“You’re awake,” he said in awe, and I nodded. After a few seconds, he woke, and looking up at me raised a smile. I did it anyway and ran my fingers slowly and comfortingly through his unkempt hair. My hand felt heavy and sluggish, and raising it was like swimming through treacle. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and he was in desperate need of a good shave, but I was so glad to see him I could have wept. O’Connell’s head rested on his arms beside me as he slept. THE SECOND TIME I CAME AROUND, things were much clearer, and the pain was much worse. After a minute or two, I felt the drugs pulling me back under, though I could still feel Danny’s gentle hand, warm in mine. The room around me was silent but for the beeping. The pain in my chest throbbed and everything felt like an effort, even the tiny action of opening my eyes.

THE INCESSANT BEEPING HURT MY EARS, and I wanted it to stop, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open. As I drifted off into the darkness, it reminded me that I wasn’t alone. “I love you, too, sunshine,” he replied, squeezing my hand. “Me, either,” he admitted, crying proper tears now. The cold had crept into every part of my body, but the pain seemed to be lessening. I haven’t had that in a really long time.” I don’t think you’d be lying here now if it weren’t for me.” “Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me,” I told him. He held my hand between his two, and I marvelled at how warm those weathered hands felt. I followed his gaze downwards and saw the knife sticking out of my chest. “It weren’t his blood, sunshine,” Danny told me grimly, his eyes wet with unshed tears. I’d have waited a lot longer to hear the comfort of his voice.

He couldn’t have been gone more than thirty seconds. Slamming down the phone, he raced back to me. I need an ambulance here now and get someone to tell Cormac O’Connell,” he barked. He scrambled toward the desk, grabbed the phone, and dialled frantically.

The hurricane by rj prescott