“Do you suppose he’s lying?” asked Miles.
“He can’t lie, not in the shape he’s in. And he’s too definite about it to be mixed up. Forget it, Miles. Maybe after he’s put away it will turn out that his assignment is no good because he had already sold it to us . . . at least I’ll get his signature on some blank sheets and be ready to try it.”
She did try to get my signature and I tried to oblige. But in the shape I was in I could not write well enough to satisfy her. Finally she snatched a sheet out of my hand and said viciously, “You make me sick! I can sign your name better than that.” Then she leaned over me and said tensely, “I wish I had killed your cat.”
They did not bother me again until later in the day. Then Belle came in and said, “Danny boy, I’m going to give you a hypo and then you’ll feel a lot better. You’ll feel able to get up and move around and act just like you always have acted. You won’t be angry at anybody, especially not at Miles and me. We’re your best friends. We are, aren’t we? Who are your best friends?”
“You are. You and Miles.”
“But I’m more than that. I’m your sister. Say it.”
“You’re my sister.”
“Good. Now we’re going for a ride and then you are going for a long sleep. You’ve been sick and when you~ wake up you’ll be well. Understand me?”
“Yes.”
“Who am I?”
“You’re my best friend. You’re my sister.”
“Good boy. Push your sleeve back.”
I didn’t feel the hypo go in, but it stung after she pulled it out. I sat up and shrugged and said, “Gee, Sis, that stung. What was it?”
“Something to make you feel better. You’ve been sick.”
“Yeah, I’m sick. Where’s Miles?”
“He’ll be here in a moment. Now let’s have your other aim. Push back the sleeve.”
I said, “What for?” but I pushed back the sleeve and let her shoot me again. I jumped.
She smiled. “That didn’t really hurt, did it?”
“Huh? No, it didn’t hurt. What’s it for?”
“It will make you sleepy on the ride. Then when we get there you’ll wake up.”
“Okay. I’d like to sleep. I want to take a long sleep.” Then I felt puzzled and looked around. “Where’s Pete? Pete was going to sleep with me.”
“Pete?” Belle said. “Why, dear, don’t you remember? You sent Pete to stay with Ricky. She’s going to take care of him.”
“Oh yes!” I grinned with relief. I had sent Pete to Ricky; I remembered mailing him. That was good. Ricky loved Pete and she would take good care of him while I was asleep.
They drove me out to the Consolidated Sanctuary at Sawtelle, one that many of the smaller insurance companies used-those that didn’t have their own. I slept all the way but came awake at once when Belle spoke to me. Miles stayed in his car and she took me in.
The girl at the desk looked up and said, “Davis?”
“Yes,” agreed Belle. “I’m his sister. Is the representative for Master Insurance here?”
“You’ll find him down in Treatment Room Nine-they’re ready and waiting. You can give the papers to the man from Master.” She looked at me with interest. “He’s had his physical examination?”
CHAPTER 5
I was complaining to the bartender about the air conditioning; it was turned too high and we were all going to catch cold. “No matter,” he assured me. “You won’t feel it when you’re asleep. Sleep . . . sleep . . . soup of the evening, beautiful sleep.” He had Belle’s face.
“Oh yes!” Belle assured her. “Brother is a therapy-delay case, you know. He’s under an opiate . . . for the pain.”
The receptionist clucked sympathetically. “Well, hurry on in then. Through that door and turn left.”
In Room Nine there was a man in street clothes and one in white coveralls and a woman in a nurse’s uniform. They helped me get undressed and treated me like an idiot child while Belle explained again that I was under a sedative for the pain. Once he had me stripped and up on the table, the man in white massaged my belly, digging his fingers in deeply. “No trouble with this one,” he announced. “He’s empty.”