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When Hurley was finished giving the afternoon’s play-by-play he did not stop to hear the doctor’s opinion or let him ask questions. He moved headlong into what he thought needed to be done. “I want you to sit down with him and run him through the wringer. Clear your calendar for the rest of the week if you have to. I want to know what the deal is with this kid. He’s hiding something and I want to know what it is.”
As was his habit, Lewis pursed his lips and stared off into the distance while he thought about other possibilities. He respected, liked, and felt a sense of loyalty to Hurley, but he was not exactly a well-balanced, mentally healthy adult male. Ke
“I’ll clear my schedule for tomorrow,” Lewis said, agreeing without really agreeing. “Let’s head inside. I’m starving and I need to use the bathroom.”
After Lewis had relieved himself and washed his face, they found Ke
Lewis stuck his nose into the refrigerator, and without bothering to turn around, said, “Stan, would you be so kind as to fetch a bottle of wine from the basement? A Chateau Dominique would be fine.” He took out a package of chicken and closed the door. Moving to the sink he paused for a brief moment and then said, “You might as well grab two.” When Hurley was gone, Lewis looked over his shoulder at Ke
“So,” he said, “Stan’s not exactly thrilled with your new recruit.”
“He’s not the easiest man to please.”
Lewis turned on the water and began to rinse the chicken. With a wry smile he said, “He thinks you set him up.”
Ke
“This is the one you told me about? The kid from Syracuse?”
“Yes.”
Lewis splayed the chicken open and let the water run through the crevices. “You never said anything about his fighting abilities.”
Ke
“That’s a pretty big thing to miss.” Lewis glanced up at her. “I’m not judging.”
“I’m not proud that I missed it, but in the end isn’t it a good thing?”
“Maybe … maybe not.”
Ke
While Lewis put the finishing touches on the main dish, Hurley and Ke
Ke
The table was set, the wine poured, and the food dished up. Ke
With that in mind Lewis put his glass down and said, “Two mistakes were made and you both know what they were.”
Ke
“You can’t think of a single thing you did wrong today?” Lewis asked.
“I’m not perfect, but this one’s not my fault.” Hurley pointed at Ke
Lewis was suddenly resigned to the fact that he would have to box Hurley in a little tighter. Clearing his throat, he said, “We’re left with two options. Either this kid is really good or you’re losing a step.” Lewis took a drink and asked, “Which one is it?”
Hurley’s jaw tightened. “I haven’t lost a step!” In a slightly embarrassed voice he added, “I just underestimated him, that’s all.”
“And that’s what worries me the most,” Lewis said in an accusatory tone.
“Don’t worry … I won’t let it happen again.”
“I’m afraid that’s not good enough.”
Hurley lit a cigarette and casually said, “Let’s not make this into something bigger than it needs to be.”
“Bullshit!” Lewis said with genuine fury.
“Come on…” Hurley said trying to shrug the whole thing off.
“Don’t ‘come on’ me—you fucked up today, and you fucked up big-time.”
Ke
“Let’s not overreact,” Hurley said easily, trying to take some of the heat out of the conversation.
“Overreact.” Lewis leaned forward. “I’m not sure it would be possible to overreact to this situation, and what is really bothering me is that you know it, but you’re too pigheaded to admit it.”
“It’s not the end of the world.”
Lewis’s indignation was growing with each denial. “You’re supposed to be infallible. These guys are supposed to fear you, loathe you, hate your fucking guts, but the one thing they are never supposed to do is lay a shiner on you.” Lewis pointed at Hurley’s swollen eye. “And they definitely aren’t supposed to beat you … especially not five minutes after they’ve walked through the gate.”