Chapter 24

When he had taken it, he thought for the first time about whether he would be fit enough to go into work the next day. After ruminating on the decision without success, he decided vaguely that he would go in—ifhe felt like it. And with that, he drifted back to sleep as the drug began to take hold again. He found that “if” very reassuring.

* * * *

It was the incessant ringing of his cell that awoke him the next day.

He groaned. Again, the gnarly quality of his mind and the pain in his arm oppressed him.

“Please stop!” he murmured, shifting his position on the bed.

But none of it stopped, and eventually Garner rolled carefully over and picked up his phone. It was Sharon.

“Where areyou, kid?” She was almost shouting. “I rang and rang.”

“Mmm?”

“Sorry to wake you, princess, but I need to know: are you coming in today? We’re short staffed, and Mike is going nuts.”

“Oh,” Garner tried to think, but mostly was just aware that his brain was gnarly and his arm hurt.