Kevin Byrne had been right all along.
Jessica turned back to her magazine, and an article about how and where walleyes spawn. She supposed it was Field amp;Stream after all.
"Hey," Byrne said.
Jessica nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. It was low and raspy and terribly weak, but it was there.
She scrambled to her feet. She leaned over the bed. "I'm here," she said. "I'm… I'm here."
Kevin Byrne opened, then closed his eyes. For a horrifying moment, Jessica was certain he would never open them again. But after a few seconds he proved her wrong. "Got a question for you," he said. "Okay," Jessica said, her heart racing. "Sure." "Did I ever tell you why they call me Riff Raff?" he asked. "No," she said, softly. She would not cry. She would not. The slightest smile graced his parched lips. "It's a good story, partner," he said. Jessica took his hand in hers. She squeezed gently. Partner.