Chapter Text
Chapter Nineteen - “You can rest now.”
Malcolm filtered back to consciousness, in less pain than anticipated. Also, he hadn’t had any nightmares for once, despite being given heavy sedation so the orthopedic surgeon could reset his shoulder. He had vague memories of being jammed into an MRI so they could assess if the tendons were torn. What pain killer did they put me on? It is wonderful! He probably shouldn’t be cheering on whatever narcotic it was but after the night he’d spent with that shoulder and his withdrawal Malcolm was content to be out of pain at least. Don’t feel too nauseated either. Must have restarted my usual meds.
He shifted in the narrow bed, trying to find the controls. Some of them were on the side of bed rails. He was already sleeping half sitting up, probably to take the tension off his shoulder. The soft sounds of breathing drew his attention. Malcolm glanced toward the door. His mother was curled up on a recliner, mostly reclined, between his bed and Gil’s. Gil was sound asleep, breathing deep. His arm rested outside of the thin blanket, swathed in bandages – sans Christmas tree splints now.
Jessica had the TV on, almost muted, not that it would probably have disturbed either of them coming off anesthesia as they both were. Closed Caption ran across the screen. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him. “Hey, Sunshine, how are you?”
“Good, all things considered.” Better for seeing his mom. He took a deep breath. “Better now that Gil has treated. Is he going to be all right?”
She nodded, pushing the feet of her recliner down. His mother stood and fussed with his blanket before sitting next to his hip. She stroked his hair. “They think so. The infection isn’t into the bone so that’s good news. The bad is they had to screw the bones back together. He’s going to be in a lot of pain. I’ll need your help to convince him that he and you need to stay with me for a while.”
Malcolm smiled softly. “I see what you did there, Mother.”
“What? You and he both are going to be one-armed for weeks. You won’t be able to work. You’ll go bonkers on your own with nothing to do.”
He quirked up his eyebrows. “And being with you is going to somehow stave that off.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t make me regret riding to your rescue, Malcolm.”
“I’m glad you did but you shouldn’t have. It was reckless.”
“I wish Gil was awake to hear you sounding exactly like he does when he’s talking to you.” She rolled her eyes.
He was not about to tell her how recently Gil had said the exact same thing to him. “You and Ainsley should have left it to Dani and JT.”
“The two people who weren’t sure they could get a warrant? They knew where I was going…once I had a twenty mile lead on them.” She shrugged. “If they couldn’t have gotten that warrant, Ainsley and I would have dealt with her.”
Malcolm swallowed hard. He didn’t doubt that in the least. His mother would have taken Cynthia on, no questions asked. She might have even won. She had taken out one psychopath in Claremont and another in her own home in recent months. Two in her own home if he counted Watkins. “Where is Cynthia?”
“Dani and JT are questioning her now.”
“I almost feel sorry for her.”
“I want to say don’t.” Jessica sighed. “But I understand. She wouldn’t have been like this if not for your father. But some of it is on her, too, Malcolm. Don’t forget that. Gil had absolutely nothing to do with Martin and his crimes. His only mistake was getting involved with me.”
“And I doubt he thinks that’s a mistake. Grief twists us, can make monsters of us. I’m not endorsing what she did but I can understand it.” Malcolm settled back into the bed. His shoulder twinged hard. “My shoulder is less excited about being understanding.”
She made a derisive noise. “I’m sure. At least you didn’t snap any rotator cuffs or you’d be out of commission and crying about living at my house for even longer.”
“Or about you assigning me another judo-expert nurse.” He rolled his eyes. “Speaking of living at home, where is Sunshine?”
“My place. I brought her over even though I was sure we’d have you back as soon as they realized who’d taken you. But…” Her voice broke and she struggled to contain a sob. “But I saw the video and I knew what shape you’d be in.”
Malcolm grimaced. “I’m sorry you had to see those, Mom.”
She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “Not your fault. Does your wretched bird make a ton of noise every time you step in the room too?”
He snorted. “Yes, Sunshine warbles at me often. Do you even know how and what to feed her?”
“I took the food from your cabinet and I checked a YouTube for how much and how often. If I could feed your disgusting snakes, I can feed your feather duster.”
“You only had to feed the snakes that one time when I had the flu.”
“Still had to do it.”
“Dare I ask where Gil’s cats are? Did I hear right? I wasn’t sure since I was in a lot of pain. Did you say you have those too?”
“Yes, and yes in a different part of the house. Sunshine is shut up in your old room, looking out the window last I saw her. The cats are ….everywhere else and I do mean everywhere.”
“They’re good at that. We should probably trade Sunshine for Harker once Gil’s able to settle that cat in.”
“We’ll make arrangements. Dani and Edrisa also both volunteered to take Sunshine. They’d probably be better at it.” His mom patted his hand. “Get some rest, Malcolm. You and Gil are both safe now. I’m keeping watch. Nothing and no one is coming through that door unchallenged.”
Malcolm had no doubts of that.
# # #
Gil’s stitches itched like mad. He wanted to unwrap his arm and scratch even though he knew he couldn’t. It was going to drive him straight up a wall and around the bend. At least you’re in the right place for that.
He waited in the visitor’s room in a state run secure mental hospital to question Cynthia unofficially. Technically he shouldn’t even be here and she’d already turned down JT and Malcolm for an interview. He was surprised she was allowing him and Dani. At least they hadn’t put Cynthia in Claremont after it was determined she wasn’t in her right mind to stand trial. She – on the other hand – was probably disappointed by that. She’d want to find a way to kill Martin, not that Gil blamed her exactly.
