Page 66 of Choosing Jenny
Drift left for the cockpit and the others slowly parted, now that the emergency was over. All but me, Surge, Gram and Omen.
We watched as Ode patted Mal’s shoulder, her expression softening. “I know many consider magicians to be problematic, but before you kill Noc Prisberd, the palace magician, he may be able to regrow his hand.”
She doesn’t know about Surge.
Mal nodded, though his features were grave. “Thanks for the suggestion.”
“I have a link to his monitors on my driver, in case anything goes wrong,” Ode said. “But I must speak to Deacon.”
“Thank you for saving his life,” Mal said quietly, appreciatively.
She smiled, then left the infirmary and headed for the cockpit, while the rest of us stood just inside the doorway, watching the pair.
Longshot mumbled, “Go.”
Mal leaned closer to him on the table. “What?”
“Get out.”
Mal blinked at him in surprise. “Ode said you wouldn’t wake—”
“Please, just go,” Longshot insisted, barely audible.
Mal frowned. “Tell me why.”
“I want to be alone,” he rasped, turning his head away. “Take Rhonda. Please.”
Mal stood, with Rhonda on his arm. He didn’t ask anything else. His face was unreadable as he walked past us. The other three followed him.
I did not.
I walked into the infirmary and sat where Drift had been. Through the window, the island started to fade away as we launched. I turned my attention to the patient. There were no words to make him feel better, but I was compelled to try.
“When I was a boy, I worshipped my older cousin, Kapok,” I began quietly. “He was better looking, faster, stronger…a real fighter. I was a small boy for my age, didn’t get tall until my late teens, actually. So, he took care of me in our clan. Made sure the other boys didn’t pick on me, or if they did, he made sure they regretted it.” I smiled, thinking of him. “We did everything together, and when he got a great job working for Jacaranda Cozz after the war, he made sure there would be a position for me, too. He took care of me my whole life…” I ran my fingers through my hair. “I was completely helpless when he died.”
Longshot didn’t say anything, but his eyes met mine.
So I gave him the whole story, explaining the memory of that horrible night when I’d lost Kapok. All of it. In more detail than I’d ever told anyone.
“…and that night changed me forever,” I said at the end. “Kapok had helped to define who I was. Since I lost him, I have had to redefine myself. It’s…hard. I never would have thought it was possible. I still always think of what Kapok would do or how we would get through something together. Until I lost him, I always thought of myself as a part of a pair. Now, I’m on my own.”
Longshot’s lips parted. “You have Malice and Jenny.”
“NowI do,” I agreed. “But this power struggle with Justice, the upcoming war, a coup, whatever they want to call it…any part of this could go badly, and I could be on my own again. If I lose Mal to Rex or Jenny to someone else, or gods forbid, something happens to them during a battle…but I am strongerthan I realized…” I sighed. “I know it’s not the same thing as losing a hand—”
“No.”
“But when you lose the person or the thing that helped to define you, it can leave you feeling lost,” I said, my heart going out to him. “If you would ever like to talk about this, or anything else, Longshot, I am here for you.”
He stared up at the ceiling. “What is a man without his work hand?”
“A man who learns to use his other hand,” I said simply, then stood. “I’ll let you rest, but my offer stands, Longshot. Whenever you might need it, I’m here for you.”
I walked out of the infirmary and as the door slid shut behind me, I almost bumped into Mal and Rhonda in the hallway. “Hey.”
He gave me a tremulous smile. “Thank you for trying with him. That was extremely kind of you.”
“Of course.”
