He would come up with what he’s going to do, he’ll start coming up with it as soon as he gets to Baltimore – for now there are twenty-four more hours during which he can stop imitating the tiresome refrain of his self-chastising’s voice.
“A doctor! I need a doctor!”
It was a conditioned reflex – like the dog of the Russian physiologist Pavlov – to a sound command. It was more than a habit … Adam stirred, literally thrown up in his chair, he jumped up right away, turning to the young man who had rushed into the waiting area.
“I’m a doctor,” Adam acceded.
Their dialogue had already drawn the attention of the passengers, both walking and sitting. Some understood the brief exchange in English, some were reacting to one man’s look of distress and the other’s determined compliance.
“Please, come with me,” the young man said.
Adam followed him, leaving his suitcase by the row of chairs, it was only later that he realized he would never see his belongings again … They walked from one hall to another, he barely kept pace and even started panting, the young man explained on the go that they needed to get to the business aviation sector, walking past the bright futuristic decorations of the airport of the future.
It was only later that he realized that the local medical services could have reached the plane waiting for them on the platform faster. At that moment, he wasn’t thinking of anything.
A steward closed the door behind them, inside the business jet was a man with a bloody stain on his clothes in his abdominal area, there was an open first aid kit on the table.
“I thought you ran away,” the man in the seat muttered instead of a greeting.
“Keep wishing. This is Adam, he’s a doctor.”
The young man introduced himself as Dario; the stranger’s name, at the moment, didn’t matter. Adam didn’t waste time and asked where he could wash his hands.
He realized that they were taking off only when he left the restroom.
“Hold on. My flight is in an hour, I don’t—”
Dario pulled a gun from behind his back and pointed it at the doctor. The stranger in the seat sighed hopelessly and put his hand over his face.
“You idiot,” he muttered through his teeth.
“Are you a doctor or what?”
“This is a kidnapping!”
“That’s right. We’ll bring you back when you’re done.”
He briefly motioned at the wounded man with his chin, urging action, Adam decided he had no other choice anyway.
He crouched on the floor and started to lift the stranger’s clothing, under the sweat-soaked T-shirt he found a post-surgical dressing, soaked in blood. Dario put the weapon behind his back.
“What happened?” asked the doctor.
“A stab wound, had surgery yesterday,” the man replied.
“He escaped from the hospital,” Dario added, sitting down behind Adam in the row of seats opposite the wounded man.
“The stitches have come apart,” Adam frowned. “I hope there’s thread and a needle in the kit. You’ll have to lie still afterward.”
“No can do.”
“How long is the flight?”
“Twelve hours.”
Adam looked the stranger in the eye.
“Do you want to live?”
“More than anything in the world.”
“Then you’ll do as I say.”
“I’m with the doctor,” Dario said.
The man didn’t answer, he swallowed and closed his eyes tiredly. Adam wanted to live too – but he didn’t tell them that until a bit later.
5. Don’t Move
The bed in the Mandarin Oriental hotel room on the thirty-sixth floor of the Mitsui Tower in central Tokyo had a firm, springly mattress. Richard preferred these kinds of mattresses to airy featherbeds – that one could on occasion drown in – but this time, lying down hurt. His rear end did the entire time of the flight, his lower back ached as if he were not thirty-six, but all of eighty years old … With a sigh he lowered onto the bed, laying back on the pillows, sprawled diagonally as he tried to remove his shoes by propping one foot against the other.
Alexandra shushed at him and grabbed the leg he raised over the bed, Richard overcame the urge to resist – and let her pull the shoes off. The next to go were socks, jeans, the T-shirt – which was already clean of the bloodstain on the left side of the stomach.
He didn’t want to move, he wanted nothing.
It was noon local time, his eyelids were raw, he was rubbing his eyes tiredly, trying to get rid of the drowsiness. He’ll go to the shower now – it’ll boost him … He just needs to crawl to the shower.
He lay there and stared at the ceiling, gathering his strength, Alexandra stood by the panoramic window with a view of the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest broadcasting tower in the world, hugging herself by the shoulders.
She turned.
“Should I shower with you?”
Richard pulled his lips into a smile, he had to tilt his head up to see her face.
“Yes.”
He missed her – and the long-awaited reunion was awkward and rushed. If not for that damn wound, he would have had sex with her right there on the plane – since they couldn’t do it at home because they had to hurry.
Alexandra came closer, didn’t sit down on the bed right away. Richard, in turn, kept laying and looking up at her.
He reached out.
“Anything you want, but don’t be stupid,” she said, taking his hand, interlocking their fingers.
Richard hemmed.
“Buzzkill.”
“I’m serious. No sudden moves and no acrobatics – and after, I promise you, you’re going to run and hide from me.”
“I won’t.”
His abdomen with a white square of the dressing rose and fell with his breaths, his body – a sculptor and an artist’s dream – was attractive – but he’s not going anywhere … Even if they’ll have to part again for a time, if wished, she’ll always find him.
She could find him anywhere – if she wanted to. They agreed to not see each other for these months, and only the philosophical God knew how much she missed Richard all this time.
Alexandra sighed and squeezed his hand tighter. The sun fell through the wide window onto the gray carpeting, lining it with flecks of light, reflecting off the polished surface of the table. Richard’s blue eyes, if looking at an angle, appeared to be lit up from the inside, the ends of his lashes were lighter in color.
She leaned in, her free hand trailed over his stubbled cheek. Richard pulled her to him by the back of her head, putting his fingers into her chestnut hair, he didn’t even have to sit up – she was already kissing him on the lips, hovering over him, he just held her tight as if she could leave.
At some point, he tried to roll over and onto her, but she stopped him. Her cool hands were pressed against his chest, the gaze of her dark eyes was determined and direct.
His stubble already