TWENTY MINUTES INTO TERROR
Epilogue: Looking Forward to a Slow Recovery Bryce opened his eyes. He was no longer facing the floor. Instead his eyes looked up at the swirl patterns of a pale blue ceiling. Sunlight filled the room and made patterns of leaf-shadows on the wall across the window. Cheviot was sitting on a chair beside the bed. Bryce was surprised to see him there. "Sir?" "Good to have you back, Bryce," Cheviot said. "Where's Edison? I thought…" Bryce sounded disappointed. "I sent him home to bed," Cheviot told him. "He's been here constantly for four days and nights. He'll be back after supper." Bryce smiled, thoughtfully, then gritted his teeth in pain. "I'll have the doctor bring-..." "No," Bryce said. "No painkillers. I'd rather not risk becoming an addict. It's not as bad as it was. Before it was like someone sticking a white hot poker through my leg. Now it's only as bad as being constantly kicked by a kangaroo on steroids." "Do I want to know how you know of such things?" "I saw something like it in a movie when I was seven," Bryce said. Cheviot shook his head with a smile. Bryce decided it was time to ask the question he was dreading the answer to. "How is Jenny?" Cheviot shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "The doctors won't tell us about anyone except you. They wanted to inform the parents first. Yours will be here in a little while. You don't have to see them if…" "It's okay," Bryce said. "I think I would like to see them." "And what about me, baby brother?" a woman asked from the doorway. "Chloe," Bryce said. "It's good to see you again." "Says the kid who never calls anyone," Bryce's sister laughed as she ruffled his hair. "Chloe Lynch…" Bryce began. His sister stopped. "It's Peterson now," she told him. "I got married two years ago. You've got a niece, by the way. Her father named her Alfred, poor kid." "And you didn't suggest anything else?" Bryce raised an eyebrow. "I had an emergency C-section and was unconscious for two days when she was born," Chloe said. "By the time I woke, all the paperwork said her name was Alfred and that was that. I wasn't going to go through all the hassle of changing it. Besides, at least it wasn't Ralph." "A girl named Alfred," Bryce shook his head. "You might want to get her father's skull x-rayed to make sure there's a brain in it." "Never mind Jack, Bryce. How about you and your brain." Bryce smiled at his sister. "Brain seems intact, thankfully. Not sure about the rest of me, though. Shoulder hurts a bit. I don't know about the leg. It feels only like a dull pain right now. But I haven't tried walking on it." He looked worriedly at Cheviot. "I'm not going to find it amputated or anything, am I?" "No, it's there," Cheviot said "But the doctor said you've got several pins in your knee, so you can't put any pressure on it." "That's okay," Bryce decided. Cheviot stood up. "I'll let you two chat alone for a bit," he said. "Try to find out about Jenny," Bryce said "See if Grossberg will tell you anything." Cheviot wasn't keen on talking with Grossberg. On the other hand, he was extremely grateful to Bryce alive. "I'll see what I can find out." he said as he left the room. On his way out, Cheviot was passed by Bryce's parents who rushed inside to see their son. He made his way to the car park. Now was not the time to find out about some girl. Network 23 had a ratings war to deal with.
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