“Take it easy, baby,” Bland said, more from force of habit than to mean anything.
Hopper crouched down in the bed and stared at him as if willing him to come within reach, but Bland wasn’t to be tempted.
“Just my goddamn luck,” he said savagely. “He has to chuck an ing-bing when I’m going off duty.”
Laboriously he cleared up the broken crockery, piled the bits on the tray. By the time he was through he seemed to have decided to ignore Hopper, who continued to watch him with mad, glittering eyes.
“I’m going anyway, see?” he said to me. “I gotta date, and I’m not going to bust it. You’ll be okay. He can’t reach you, and maybe he’ll snap out of it. He does, sometimes. If he starts trying to walk up the wall, ring the bell. Quell’s on duty, but don’t ring unless you have to. Okay?”
“Well, I don’t know,” I said doubtfully. I didn’t like the look of Hopper. “How long do I get left alone?”
“Quell will be in every so often. You won’t see me ‘til tomorrow.” Bland said impatiently.
“If I don’t beat it now, Salzer will make me stay and watch the punk. I’m the only one who can do anything with him.”
An idea jumped into my mind. I didn’t like being left with Hopper. It gave me the shakes just to look at him, but with Bland out of the way and the handcuff key within reach, there was a chance to start something.
“So long as someone’s within call,” I said, settling back on my pillow. “But I’d just as soon go with you. How about it?”