7: Georgie

When Georgie arrived in a bustle of grapes and flowers, Adam was alone. Daniel had made himself scarce when he heard the old coot was coming. He never could understand Adam's relationship with Georgie; it was like something from another age.

Adam was able to sit up in bed now, no longer knotted up with tubes and wires. He still looked a state but the swelling was subsiding and he seemed in surprisingly good spirits. He was expected to go home at the end of the week; in the meantime, he entertained.

"Dear God, child, what have they done to you?" Georgie planted a moist kiss on Adam's forehead. "You look like the Elephant Man."

"Thank you, Georgie, that makes me feel so much better."

"Is that arm broken?"

"In three places. Little fuckers certainly did some damage."

"Bloody animals. They should be put down."

"I'm not about to disagree."

"Good. If you did I'd have to slap you. You'd sound like some frightful holier-than-thou Christian or something, turning the other cheek."

"Never fear, I remain the vengeful bitch you've always known."

"Huzzah! What happened to your ear?"

"Ack. Lost a chunk of it, I'm afraid. They say it won't affect my hearing, but it ain't gonna be pretty."

Georgie looked green. "Sorry, my boy, I think I have to sit down."

"Please do. I hate people standing around the bed, anyway, when I'm stuck in it. The thing that hurts most is losing my earring. You remember the little diamond stud that Daniel gave me?"

Georgie nodded.

"Torn off in the mêlée. Maybe they nicked it, I don't know. I don't remember much about the whole thing, to be honest. I don't really want to."

"Christ. You poor baby."

Adam shrugged sadly.

"Where is that boyfriend of yours, anyway? Shouldn't he be doing the whole Florence Nightingale bit?"

"Oh, he has been. Keeping watch night and day, poor thing. I think I got the easier part of the deal, in some ways."

"Oh, please! What utter tosh! You're the one missing half an ear."

"Well, yes -- but I spent much of the worst of it unconscious -- and off my face on painkillers since then."

"They do get some quality pills in these places. If only they'd hawk them in London's nightclubs rather than just, you know, giving them to ill people, there'd be no more NHS budget problems."

"Ha ha."

Georgie smiled.

"I'm still pretty spaced out, to be honest. I've been having the strangest dreams, like something out of Dungeons & Dragons."

"If I had the faintest idea what you were talking about, I wouldn't admit it."

"Tsk. Will you admit to knowing about King Arthur and Excalibur and all that?"

"Reluctantly."

"Like that, then. Bloody ancient battlefields, swords and armour and horses and all that. Weird and horrible but also kind of exciting. When I wake up it's hard to tell whether my limbs are aching from the real injuries or from swinging a sodding great broadsword all night."

"Good grief. I don't know what those drugs are, but I'd like some."

"Tough. Have to get some perks from this shitty business."

"I suppose."

There is a pause.

"Miranda sends her love, by the way."

"She does? Fuck, I am hallucinating."

"Love might be overstating a little."

"Miranda sends her complete indifference, perhaps?"

"That probably sums it up."

"Do please wish her the same."

Georgie rolled his eyes, and patted Adam's plastered arm affectionately.
Posted by matt at November 8, 2004 01:55 PM