Chapter 28

“What do you mean?”

“I died.”

That got me to look at him head on. “No.”

“A little bit, Russel. I only died a little bit.”

“Wow. How? Why? What happened?”

“They couldn’t wake me up. I stopped breathing and had to go on a ventilator for two days.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. Some sort of reaction to something. They were just about to give up on me, called my family and everything, but then the CNA was giving me a sponge bath, and when she got to my feet, I said ‘Tickle, tickle,’ and opened my eyes.”

“Really?” My hand had somehow found its way onto Finn’s leg. “Not really.” I took it away. I didn’t want to, but I did.

“Maybe.” Finn reached over and brought it back. “Something woke me up, and my first thought,” now he looked at the floor, “was of you and those words. Anyway, just like that, not even a full day later, I was being released. Good thing the whole Shea gang didn’t descend on me.”

“Wow. Finn, I’m…really glad you’re here.”