“Simon,” she said. Then louder, “Wait.”
Simon stopped. She looked down at Kate, who was three years older than her brother. Christie wondered whether her daughter suspected something more than an accident. There was no way, even in a protected area of Staten Island, that they could keep things from either of their children.
The times Kate tried to ask questions about his job, Jack changed the subject.
Eventually she stopped asking questions.
With Simon stopped, Christie saw Jack’s captain come out of the room. He smiled as she came close.
“Christie. I think… he’s coming along,” he said quietly.
“Captain, that’s good. I—”
“But, can I have a word with you?”
Christie looked down at the two kids. “Sure. Simon, Kate, you go in to your dad. Just don’t make a lot of noise. I’ll be right there.”
Simon bolted into the room. After a brief hesitation, Kate followed.
“I just wanted to tell you…” Brandt said. “I mean, I told Jack that he needs to take some time off. He’s not happy about that.”
Kate nodded. “I’m not surprised.”
“Right. He talked about desk duty. Something like that. I told him to do his rehab. Get better. Take some time off.”
Christie nodded.
“I said he needed to take a vacation. He has it coming.”
Christie pushed her hair off her forehead. “Do people still take those?”
“Yes. And he needs to. Maybe the family needs it. Look…”
Brandt reached into his back pocket and pulled out a glossy brochure.
“Look at this. Been posted in the precincts. It may be something he needs. You all need.”
Christie took the brochure, and stood there for a few minutes reading it.
“Where’s your mom?” Jack asked.
Kate stood rail straight, a few feet from the bed. Simon showed no such reticence, leaning right on the crisp white bedclothes, his eyes searching his dad’s.