motherfucker. Can you get me out of here?” he whined. It was obvious that Randy either couldn’t see Joe very well in the dark, or just didn’t recognize him as the man he’d been brawling with in the parking lot of the Long Branch Saloon.
“Unless you’re bleeding heavily or having trouble breathing, it’s best not to move around too much. You may have spinal or internal injuries and I don’t have the equipment here to handle the level of care required. The ambulance will be here soon.”
Another groan was Joe’s answer.
“I’m going to open the door and check your vitals. Try and stay still.”
I watched while Joe reached in and did something to Randy; I couldn’t see the murdering asshole from my angle, and that was fine with me.
“Your pupils look good. How’s your head?”
“It hurts, man…cain’t you give me something for the pain?”
Joe shook his head. “Nothing until the paramedics get here.” His expression was pure doctor, dispassionate and intent. “Pulse is steady, that’s good. How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Two,” Randy groaned. “My legs are killin’ me.”
It was like Randy had used the magic word. Joe stepped back, then looked at me. There was a gleam in his eyes that warned me he was up to something. “Yeah, I’ll bet they are. Can’t move, can you?”
“Hell, no. Where the fuck is that ambulance?”
Joe didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his eyebrows at me in an unspoken question, and like a flash, I knew what he was up to.
My nod and my smile gave him the answer he needed. With the flick of a finger, he motioned me to stand behind him, then turned back to Randy.
I got into position, staying back while Joe distracted Randy with more doctor talk.
“That’s a nasty cut on your cheek. Might need some stitches. I’ve got some bandages right here in my first aid kit.” Joe moved away, leaving me with an unobstructed view of Randy, and him with a clear shot of me, framed in the open door of the truck.
“AAAAAHHHH,” Randy shrieked, jerking backward on the front seat. He didn’t get very far, though, his legs like two dead weights dragging him down. His face was pale and blood-streaked, and a bruise was beginning to darken his chin.
I gave him my best ghoulish grin, delighted to be able to terrify the murdering bastard without having to worry about him coming after me.
“Get her away from me,” he hollered, sounding like a little girl frightened by a spider. “Get her away.”
Joe stepped in front of me, his expression unconcerned. “Calm down, big fella. Get who away from you?”
Randy raised a shaking finger and pointed. “Her! She’s right behind you! Get her away!”
Joe turned and looked, but didn’t acknowledge me in any way. “I don’t see anything. There’s nobody here but you and me.”
“I’m tellin’ you, man, she’s right behind you!” Randy’s eyes were popping out of his head with fright.
I raised my hand and gave him a little wave, smiling all the while. “He can’t see me, Randy,” I rasped, “or hear me. Only you can see me. And you’re going to see me every day for the rest of your life, unless you tellthe nice man where to find my body.” I moued him a kiss.
To my surprise, Randy’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell over in a dead faint.
“Coward,” Joe muttered. “Not so brave now, are you, Cornpone?”
I heard a girl’s laughter, and it wasn’t mine. Michelle was still with us, and given the circumstances, I was glad she was enjoying the show.
Joe sighed, and went back to his medical kit.
“Is he okay? When I said I wanted to scare him to death, I didn’t mean literally .” I couldn’t help but be a little nervous—unlike Randy, I was no murderer. I didn’t want anybody’s death on my conscience.
“He’s fine,” Joe said. “His pulse is good, he’s alert and talking, no dilation of the pupils. Unfortunately, I see this all the time in the E.R. When a person is drunk, like
“Unless you’re bleeding heavily or having trouble breathing, it’s best not to move around too much. You may have spinal or internal injuries and I don’t have the equipment here to handle the level of care required. The ambulance will be here soon.”
Another groan was Joe’s answer.
“I’m going to open the door and check your vitals. Try and stay still.”
I watched while Joe reached in and did something to Randy; I couldn’t see the murdering asshole from my angle, and that was fine with me.
“Your pupils look good. How’s your head?”
“It hurts, man…cain’t you give me something for the pain?”
Joe shook his head. “Nothing until the paramedics get here.” His expression was pure doctor, dispassionate and intent. “Pulse is steady, that’s good. How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Two,” Randy groaned. “My legs are killin’ me.”
It was like Randy had used the magic word. Joe stepped back, then looked at me. There was a gleam in his eyes that warned me he was up to something. “Yeah, I’ll bet they are. Can’t move, can you?”
“Hell, no. Where the fuck is that ambulance?”
Joe didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his eyebrows at me in an unspoken question, and like a flash, I knew what he was up to.
My nod and my smile gave him the answer he needed. With the flick of a finger, he motioned me to stand behind him, then turned back to Randy.
I got into position, staying back while Joe distracted Randy with more doctor talk.
“That’s a nasty cut on your cheek. Might need some stitches. I’ve got some bandages right here in my first aid kit.” Joe moved away, leaving me with an unobstructed view of Randy, and him with a clear shot of me, framed in the open door of the truck.
“AAAAAHHHH,” Randy shrieked, jerking backward on the front seat. He didn’t get very far, though, his legs like two dead weights dragging him down. His face was pale and blood-streaked, and a bruise was beginning to darken his chin.
I gave him my best ghoulish grin, delighted to be able to terrify the murdering bastard without having to worry about him coming after me.
“Get her away from me,” he hollered, sounding like a little girl frightened by a spider. “Get her away.”
Joe stepped in front of me, his expression unconcerned. “Calm down, big fella. Get who away from you?”
Randy raised a shaking finger and pointed. “Her! She’s right behind you! Get her away!”
Joe turned and looked, but didn’t acknowledge me in any way. “I don’t see anything. There’s nobody here but you and me.”
“I’m tellin’ you, man, she’s right behind you!” Randy’s eyes were popping out of his head with fright.
I raised my hand and gave him a little wave, smiling all the while. “He can’t see me, Randy,” I rasped, “or hear me. Only you can see me. And you’re going to see me every day for the rest of your life, unless you tellthe nice man where to find my body.” I moued him a kiss.
To my surprise, Randy’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell over in a dead faint.
“Coward,” Joe muttered. “Not so brave now, are you, Cornpone?”
I heard a girl’s laughter, and it wasn’t mine. Michelle was still with us, and given the circumstances, I was glad she was enjoying the show.
Joe sighed, and went back to his medical kit.
“Is he okay? When I said I wanted to scare him to death, I didn’t mean literally .” I couldn’t help but be a little nervous—unlike Randy, I was no murderer. I didn’t want anybody’s death on my conscience.
“He’s fine,” Joe said. “His pulse is good, he’s alert and talking, no dilation of the pupils. Unfortunately, I see this all the time in the E.R. When a person is drunk, like
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