Page 48 of Barry

Well, no, she hadn’t. But he hadn’t thought she’d needed to ask, either. “No, sir.”

“Figured. That’s why I did. See, around here, things are hard. It is a bitter, hard life sometimes. Most people don’t know anything else, so we buckle down and work.”

“Sir, I’ve never known an easy life. I’ve never had money, but I pay my bills. Hollister is … well, for me, it’s peaceful and safe. I’m learning how to work the ranch. It’s painful and hard, but it brings me satisfaction. Everything, including my mental health, has eased. Jackson out there, he was mental, sir. I’ll face any legal questions in his death.”

“Everything that man said was recorded on Kathy’s phone and our comm devices. We have it, and it’s being held for the proper authorities. You kept your cool and did what you needed to do. That was exceptional shooting, andyou knew what you needed to do. All that stuff you talk to Doc Wheeler about, none of that came into play, did it?”

“No, sir.” He wouldn’t pat himself on the back for acting normal, and he didn’t want anyone else to do that, either. “I’m getting better. Not completely fixed yet.”

Mr. Marshall grunted and handed him another piece of taffy. “Son, take it from someone on the outside looking in. Everyone is happy with your progress.”

That time, Barry grunted, “Except for Chester.”

Frank rolled his eyes. “That old coot needs some help, for sure. Believe Ken Zorn is working on that.”

The door to the room opened, and the doctor walked out. “Okay, we’ve administered the antivenom, and right now, my associate is cleaning her up. She has some contusions, and the wire on her wrists and ankles broke the skin. She has sensation in her hands and feet, so I don’t think there’ll be any lingering problems there, but I’ll keep a close eye on it. If we need to get her to a specialist, we’ll do it.”

Barry nodded at the door. “Can I go in?”

“Soon,” Dr. Cassidy said. “Frank, may I talk with Barry?”

“Yep.” Frank nodded at Barry. “If you ever need a job, I’ll take you on in a heartbeat.”

Barry blinked and shook the hand offered him. “Thank you, sir.”

They watched Frank amble down the hall and out the door. Doc Cassidy shook his head. “That is high praise, right there. He likes you.”

That was debatable, but he was more concerned about what the doctor wanted to discuss. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing right now, but I wanted to tell you what you’ll need to look for once we release her.” Barry felt his face light up, but the doctor held up his hand. “She’ll be here at least overnight so we can monitor her vitals and ensure she doesn’t have an acute reaction to the antivenom. We’ll send her home if everything looks good, but it can take up to a month for her to recover completely from this bite.”

“I can stay with her. I’ll leave my job if I have to.” He’d have to talk to the Hollisters about taking time off. He couldn’t see them denying his request.

“Why would you need to do that?” Lorna, Kathy’s mother, asked as she jogged down the hall. She hugged Barry. “Frank just let me in the door. How is she?”

“Doc?” Barry held Lorna as the doctor explained.

The woman drew a deep breath and released it slowly, saying, “Oh, thank God. Barry, if you can stay with her at night, I can be there during the day. One of the benefits of being retired.”

“Who’s retired?” Melvin asked as he walked down the hall. “How is she?”

“She’s going to be okay.” Lorna hugged her husband. “We’re talking about when she goes home.”

“And the bastard that did this?” Melvin demanded.

“He’s dead,” Barry said.

Melvin stared at him. “Won’t say I’m sorry about that.”

“Neither will I.” Barry held Melvin’s gaze. The protective instincts of her father were echoed in his look.

Melvin nodded. “Good.”

The door opened, and a young woman in scrubs came out. She had long dark hair but a smile on her face. “Hi, I’m Dr. Lillian Montrose. She’s asking for you.” She nodded at Barry, who started toward the door but stopped.

He looked over at her parents. “Lorna, you and Melvin should go in first.”

“No.” Lorna smiled and patted his arm. “She needs you right now. Just let her know we’re here.”

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