Weecho: First Shots

Chapter 30 - Ghost Connection

“I love how you’re trying new things with your hair.” 

Tilda had warned her, so Selena Marti had her lines ready, groggy or not. 

“Thanks, Ma, it’s a work in progress.” 

They’d moved her back to the clinic at the Bedford Hills facility, which was further out than White Plains, but the jeep made the travel time about the same. She didn’t look anywhere near a hundred percent (it was brain surgery), but a lot better than two days ago. 

“I brought these,” Weecho said, holding out some flowers Dara had grabbed out of one of Alexey’s vases. Jeremy had added a bow. 

“They’re nice,” Selena said, knowing there was usually some story behind anything he brought like that. “Leave them on the table. One of the girls will put them in water.” 

Weecho pulled a chair up next to the bed. Took her hand, put it to his cheek. 

She nudged her boy. “You’ve got problems, right?”  

Weecho nodded. Kissed her hand. Filled her in. 

                                                #          #          # 

After he’d finished, Selena thought a while. Weecho had told her pretty much everything, leaving out the part about getting shot (which reminded him, he hadn’t gone to that doctor, had better change that dressing). He’d ended with how they made the decoy DVD at Alexey’s, which he’d stuck a copy of in his jacket pocket. 

“Decoy…” she said. 

He hadn’t been conscious of calling it that. 

“You want to draw him out,” Selena said, “away from the girl.” 

“Juna. How do I do that?” 

“I don’t think you should do anything.” 

“Ma…” 

“Get somebody who’s trained.” 

She was sounding like a mother again now. Not what he’d come for. 

“How should I tell somebody who’s trained to do it?” 

Nice try, but unh-uh. 

“Don’t go getting clever with me,” she said. 

“Ma, I have to do this.” 

They gave each other that long look they always did when it got like this. 

Then a voice broke in. “Excuse me…” 

They looked up. A black girl with blonde hair almost like Weecho’s, a nurses’ aide, was standing there with a blood pressure kit.   

“It’s time for this,” the girl said. 

“Can you give us two minutes?” Selena said. 

The girl looked at Weecho, visitor with punkadelic copycat hair. 

“I’m family,” he said. 

“Whatever,” the girl said, and went back out. 

Weecho picked up a water glass with a bendable straw and held it for his mother. 

“Where were we?” she said. 

“Somebody told me once, if something scares you, go for it.” 

“Was that somebody you respected?” 

“For that I did.” 

She knew who he meant.