Flatline
Page 12
“We’ll leave you to it, Sir,” Mattison said. “We heard you were coming ‘round from your operation, so Inspector Angel let us come and see you. I reckon he’s a soft touch, really.”
“Don’t push it, Matti,” Blake said. “He’d eat you alive given half the chance.”
Mattison and Patil bid Blake their goodbyes and left the ward. Gardiner was just about to follow them when Blake called him over.
“Yes?” Gardiner said.
“Michael, thank you. You saved my life. I know the timing had a good deal to do with it, but you worked out that there was something more going on at the hospital.”
“I was told you had been taken away by that nutcase, Chloe,” Gardiner said. “I went to check the lifts and apparently you were down in the basement. Didn’t sound like somewhere you were going to get a very helpful operation to me. Frankenstein has his operations in a basement, doesn’t he? Maybe should have left you there.”
“Either way,” Blake said. “I’m grateful. And I’ll be telling Angel the same thing. You did a good job, and you deserve the credit.”
Gardiner nodded, then left the ward without another word leaving Harrison and Blake on their own.
“I think I’m winning him round,” Blake said as they watched Gardiner disappear. “Ever so slowly.”
“So, you’re going to do as you’re told now then?” Harrison asked.
Blake could tell that he was distant. He took hold of Harrison’s hand, but it was quickly pulled away. “What’s wrong?” Blake asked.
Harrison turned to him, looking rather forlorn. “You. You lied to me, Blake. You told me that you were at home, relaxing, when in fact you were out and about, putting your life at risk. What was that conversation we had about? Did you take any of it in? Or were you just giving me lip service so I’d shut up nagging you about it?”
“I’m sorry,” Blake said, and he meant it. “I was wrong, I should have been honest with you, and I’m sorry.”
“Yeah,” Harrison told him. “You should.” He glanced at the clock and began putting his coat on. “I better go. I’ve got a shift in an hour and the bus leaves at ten past. I’ll ring you tonight. See you later.”
He leant forward and kissed Blake on the head, before giving him a small smile and walking away. Blake watched him walk towards the lifts without looking back before he disappeared inside one of them.
Now, Blake was alone with nothing but his own thoughts. As the tea trolley could be heard rattling in the distance, Blake continued watching the lifts hoping for the re-emergence of Harrison, but he was gone. Blake realised he had a lot of making up to do. For the first time since he had arrived in Clackton General, Blake knew that it was time to listen to somebody else apart from his own stubbornness. As he put his head back on the pillow again, preparing to get very used to the sights around him, Blake came to the conclusion that the only thing he needed to work on when he finally got out was re-building the trust of the blonde-haired man that had disappeared into the distance.
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Also by Robert Innes
The Blake Harte Mystery Series
Untouchable
Confessional
Ripples
Reach
Spotlight
Flatline
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The Gold & Silver Mystery Series
The Hung Jury
The Poison Pen