β
They said I could leave if you came and picked me up." He dropped his voice to a whisper
and pulled the camera closer. His pupils were blown wide, almost touching the rims of his irises.
"The angry penguins scare me."
Jane pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ward off a headache. "They've given you pain
medicine, haven't they?"
"My state of medication does not make them any less scary. Tiny, angry, little birds."
He was talking about the ancient Catholic nuns of Mercy Hospital. They were one of the few
things on the planet that actually frightened Hal. She suspected he would be even more cavalier
about getting hurt if there was a hospital other than Mercy to go to in Pittsburgh.
"Please, please, please, please, please, please." Hal whimpered. "You've got the Fortress of
Solitude. All those empty beds! Please!"
"Fine. You can stay at my place. I'll come get you." She slapped down her hand, cutting the
feed.
The two men were staring at the display with surprise and amusement.
"Who was that unfortunate fellow?" Nigel asked.
"That's β that's the host of Pittsburgh Backyard and Garden, Hal Rogers. We had a rough
shoot this morning."
Taggart was clearly confused by the answer. Obviously he thought PB&G was a simple
landscape show.
β
β