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. Will he live? Julian blurtedout. He s fighting hard, the doctor said. But we re cautiously optimistic. Julian grinned at Leo who smiled inobvious relief. We ll take him off the ventilator tomorrow if he continues to do well, and we should see himwaking up then.Mr Underwood, he s going to be sedated until then for his own comfort there s really littlepoint in you sitting around here.If there s a crisis, we can call you.You re not staying far from here, are you? I want to stay, Julian said. Yes, she said, I understand.But Zachary will be with us for a couple of weeks or more.He ll need you whenhe wakes up.I suggest you take Mr Underwood home, both of you take it easy, and stay where we can contactyou.Nothing will happen so fast that you won t get back here in time, I promise. Leo grimaced. Perhaps.Julian, I think we should. What about Linis? He needs the company. The doctor held up her hands. I ll leave it up to you.But this will be a long business, gentlemen.Zachary srecovery will take months.He s in good hands here, and so is his kem. She left them then.Julian sat down and called Linis up onto his lap.Pyon jumped up too, and he stroked themboth. You can go if you like, but I owe Zachary.I can t abandon Linis. No.We can stay an hour or so.Linis understands, and so long as he knows we re coming back, he ll be fine.Tomorrow will be the day we ll be needed. Leo patted Julian s shoulder. She s right we need to paceourselves. Who did you do this with before? Friends.A lover, once, who had cancer. Leo s eyes shadowed briefly. When you get to my age, youaccumulate losses. Did everyone die? Some of them.But Zachary won t, so let s not talk of it. They stayed until another family came to use the waiting room, so distressed and in need of privacy that itseemed rude to hang around.Julian carried Linis back out to the observation window.The kem made adistressed sound as he saw Zachary lying there, and turned to Julian for reassurance.Julian whispered wordsof comfort in one silky ear, and petted him for as long as Linis wanted it.But then the kem made it clear hewanted to be set down.He walked over to Leo and rubbed himself against the man s leg, then went to Pyonand Nuji in turn, giving them sad little face licks.The kems all seemed to know what was going on, and it madeJulian feel even worse about depriving Linis of their company.But Linis took matters into his own paws, andwith a last quiet meep, he dematerialised.Seconds later, they saw him on Zachary s pillow, curled up next tohis head. Do you suppose Zachary knows? Julian asked. I can t think it does him any harm, and I think it helps Linis.Come on, we should get lunch and look after ourlittle kems too. Leo insisted on taking him out to lunch as a thank you to Julian and to give them a break.He was, heconfessed, starving since his body clock was messed up, and he was reluctant to put Julian to the strain ofcatering to his peculiar dietary needs.Julian never ate in restaurants, so had no idea what to recommend.They took a taxi to the city and ended up choosing one at random, which Leo deemed suitable, and Julianthought was well out of his price range.But Leo said it was his treat and he could easily afford it. My family are disgustingly rich, I'm afraid.Zachary doesn t need to work, but he despises idleness as much asI used to.I ve.grown accustomed to its charms, he added with a wry smile.Julian grinned back.He really liked this old guy even if he wasn t much like his nephew at all.The restaurant specialised in seafood, never Julian s favourite, but he was determined to try it, if only forZachary s sake.He let Leo choose, and ended up with a very nice salmon and shrimp pasta.Leo chose a grilledtuna steak, which looked even more tempting.He declined to order any wine, just asking for their bestmineral water.Julian didn t mind he didn t drink much anyway.Not since University, at least. Zachary would think this was pretty funny, Julian said, twirling some pasta on his fork. You should haveheard him tear into me about my diet.He was right though Pyon s been so much better. Kems are his main obsession, but you probably know that. Do you know why? Leo ate a mouthful of fish and set his fork down. He was an only child raised by elderly grandparents, a shy,solemn boy in a strange school.Linis was the only one he could trust not to hurt him.My sister and herhusband were good people, but not.warm.Or should I say, kind but not very perceptive.Zachary retreatedinwards, never spoke to anyone about his parents or how he felt.Linis was his security, his friend, and his onlycomfort.Eventually, I think he decided no one else could ever offer him a fraction of what Linis did, and hestopped even caring if he was alone.But he cared when he was a child.He broke my heart, but I could do solittle.I travelled, you see, and was rarely home.I visited when I could, but each time I returned, Zachary was alittle colder, more closed in.By the time my sister and her husband passed away, he d come to live entirely forhimself and Linis. But he must have had friends he went to University, like me, he s got a job.He meets people all the time. Leo shrugged and cut more of his fish steak. I ve never heard him mention anyone. He told me he d known kems who d died because of their hosts being selfish.It really upset him. Yes, but I doubt he cared about the people.The kems are different. Leo shook his head. You d think he d belonely. Julian thought back to the strange way the man had dealt with his invitation to go to the country park. I thinkhe is. You seem to have formed quite an attachment to him despite your early difficulties. No, I.I feel sorry for him.And I owe him.But I don t know a thing about him, except that he s rich and heloves kems. Would you like to know him? Julian suddenly realised Leo hadn t mentioned what sex his cancer-ridden lover had been, and flushed at theimplication in the man s tone. I ve got plenty of friends. Ah.And Zachary is just another one in a long list.Nothing special. I didn t.I don t know him.I feel.responsible.He was hit by that car because I bullied him into breakfast.Hewouldn't have even been there if I hadn t done that. Bullied? Leo lifted an eyebrow. Zachary? And how did you manage that, Julian? I.uh.well, I asked him.A couple of times. I see.Which of course left him with no choice, forcing him to come to your utterly execrable and unpleasantapartment, eat your horrible food and then you tossed him out onto the street under the wheels of that car.Isthat correct? He wouldn t have been there, Julian muttered, staring into his plate of pasta and feeling rather stupid.Leowasn t that different from Zachary after all. You don t know that, Leo said gently. So if your concern for Zachary is based on nothing but guilt, then inhis name I absolve you and release you from any obligation.He s going to need friends for the long haul
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