The Gender Lie(45)

Between the three of them, they carried several metal poles—two apiece, at various lengths. I sipped the water that Dr. Tierney handed me in lieu of coffee and watched the two strangers as they began joining the poles together by screwing one end into the other.

The boy on the floor kept shooting furtive glances at me, but I ignored them, drinking my water as if I didn’t have a care in the world. After a few minutes, it became clear that what they were building was intended for me—as they wound long bits of fabric around the two long bars on the top.

They bolted the bottom ones to the floor, and then gave them a few tentative shakes before the younger boy grabbed the bars and lifted his feet off the floor, testing them under his weight. He dropped back down and gave a satisfied nod to the older woman, who ruffled his hair before shooing him out of the room.

He laughed, scampering toward the door, where he slammed into Violet as she stepped into the room. She made a sound as his shoulder connected with her, tossing her arms up to stabilize herself. There came a wet splashing sound, and I detected a familiar bitter smell.

Sitting up, I saw most of the coffee in the mug she was carrying had splashed against the doorframe and in the hall behind her, but some of it was dripping from her face as she stared at the youngster in annoyance.

“Quinn!” she snapped, sweeping the remains of the coffee from her face.

The boy cringed. “Sorry, Violet.”

She thrust the now empty mug against his chest. “Please see if you can track down some more coffee,” she said. She reached over and grabbed a fresh towel from the table next to her, running it over her face and hands.

“Violet,” Quinn started to say, but she silenced him with a gaze, her lips drawing tight.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. The older woman behind him who had been watching the scene unfold marched up to him and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ve actually got a wee bit tucked away somewhere,” she said. “I’d be more than happy to brew up some more.”

Violet’s expression warmed as she looked at the older woman. “Thank you, Meera… Any news on Solomon?”

The woman shook her head and swallowed. “No change. No sign.”

Violet’s face fell to one of sympathy, but I also detected a flash of guilt. “Just… let me know, okay?”

Meera nodded, wrapping her arm around Quinn. “I will,” she promised as she pulled the lad outside.

Violet watched them go, and then turned back to me with a smile. “Hey you,” she said, her voice soft.

I smiled back. “You brought me coffee?”

She chuckled. “Tried to.”

“I appreciate it. Any chance there’s any still on your face?”

She walked up and leaned over me. “Care to check?” she asked.

I grinned, sliding my hand around the back of her neck before pulling her down to meet my lips. There was no coffee left on her, but her lips alone were a better tonic than any cup of coffee. I immediately found myself feeling more aware—although it was only of her.

We broke the kiss after a few seconds, and she sat down on the bed next to me. “Doctor Tierney said they’re going to start your physical therapy today. It’s why I brought you the coffee. I figured you might want a pick-me-up.”

“Ms. Bates, coffee is not recommended for Mr. Croft at this time—we need to give the scar tissue on his heart some time to heal before we start artificially stimulating it with caffeine,” commented Dr. Tierney from the other side of the room.

Violet sighed and this time I laughed, causing her to smile.

“So, what are you going to do today?” I asked casually.

Violet straightened her back with a considering look. “Well, I kept my morning open so I could be here with you for this. I’m going to have lunch with Tim—I’m working with him to try to get him comfortable around larger groups of people. After that… you… some gardening… then you… maybe some cleaning… then you… and then dinner, shower, and bed—with some more you scheduled somewhere in the middle of those last three items.”

I kept my face neutral, but as she described her plan I felt guilty again. She was devoting all of this time to me instead of doing whatever she wanted to do, or spending more time with her brother. It wasn’t fair to her, but I didn’t know how to tell her without making it seem like I was trying to get rid of her.

I wanted her to come visit me… but the thought of her watching and shouting encouragements while we did whatever pathetic exercises that Dr. Tierney was about to run me through didn’t fill me with a sense of confidence. It made me feel insecure.