She looked actually rested when the guard brought her in. Her mood lasted until she saw Dani which surprised Gil. He hadn’t expected an objection there but then again Dani had been the one to slap the cuffs on her and had already interrogated her more than once.
“I’m not talking to her.” Cynthia jutted her chin at Dani.
“She has to be here as I’m not allowed unescorted because of our history,” Gil replied. “You asked to talk to me.”
Cynthia shook her head. “Not going to. I’m not crazy you know. I shouldn’t be here.”
“Your other option is prison so I wouldn’t be too quick about protesting,” Dani said and Cynthia glared.
“She’s not wrong,” Gil said, indicating the chair across the table from him.
Cynthia shook her head. “I want to go back to my room.”
“Please, you asked me to come. Let’s talk,” Gil said though he wasn’t entirely sure what there was to talk about. They had Cynthia dead to rights on kidnapping and assault among other things.
She refused to sit. “The arm looks okay.”
Gil glanced at his aching limb. “It’ll heal.”
“I’ve thought a lot about it, not the arm, killing you and Whitly. I should have done it as soon as I had hold of him but….” Cynthia frowned, taking a step back and bouncing into her guard. “I’ve seen death, you know. I’m a nurse. I’ve sat at a patient’s bedside at the end, when nothing more could be done for them, and watched them go.”
“I can’t imagine how hard that must be,” Gil said, having seen people die himself. It was not easy.
“No one should die alone. My sister did.” Cynthia’s shoulders slumped. “It’s unsettling even when you know it’s their time and they’re ready to go. A lot of them are in the home, they’re tired out and ready.”
“I know.”
“I wasn’t going to kill you. I wanted to but in the end…I was just coming back to get Harker and run.” Tears trickled down her face. “Where’s Harker?”
“I have him. He’s settling in with my cats now,” Gil said. “Your ex didn’t want him. I did ask, for your kids but he said no. I’ll keep him. He’s a sweet boy.”
“Good. Thank you.” She wiped her face with the back of her manacled hands. “I didn’t want him to go to a kill shelter.”
“No worries. He’s mine now. I’ll take good care of him,” Gil assured her.
Cynthia sniffed. “Thank you. I want to go back to my room now,” she told the guard.
Dani waited until they were back in their car before saying, “That’s what she really wanted, wasn’t it? Not to say she really wasn’t going to kill you, if you believe her,”
“I do.”
“She wanted to be sure no one killed her cat.”
“She loves Harker,” Gil replied as Dani pulled out into traffic. “Cynthia is probably a very caring person but Martin twisted her up good and frankly, her mother helped. She’s probably exactly where she needs to be right now.”
“You sound like Bright. Not sure I could be as forgiving if someone kidnapped and tortured me.” Dani sighed. “Could happen if I keep hanging out with Bright.”
“He does invite trouble,” Gil said ruefully.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
Epilogue
“I’m sending a fruit basket to Edrisa for taking that feather duster of yours, Malcolm.” Jessica wheeled in a tea cart to the informal living room where he and Gil had been encamped.
“I’m just glad she was able to. After Poe managed to get into the sealed off servants’ quarters upstairs, I was worried the cats could get into my room.”
“Seriously how did your cat manage that, Gil?” She poured three cups of tea for them and pushed the cart closer so they could manage their own sweeteners.
“Cats are magic. The bigger question is how many secret passages does this house have?”
“Too many. At least there won’t be seed all over the place in your room anymore. Does Sunshine just spend all day tossing it everywhere?”
“Some days I think she does,” Malcolm admitted ruefully. “Be thankful, she just finished her molt otherwise there’d have been feathers everywhere too.”
“Speaking of everywhere, that’s where your cats are, Gil.” Jessica set the cart aside and sat between the two of them on the couch.
“You were warned, Mother.”
“That’s how cats work. Besides, Poe found a mouse in that sealed off room.” Gil raised his eyebrows.
Jessica pouted. “I know and I suppose my home is now going to become Wild Kingdom which I shouldn’t complain about. I just hope they don’t knock over too many things.”
“It’s Shelley you have to worry about. She’ll make eye contact with you and push stuff off the table while you watch.” Gil laughed. “Furry little psychopath.”
“Lovely.”
“Remember, Mother, you invited Gil and the cats here until he gets use of his arm again. Pretend you don’t mind his little killers stalking around the house, you know, like I’m pretending Gil’s staying in one of the guest bedrooms.” Malcolm smirked.
Gil and Jessica narrowed their eyes in concert. “Got any secret passages we can wall him up in, Jess? Besides the downstairs one. Wouldn’t want to overly traumatize him.”
“Too late.” Malcolm snorted.
“Way ahead of you, Gil. The attic would work. He always thought it was haunted when he was a kid.”
“Pretty sure it was.” Malcolm picked up the TV remote. “Let’s get back into the show.” He nodded toward the paused program.
“What are we watching?” she asked, sipping her tea.
“Midsomer Murders,” Gil replied.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t you two get enough of that as it is?”
“Busman’s holiday. Malcolm needs a murder and we get to laugh at everything they do wrong.”
“You’ll like the villages, Mom. Quaint, lovely, pretty sure Grandma has a house in one of these places,” Malcolm replied. “And honestly there are a lot of deadly women in this show. Gil should worry you’ll get ideas.”
“You too,” Gil shot back.
“Also, I’d have thought you’d be over deadly women but all right. Let’s see what you’ve got,” she replied, leaning on Gil’s good shoulder.
Malcolm smiled. Staying in this house wasn’t ever easy for him but as Harker leapt onto the couch followed by Poe, Malcolm had to admit there wasn’t really anywhere else he’d rather be than here with his family.