Chapter 15 The Tiniest Doubt
Two hours later Jeff returned and gave Phineas a quick hug. "They have a pool here," he said, "and I get to start swimming tomorrow... it's therapy. And look," he continued excitedly, holding up a box that said Lego Train System, "I had these back home! And they have a library here." As he spoke he held out a book.
"That sounds great kid," Phineas answered with a forced smile.
"Did you eat anything since I left?" Jeff asked, staring at Bogg.
Phineas shook his head and smiled again, "not so much, but we can eat lunch together, okay?"
The afternoon was quiet. As Jeff fiddled with the Legos on a table near the window, he kept an eye on Bogg, wondering what was wrong. Bogg was all he had, his only family and best friend, and Jeff desperately wanted to help him. Phineas lay down after lunch and immediately fell into a sound sleep.
"He's okay isn't he?" Jeff asked one of the nurses who peeked in to check on them sometime later.
She smiled and sat beside him to explain, "you need a little physical therapy to heal, but he needs sleep. Sleep is a good thing. Don't forget how much blood he lost. While he's asleep, his body is making lots of new blood cells."
Jeff smiled at her, happy to have a friendly face nearby. She was blonde, and pretty too, and he was sure Bogg would notice her as soon as he felt more like himself. "Thanks," he whispered as he watched her assemble an axle and two wheels.
After she left, a sudden thought struck him. Was Bogg acting this way because Jeff had slowed him down while Drake hunted them? He knew without a doubt that Bogg could have gotten away from Drake, or even captured him more easily, without getting shot, if Jeffrey hadn't been there. The only reason he'd been so easy to hunt was that Jeff couldn't keep up. As he thought about it, he realized that everything had happened because he couldn't keep up. He shifted position uncomfortably and looked over at his partner as he slept across the room. Was Bogg thinking that Jeff had been too much trouble? Was he trying to decide what to do with him? How to get rid of him?
The logical part of his brain fought back these fears. He'd been sick, that's why he'd been slow, it hadn't been his fault. No, he argued with himself, Bogg wouldn't have blamed him for that. He felt sure of it. Unfortunately though, now that the thought had entered his brain, the tiniest doubt seeped in and seemed to find a permanent spot in the back of his mind.
Two hours later Phineas woke up and they had dinner together. Neither one of them ate very much, nor spoke. They seemed to be in their own worlds.
Shortly after supper, Phineas lay back down on the bed. "Maybe we both need some extra sleep, I know I do," he said as he eyed the boy. He had noticed how quiet Jeff had been, but felt so exhausted that he couldn't bring himself to ask if anything was wrong. The kid was safe here at headquarters. He needed sleep and hoped that tomorrow things would seem better. He was sound asleep almost as soon as he lay down.
Jeffrey stared at him for a few minutes, then got up and took his book out into the hall so the light wouldn't disturb Bogg's sleep.
He settled down in a chair outside their room and opened the book, but what he heard next got his full attention. Several of the medical workers at the desk were chatting, and one of them mentioned Bogg's name.
"I know I'd feel that way," said a male voice. "I mean, it's gotta be a lot of responsibility. No wonder he wanted to see a shrink."
"You don't know that's why," this time it was a woman's voice.
"Oh come on, taking a kid on voyages is too much responsibility for anyone. It's gotta wear you down. Why else would an experienced voyager like Phineas Bogg be so messed up he needed to see a psychologist?"
Jeff quickly turned a page of the book and stared intently at it, but his whole mind was focused on the conversation behind the desk. There was a sudden silence and he moved only his eyes to the side and realized they had just discovered he was there. He turned another page of the book, and continued to stare intently at it, straining to hear their now hushed whispers.
"He doesn't need to keep the kid," the first voice said, but this time much quieter. "I'm sure someone here would look out for him."
"That would make his life a heck of a lot easier, that's for sure," said a different male voice.
After that they talked about other things, and it appeared that Jeff was reading intently. In reality however, his mind was in overdrive, thinking about what he had heard. That was a psychologist Bogg had apparently asked to talk to. And Jeff had to admit that it would be easier for Bogg if he left him here. But the worst thing of all was that Bogg hadn't talked to him. That meant this had to be something really big, and it was about him.
He rubbed his eyes and realized how tired he was, so he stood up and returned to the room. He lay down, but tired as he was, sleep didn't come easily. As he lay there, he couldn't help thinking that he should try to be as little trouble as possible.