I rolled my stool closer to the bed, then stopped before I entered Leo’s immediate space.
I wanted him to see that I wasn’t going to grab him.
“Can I lower your hood?” I asked.
Leo did not look at me first.
He looked at Greg.
Only after that did he nod.
I gently moved the fabric away from the right side of his face.
The swelling ran from his cheekbone down toward his jaw.
Purple bruising showed beneath skin that looked stretched and hot.
Near the center of the swollen area was a round opening.
It was small enough that someone glancing quickly might have called it a bite.
But it looked too deep.
Too clean.
And too deliberate in shape to let me accept Greg’s explanation without looking harder.
There was also an odor I couldn’t immediately place.
Damp earth was the first thing that came to mind.
