Chapter 14

Declan's parents were discussing their son's condition with his attending physician when Blythe and Greg entered the room. The doctor, whom Mrs. Hanover introduced as Dokutā Nakano - Dr. Nakano - was reluctant to share information about his patient in front of people who were not immediate family, but Declan's mom insisted that whatever he was going to say Blythe and her son needed to hear it as well.

Greg looked over at Declan while the doctor discussed the case with the adults. He was either asleep or unconscious, Greg wasn't really sure which. Declan's right arm was encased in plaster and suspended over his head by a series of pulleys. Greg watched the monitors closely, trying to decipher the meaning behind the numbers. They appeared to be holding steady for the moment, although it seemed to him that Declan's temperature was a bit high.

Turning his attention back to what the doctor was saying, he wished that he understood more about what was going on with his friend. It sounded like somehow Declan was starting to develop an infection, which would explain why his temperature was a bit high. It also sounded like they weren't quite sure where the infection was coming from. The doctor explained that they had put Declan on a course of antibiotics (amongst other drugs Greg had never heard of) and were going to give it 24 hours to start to work in his system.

The doctor finished updating the four of them, then excused himself and left the room. Declan's mom moved over to sit next to her son and hold his hand while her husband stood behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder in support. Blythe pulled Greg aside near the doorway. She handed him a $10 bill and folded it into his hand.

"I'm going home. Feel free to stay as long as you want. Declan's parents will give you a ride back. Have the MPs call me if they can't get on base with your ID and their credentials and I'll come down and pick you up."

Blythe hugged her son, who returned the gesture awkwardly. He'd never been an overly affectionate child, and now that he was a teenager she could feel him tense any time she moved to give him a hug in public.

Greg tolerated his mom's embrace, feeling his cheeks grow warm at what must have looked like an odd spectacle. He was already taller than her by several inches, but it never failed to make him feel like a little kid when she hugged him. One of these days I'm going to have to tell her how weird this feels, Greg thought as he waited for her to release him. He put up with the humiliation only because he knew it made her feel better.

After Blythe left, Greg excused himself and headed down to the cafeteria to see what there was to eat. He chose a bowl of rice with strips of fish and vegetables covering the top, making sure to grab a small pot of the green wasabi mustard for some spice, a small bowl of miso soup, and a bottle of Coke and carried them to the register on a tray. He'd forgotten that since this was a Japanese hospital he would be expected to pay in yen rather than dollars, but the cashier merely referred to a conversion chart on her register and gave Greg his change in the local currency.

Greg ate quickly, taking mere minutes to finish his meal. He took his tray to the scullery window on his way out and hurried back up to Declan's room. He wanted to make sure he was there when his friend woke up.