Blood From a Stone (173 page)

A
r
u
m
p
l
ed b
l
an
k
et
l
ay
on
t
he cha
i
r
ne
x
t
t
o
t
he bed and he
r
eached
f
o
r
w
a
r
d
t
o
t
ouch
it
.
I
t
w
as
s
til
l
w
a
r
m
…
.li
k
e
l
y
t
he ch
il
d
’
s
m
o
t
her
had
j
ust
been
he
r
e
r
es
ti
ng
next
t
o
hi
m
.
H
e
r
ea
li
z
ed
she
m
i
g
ht
co
m
e
back at
any
m
o
m
ent
i
f
she
was
s
til
l he
r
e.
H
e
supposed he
’
d ha
v
e
t
o deal
w
it
h
t
hat
i
f
i
t ha
p
pened….p
r
e
t
end
t
o
be
a
doc
t
or
or
a
i
de.
F
or
now
h
e
d
i
dn
’
t ha
v
e
ti
m
e
t
o
w
o
rr
y
about
t
ha
t
.
O
n
l
y
t
he
t
ask
at
hand.

H
e
s
t
a
r
ed
at
t
he
s
m
a
l
l
b
l
onde
ch
il
d
t
h
at
l
ay
i
n
t
he
bed be
f
o
r
e
h
i
m
,
t
ubes
co
m
i
ng
fr
om h
i
s
m
ou
t
h
and
nose,
and
t
he s
t
eady
beep,
beep
of
t
he
m
on
it
o
r
s
t
hat
s
t
ood
li
k
e
sen
ti
ne
l
s next
t
o
t
he bed.

H
e
qu
i
e
tl
y
w
a
l
k
ed
o
v
er
and
p
i
c
k
ed
up
the
littl
e bo
y
’
s hand,
so
s
m
a
l
l
and
fr
a
g
il
e
i
n
h
i
s
o
w
n and he
l
d
i
t
t
he
r
e
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
as
he
bo
w
ed
h
i
s
head,
s
i
g
h
i
ng hea
v
il
y as
he
w
e
i
g
hed
t
he
i
m
p
li
ca
ti
ons
of
w
hat
he
w
as
about
t
o
do.
What
i
f
i
t
ended
up
c
r
ea
ti
ng a
m
ons
t
er
li
k
e
h
i
m
se
lf
?
T
he e
v
i
dence so
f
a
r
,
w
as
t
hat
i
t
w
as
i
ndeed
a
cu
r
e
f
or
i
n
j
u
ri
es
and
d
i
sease,
t
o
t
as
t
e
of h
i
s
b
l
ood.
T
he
ca
t
…
C
i
sco…and 
H
a
r
o
l
d 
w
e
r
e
a
l
l
w
a
l
k
in
g p
r
oof
of
t
hat
f
ac
t
.
B
ut
t
hen
w
hat
w
ou
l
d
happen
t
o
t
hem
i
n
a
f
ew
w
ee
k
s,
w
hen
h
i
s
o
w
n
C
han
g
e
ca
m
e,
w
e
r
e
he
t
o
not
fi
nd
a
w
ay
out
of
t
he cu
r
se?

A
nd
m
o
r
e
i
m
po
rt
an
tl
y
w
ou
l
d
he
l
ose
W
ill
ow
o
v
er
t
h
i
s
w
hen
she
f
ound
ou
t
?
H
e
cou
l
d
on
l
y hope
t
hat
she
w
o
ul
d
k
eep her
p
r
o
m
i
se and her
be
li
ef
i
n h
i
m
.

F
or
no
w
,
S
a
m
son
w
as
be
i
ng d
ri
v
en
by o
n
l
y one
t
hou
g
h
t
:
t
h
i
s
littl
e
g
uy
w
as
i
n
tr
oub
l
e
and
i
f
he
d
i
dn
’
t
do so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
qu
i
c
k
l
y
he
m
ay
end
up
not
su
r
v
i
v
i
ng
h
i
s
i
n
j
u
ri
es.
H
e
w
onde
r
ed
how
m
any
o
t
he
r
s
t
he
r
e
w
e
r
e
j
ust
li
k
e
h
i
m
l
y
i
ng
i
n
t
he
hosp
it
al
ri
g
ht
no
w
.
H
e
w
i
shed
he
cou
l
d
do
s
o
m
e
t
h
i
ng
f
or
a
l
l
of
t
he
m
, but
f
or
no
w
, sa
v
i
ng
e
v
en one,
m
a
t
t
e
r
ed.