"Shit," he exclaimed. "First you ruin my tie, now my shoes."

Two medics came over and pushed Jackson out of the way and began to lift me.

As Jackson moved away, I heard him say to another officer, "Put a guard on him until we find out what happened." He turned back to me. "Have a nice sleep. I'll talk to you later." I wanted to ask questions but a medic stuck a needle in my arm.

My later proved to be several hours when I opened eyes to a crying wife, white covers, bright lights, stuff attached to me and lots of pain. My head throbbed and my side felt as if a car, no, an SUV were parked on me. When I swallowed, my assailant was jamming in his knife anew.

"He's waking up," a voice from someone I couldn't see announced. My wife leaned close and kissed me. Her tears felt good.

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I must have fallen back to sleep because when I opened my eyes again, the room was nearly dark. Sensing someone behind me, I turned just enough to see my wife sitting in a chair, her eyes closed.

"Hi," I said. My voice was a gurgle.

"God, you scared me!" were her first words as she came to the bed and clutched my hand as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"We got him," I managed to say.

"He tried to kill you!" my wife sobbed.

I tried to say more but she put her finger to my lips as she wiped her face. "Don't talk. I know it must hurt." I heard another sound as Molly came across the room and stood behind my wife.

"Hi," she said with a slight smile. When I looked surprised she added, "I snuck in."

Betsy continued, trying to sound normal. "You're all drugged up but they say you're going to be fine. Three ribs are broken and you have a concussion but the neck wound isn't deep; it's just a skin slash."

I reached up and touched bandages, on my neck and the side of my head. "Hurts."

"You have to spend the night, because of the head injury." My wife bit her lip not to cry. Molly moved close to her and put her arm about her waist. "I was so frightened when the police called. I was about to call them, it was so late and you hadn't come home."

"What time is it?" My sentences were getting longer.

"A little after three A. M.," she said after a glance at her watch. "Get some sleep. I have to get Molly home. She has school tomorrow. Love you." I must have slept immediately after she left. I think people did things to me in the night but when I finally woke, the room was awash in sunshine. A nurse was unhitching things from my body and asking if I could sit up. I didn't particularly want to but I've always had a tendency to please. I pushed myself up until my side screamed for me to stop.




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