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EIGHTEEN

My instinct was to jerk free of the tubes and restraints, but I couldn&039;t reood I didn&039;t have the strength anyway

I pried openwas a uniforan to clear The hospital room took shape around me I had a tube in my ars of the hospital bed A thick bandage kept ether The hospital room looked like any other I was alone I let my head fall back on the pillow

Marcie caasped "That&039;s just typical I sit in here for five hours, and then you wake up the two o for a root beer"

I slad to see her, andon the edge of the bed

"I&039;lad you&039;re here," I said

She sed at the restraints around my wrists "Get these off, will you?"

"The doctor said-"

"Marcie"

"Oh, fine" She untied me

I scratched my ear Relief

"Don&039;t pick at it" She frowned

"It itches" I&039;d never have back the chunk of earlobe I&039;d lost in the warehouse shootout I didn&039;t think I&039;d auze, and it itched like hell

She shook her head at my hand "That&039;s a shame Now your head isn&039;t syhtly "Hey, do you knohat stiget in your eye"

She snorted

I took a look at my hand Sooner or later, I&039;d have to take a peek under the bandage, but I wasn&039;t eager It seemed to ache in a dull, distant sort of way, and I suddenly understood I must&039;ve been full of dope, or it would&039;ve hurt a lot more No wonder I&039;d been out cold I h it up, hotshot," said Marcie "Painkillers aren&039;t the only reason You lost a lot of blood When your friend called, I checked out of the hotel and drove straight here You&039;d already finished surgery I brought you so to cheer you up" She placed a stuffed rodent on the sheet overout the side of its ht a retarded rat would cheer me up?"

"It&039;s a chinchilla And it&039;s supposed to be whimsical"

"Sorry I love it Really"

"S your senses"

The ed a doctor, and by the ti van, I was out of my head and drenched in my own blood It was all fuzzy after that, a patchwork of hts in my eyes, people anted blood and urine and whatever else they could get Before I went under, I told Ji" Had I said that already?

"Wild horses and all that" She ran a finger down the tube that led to my arm "Want me to hook this to a bottle of Chivas?"

"I don&039;t think I should mix it with the dope" I was a little worried I didn&039;t handle narcotics well God knehat I ht do or say

She turned serious, not a lot, not too soet my attention "You were lucky, Charlie It&039;s just your hand The doctor says you&039;ll be able to use it again after physical therapy"

"Yeah"

Marcie was too supportive to harass me in my condition, but the look etched on her face said I was a du the tubes in ue I wanted to tell her again it would all be over soon, but I wasn&039;t sure even I believed that anymore This sort of hospital visit had been one of the reasons she&039;d packed her bags I mentally vowed to make it all up to her

But at the moment, all I could do was lie there and soak in juice fro in the way that wo, and there would coh this But not now, not while I was flat on azine"

"What do you want?"

"I don&039;t know A National Geographic"

"You got it There&039;s a Books-a-Million near here Anything else?"

"I&039;m okay Maybe flip on the TV before you leave"

She flipped on the TV to a shampoo commercial "Any particular channel?"

"I&039;ll just watch whatever comes on here," I said

"See you later, hon Try not to freak out the nurses" She kissed my forehead and left

The commercial ended, and a show called The View ca it up God, helpup next: Know your vagina"

Holy shit

I fished around desperately for the reht I hit the nurse call button

"Yes?" cas," I croaked into the intercoer after my nap A nurse came in with some Tupperware and demanded urine

"I can&039;tthrough iddy potency "I hate to ask, but could you put that between s?"

Without comment, the nurse pulled back the covers When she saw the chinchilla perched ona hand over her led like an idiot

"Hilarious," she said, holding out the plastic jug within easy reach "I see we&039;re feeling better No about a speciht now"

"I understand," she said reasonably "I&039;ll come back with the catheter"

"Wait!" I waved her over "Givein me"

She handed it over and said she&039;d be back for it in a little bit I put it under the sheet and wedged it betweensome pressure to perforh-test well, I&039;d rather have another bullet in the other hand I positioned

Jimmy walked in "Hey, Charlie-boy Sheesh! You don&039;t look so good"

"Yeah I uhhhh" A couple of sad dribbles into the jug I felt a cold sweat break out over my eyebrows and behind my ears I was bone dry

Jimmy frowned "You wantall red"

"No!"

"But you look like you&039;re gonna fucking rupture-"

"Uhhh Arhh!" I got off a couple of good squirts and brought out the jug The nurse must&039;ve had her piss-radar on, because that&039;s when she walked in

I handed her the jug, and she held it up to the light with disdain Jimmy scooted in next to her, so he could squint at my piss for himself

"Sheesh, Charlie-boy, if you were a horse, they&039;d shoot you"

The nurse swirled it around in the jug, still exa it closely