. Ben looked to Elise for confirmation.

“He hasn’t complained about it,” she said. “But his teacher has called me several times.”

“Oh?” Ben asked.

Elise took a deep breath. “Jaden’s been…irritable.”

Ben frowned. Clearly, Elise was not telling him everything, though he could sense she wanted to. He’d glanced at the vital signs taken by the nurse before he arrived. Jaden’s blood pressure was slightly elevated, but all other indicators were normal.

“School going okay, buddy?” Ben asked.

Jaden nodded.

“You like your teacher this year?”

Jaden looked up at him for the first time. “He plays the guitar,” he said. “And, in the spring, we get to build rockets.”

“I wish I could play the guitar,” Ben said. “That’s cool.”

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