29Scratch got Immy and her kids to Oklahoma City safely. He got a room at the Charlton, paid for a month. No words were spoken, no hugs, no kisses, no goodbyes. He stopped at the General Hospital to see Betty. It was a terrible sight.
He sat in a metal folding chair a nurse provided. He stared at Betty, taking in her condition, for a long time. No words were spoken. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to tell her he forgave her. But his tongue wouldn't release the words.
Betty was in a coma. Bandaged. Her arms and legs in casts. Scratch bawled like a baby. He couldn't help it. Too many things were happening at once, so much to feel, and he didn't want to feel anything.
“You killed Horace Hammock,” Scratch wiped his nose and eye. “You killed him, came back, and that's when I su
