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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When I hung up, I went back to the hospital. Adam was awake and speaking with one of the nurses. I didn’t interrupt and instead sat down in a chair against the wall. The nurse was laughing. At one point, Adam took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She didn’t resist but rather touched his shoulder and told him she would be back soon with his dinner.

“You can be quite the charmer when you want to be,” I said after she’d left. “Too bad Mom and I never got some of that charm.”

He turned to me, his expression going from happy to stern, and then he reached for the pudding on his side table. “Don’t speak ill of your mother.”

“I wasn’t.”

“I treated her like a queen. The best I knew how to treat a woman. They’re not like men. They need certain things. Have certain sensitivities. And if you point it out to them, they grow infuriated. You have to be careful around them, and sometimes you get it right and sometimes you get it wrong.”

“Bullshit. I’ve defended enough abusers to know they always blame their victims because the alternative is for them to take responsibility for their own behavior.”

“Yeah? What do you know about it? You never been married.”

“I would hear you guys fighting sometimes.”

He shrugged as he took a spoonful of pudding. “Everybody fights. So when am I getting out of here?”

No way in hell was I telling him I had just filed a motion to have him declared incompetent.

“A psychologist has to interview you first.”

“Interview me for what?”

“Just to make sure you’re making this decision with a clear head.”

He stopped eating his pudding. “It’s my damn body to do with as I please.”

“No one’s saying it’s not your body. They’re saying you might not be in the best position to evaluate your interests.”

He tossed the pudding on the floor and started to get off the bed.

“You can’t leave.”

“The hell I can’t.”

“You still got IVs in you.”

He ripped them out and started shuffling toward the door. I rose and stood in front of him. “You can’t leave.”

“Get out of my way. I’m only going to say it once.”

“Adam, please, let me just talk to you.”

“If you don’t—”

“Just five minutes! Man, you’d think I’m talking to a four-year-old.”

He folded his arms. “I’m listening.”

“They need to make sure you understand what you’re doing. Once the psychologist clears you, you can leave whenever you want. Just get the interview done and quit fighting me on it.”

“Get out of my way.”