Blood From a Stone (175 page)

H
e
opened
h
i
s
e
y
es,
t
o
see
t
he
littl
e
boy s
t
a
ri
ng at
h
i
m as
he
l
ay
qu
i
e
tl
y
i
n
t
he
bed,
h
i
s
f
ea
t
u
r
es
a
m
ask
o
f
peace
and con
t
en
t
m
en
t
.

H
e
sat
up
qu
i
c
k
l
y and
l
oo
k
ed a
littl
e con
f
used at
t
he
t
ube
co
m
i
ng
out
of
h
i
s
nose
and
m
ou
t
h
and
pu
ll
ed
th
em ou
t
, cou
g
h
i
ng
s
li
g
h
tl
y
as
he
d
i
d,
and
t
hen
l
oo
k
i
ng
at
th
em
w
it
h
f
asc
i
na
ti
on.
H
e
r
ubbed
h
i
s
t
h
r
oat
f
or
a
second
and
t
hen
s
t
a
r
ed at
t
he
need
l
e
i
n
h
i
s
s
m
a
l
l
hand
t
hat
w
as
a
tt
ached
t
o a
l
ong
t
ube
t
hat
l
ed
t
o
t
he
I
V
bag
t
hat
hung
abo
v
e
fr
om
t
he
m
ach
i
ne
t
hat s
l
o
w
l
y
pu
m
ped
c
l
ear
li
qu
i
d
i
n
t
o
h
i
s
bod
y
. 
H
i
s
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
her
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
and
t
hen he
l
oo
k
ed
li
k
e he
m
i
g
ht
c
r
y
.

S
a
m
son
t
ook
t
he
bo
y
’
s
s
m
a
l
l
hand
i
n his
o
w
n and
w
it
hout
a
w
o
r
d,
cou
l
d
f
eel
e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
n
g
…e
v
e
r
y
w
o
r
d
th
e
littl
e boy
had  not
y
et
spo
k
en,  and 
t
he
f
ear
he
’
d  a
l
so 
f
e
l
t 
f
or
a second
at
t
he
s
i
g
ht
of
t
he
need
l
e
t
aped
i
n
h
i
s
v
e
in
,
as
t
hey sha
r
ed
sou
l
s
f
or
a
f
ew
m
o
m
en
t
s.
T
he
i
m
p
r
ess
i
on
w
as
v
e
r
y b
ri
e
f
,
but
he
cou
l
d
f
ee
l
…so
m
ehow sense
t
hat
t
he
bo
y
’
s
na
m
e
w
as
D
a
v
i
d.

S
a
m
son
pa
tt
ed
t
he
bo
y
’
s
hand. “
I
t’
s o
k
a
y
,
D
a
v
i
d.
T
he
t
ube
i
n
y
our
a
r
m
w
on
’
t
hu
r
t
y
ou.
I
t’
s
j
ust
g
i
v
i
ng
y
our
body
a n
i
ce d
ri
nk
t
o
m
a
k
e
i
t
f
eel
be
tt
e
r
.”

T
he
littl
e
boy  nodded
and 
t
hen  spo
k
e
in  a
near
w
h
i
spe
r
.
“
Y
ou
k
now
w
ha
t
?
I had
a
d
r
eam
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t
,
t
hat
m
y nana
t
hat
d
i
ed
l
ast
y
ea
r
…she
ca
m
e  and  she  sa
i
d 
t
hat
t
he an
g
e
l
s
m
i
g
ht
co
m
e
f
or
m
e
soon.”
H
i
s
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
. “
Y
ou
’r
e one of
t
he
m
.
A
r
en
’
t
y
ou.”

It was more a statement than a question.
S
a
m
son
s
m
il
ed
and
l
au
g
hed
li
g
h
tl
y
.
D
a
m
n…ano
t
her of
h
i
s
cha
r
g
es
con
f
us
i
ng
h
i
m
w
it
h
t
he
A
l
m
i
g
h
t
y
or
wha
t
e
v
er
t
hey
w
e
r
e.
“
N
o.
I
’
m
no
an
g
e
l
.
I
’
m
….
j
ust
a
fri
end
w
h
o
ca
m
e
t
o he
l
p
y
ou
f
eel
be
tt
e
r
.”