From Diamond to Coal

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

"So, is this going to be my thing from now on?" he asked sardonically.

Alan gave him a stricken look and William felt a twinge go through him.

Alan looked terrible. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was ashen but for two spots of color high on his cheeks. He looked exhausted, as though he hadn't slept in days, or as though he had been wrung empty by terror and had nothing left to give.

"I didn't mean it like that," William said. His hand shook when he lifted it up and he could feel sweat dotting his brow at the effort of lifting his arm at all.

Alan reached out and caught William's hand, holding it close against his chest. He didn't say anything. His lips pressed together in a tight line.

William closed his eyes for a long moment, trying to escape from that expression on Alan's face. "I'm still here. They didn't get me."

"But it was so close," Alan's voice was whispery. "You could have died and there was nothing I could do about it."

"But I didn't die and we'll be more careful from now on." William licked his dry lips and tried to seem as alive as possible. "We were incredibly lucky, that's true, but that doesn't mean we should give into fear and just stop living." He saw Alan's expression shifting and thought that maybe he was getting through to him. "I have to make jokes about it to keep from screaming."

"I understand," Alan said, "but it just jolts through me every time I'm reminded that I could have lost you."

"I'm sorry."

Alan leaned forward over the hospital bed to brush the hair from William's forehead. "You always are."

William frowned unhappily. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. It made him sit there in tense stillness, just watching Alan.

They sat in silence for what felt like hours.

"You know what we should do," Alan suddenly said, "we should have them come in and paint the apartment."

William gave him a shocked look. Carefully, he said, "You want to repaint already? It wasn't all that long ago that they did it last time."

Alan looked at him. "When this is all over and whoever has been trying to kill you is caught, we are going to have the apartment painted. We might also need new carpeting and drapes."

"Oh, okay," William said slowly. It looked like Alan was cracking around the edges. "I'll have James light a fire under someone's butt. You can pick out our new paint and carpet colors."

"How about you just stay in your hospital bed and rest and I'll arrange everything. I do know where all your phone numbers and everything are." Alan gave him an exasperated look. "Have you ever seriously thought about getting a personal assistant? If there was someone people could turn to when you were incapacitated, I think everything would go a lot more smoothly.

"But if I have a PA that knows all the future plans and knows everything, why does anyone need me?" William asked. "They could decide to assassinate me at any time because they'll have the keys to all the coffers."

Alan gave him a flat look. "Why do you have to be like this? It's not like your money is all kept in a personal savings account or something. You have a whole accounting division that handles your money and everything. If your PA wanted to steal some money, sure, they could do it, but it would be such a small amount to the rest of your fortune."

"I know." William sighed. "I just don't like the thought of someone I don't know following me around everywhere I go."

"Isn't that basically James?" Alan asked, quirking his eyebrow.