Page 189 of Slack Tide Kill

Sally lay in silence for a time. Drifting. Settling. Coming back to herself. Logan did not try to interrupt. She started thinking back over every step of the investigation. Wondering where she'd missed something. How she might have caught Mercer sooner. How many of his victims she could have saved.

"I'll tell Gemmell you're up now," Logan said softly, and extricated his hand gently from hers. "I'm sure he'll want to talk to you."

"Thank you," she murmured. "I'm glad you came, John."

"I'm glad you're alive, Sally. I guess we're even."

There was silence for a time. Probably a doctor would come soon. She'd get some answers on how long she'd be stuck here.

"Thought he'd never leave," came a rasp from her side.

Sally laughed. It hurt again, and she turned slightly. Liam was similarly twisted, looking back at her.

"Liam."

"He's a real lingerer, don't you think? Can't read the room."

She chuckled again, restraining herself so it wouldn't hurt. "He's sweet. He was looking out for you, the other night."

He grinned. "Damsel in distress. Guess I forgot to let down my golden hair."

She chuckled again. He laughed too, then winced. "Shit. That hurts. Ribs, probably."

"Welcome to the club. How do you feel, Liam?"

"Like I was in a car crash." Neither laughed at that. They just looked at each other, weighing the balance. Then a shadow seemed to cross Liam's eyes and he looked away. "I'm sorry I wasn't out there with you, Sally. On the beach."

"But you were there," she countered swiftly. No room for argument. "When it mattered most, you were, Liam."

He looked at her. Maybe he understood. Maybe he didn't. It was still true. "Good, then."

The gaze held until Sally looked up. It was a lot. A long way to go, still. Nothing was fixed overnight.

"I'll stop drinking," Liam said abruptly.

"That sounds good."

"You're probably going to be seeing more of John Logan, right?"

"I think so."

"Yeah. He's got this AA group he can't stop talking about."

She turned to him. "You're going to join it?"

"I'll stop drinking so I don't have to."

She couldn't stop the laughter this time. It hurt but she embraced the pain.

"He never knows when to quit," Liam went on. "You'll be perfect for each other."

A doctor came in, accompanied by a harried-looking nurse. They both looked drawn and exhausted. Sally imagined they'd been working through the night.

"Both awake," the doctor said brightly, and came over to Sally.

They spoke briefly, but it was enough for Sally to get a clear sense of her injuries, as the doctor ran down the long list on her chart. Hairline fracture in the left clavicle, three bruised ribs and one broken, a badly sprained right knee. Numerous cuts and bruises.

"The real issue was the injury to your right temple." The doctor flipped a page. "That was a serious blunt-force strike, requiring seven stitches and a concussion watch." She looked up. "Do you feel alert now? Do you have any difficulty tracking my finger?"