Page 265 of The Storm Boys Series Collection

“Whatcha thinking?” Jeremiah asked.

I must have zoned out, because he and his father were watching me.

“Not much. Just between cyclones and lightning strikes, I think I’m done with life lessons for a good while. Ready to just coast through for a bit, where everything is cosy and boring.”

“Cosy and boring sounds great,” Jeremiah said, squeezing my hand.

“How much longer till the doctor comes?”

“Five minutes since you asked last time.”

I groaned like the child I was, apparently. “I’m gonna go look for him.”

I stood up just as the door opened and the doctor walked in... pushing a wheelchair.

“Yay!”

Yeah. I actually said yay.

I wasn’t even remotely embarrassed.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the doctor said. “I believe it’s discharge o’clock.”

I helped Jeremiah to his feet and eased him into the wheelchair. “Do you feel okay?”

He smiled up at me, tired butsohappy to be leaving. “Yeah.”

The doctor looked at Jeremiah’s shirt. “Nice shirt.”

Jeremiah rolled his eyes and gestured to me, like it explained everything.

I put my hand to my heart. “I happen to be a very big fan of dick.”

“Van Dyke,” Jeremiah added. “You forgot the Van Dyke.”

I snorted, because I absolutely did not forget it, and poor Mr Overton clutched the bag and the balloons, offering the doctor an apologetic smile.

The doc laughed, then handed Jeremiah a clear bag with several bottles of pills and what looked like scripts. “We’ll see you back in two weeks. Keep a diary of your bpm and blood pressure. Don’t forget.”

“He won’t,” I said. “I drew up a chart for that kind of thing. It has colour-coded stars and everything.”

Jeremiah pressed his lips together and sighed. “I’ll keep a diary. Thank you, doctor.”

He tried to wheel himself out. “Hey,” I said, grabbing the handles. “Let me do that.”

We left the hospital and I wheeled him into the sunshine outside. He closed his eyes and tilted his face toward the warmth. “Oh, that feels so good.”

I gave him a moment to enjoy it. “Ready to go home? The car’s just there.”

He nodded and let me help him into the passenger seat, then he let me help him get out and into the house. Then I helped him onto the couch. I brought him a blanket, a tray with drinks and low-sodium snacks and some fruit, and the remote control. “Use the downstairs bathroom and don’t try climbing those stairs without me, okay?” I checked the blinds. “Are these open enough? Would you like them closed?”

Jeremiah chuckled. “Tully, I’m fine, thank you. Everything is perfect.”

I took Mr Percival out of his cage and he quickly perched himself on my finger, squawking that it was about damn time. I walked him over to Jeremiah. “Here’s this little guy. He missed you.” Mr Percival agreed by swooping to the couch, then hopping along to Jeremiah as he chorused his happy magpie song.

Jeremiah laughed when Mr Percival hopped onto his shoulder and pecked at his neck and then tried to steal some sliced apple.

“Ah, it’s good to be home,” Jeremiah said. He was tired, that was pretty obvious, but he hadn’t stopped smilin’ yet.

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