Chapter 6

McCormick slowly managed to open his eyes into a narrow squint, and the only thing he could see was Hardcastle's face. "Judge?" he croaked.

Hardcastle leaned closer immediately, the sudden smile relieving some of the worry in his features. "I'm right here, kiddo," he answered.

"Throat hurts," McCormick continued hoarsely. "Can I have something to drink?"

Hardcastle turned to the bedside table to grab the cup of ice chips he had insisted be diligently refilled each time they had melted. "Only a bit of ice," he said apologetically, as he spooned a small piece into McCormick's mouth.

"M-M-M." McCormick managed a small smile. "More?"

"Just a little." Hardcastle gave him one more spoonful, then set the cup aside. "It's good to see you again, kiddo. How ya feeling?"

"Pretty bad," McCormick admitted. He opened his eyes more fully and looked around the barely lit room. "I'm in a hospital?"

Hardcastle nodded sadly. "Yeah."

"I feel pretty bad, Judge," McCormick repeated in a small voice. "Am I...am I gonna be okay?"

"It looks that way," Hardcastle answered with a reassuring smile, "though you had us worried for a while there. You didn't really think you could get away from me so easily did you?"

"Never crossed my mind," McCormick replied, comforted more by the teasing than anything else, just as the judge had intended.

"Was it Garza?" he asked after a moment. Then, before Hardcastle had a chance to respond, he rolled his eyes and answered his own question. "Where is my mind? Of course it was Garza. Man, he was pissed."

"You shouldn't try to talk too much right now, kid," Hardcastle cautioned. "And you probably shouldn't spend a lot of time dwelling on what happened, either. You need your rest."

"Probably." McCormick instinctively knew he shouldn't fully admit to Hardcastle just how weak he truly felt, and how every word was a struggle. But he wasn't ready to sleep again. "But I'll tell you, Judge, when you came storming into that office...I was never so glad to see you in my entire life."

A horrified look flashed across Hardcastle's face. "You were conscious?"

McCormick nodded slowly, which was about the only movement he was capable of making. "Right up until you guys showed up and he shot me that last time."

The judge grimaced, but didn't speak. No sense telling the kid that lunatic had actually pumped two rounds into his gut just as the cavalry had arrived. Time enough for gory details later.

"Hey, Judge?" McCormick's voice was growing weaker as he drifted again toward darkness.

"What is it, kiddo?"

"I'm sorry I let you down. Promise I'll make it up..."

Hardcastle could feel tears burning behind his eyes again as he watched McCormick fall back into sleep. He offered a simple but sincere reply, wishing the young man could hear him.

"Kid, you have never let me down."