Read Online Night Moves by Tom Clancy, Steve Pieczenik - Free Book Online Page A

her fingers on his wrist. In fact, he couldn't feel his right arm at all. Couldn't even relate to it. As if that arm she was holding belonged to somebody else. What--? She said, "You're in the Neuro Ward at the base hospital. You had a CVA, a cerebrovascular accident. A stroke. My name is Rowena. I'm the floor nurse this shift. Do you understand?" A stroke? How could that be? He said, "I understand." But what came out of his mouth instead was a horrible, slurred, slack-lipped sound: "Awo unnersan." His incipient panic expanded into full-blown terror. The nurse put her hand on his chest, on the left side. He felt that.
"Easy. Your doctor is on the way, she'll explain it all to you, but listen, don't worry. You've got some transient paralysis on the right side. It's going to go away. What happened to you was not major. The drugs you are on are going to fix the damage. It'll take a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, okay? But you are going to be all right."
Gridley felt his panic abate a little. He was going to be all right. He clutched at that, trying to get a tighter grip on it. He was going to be all right. Unless she is just telling you that so you don't lose it, his inner voice said.

Another woman entered the room, a short, heavyset bleached blonde. She also wore green scrubs, and
she carried a flat screen Without preamble, she said, "I'm Dr. West. Some time yesterday afternoon you had a small CVA--a stroke. There were no clots or major bleeders apparent on the CAT and MEG brain scans, and the cause is idiopathic--that means we don't know what caused it. Your vital signs are normal, your blood pressure, respiration, and pulse are all fine, and your blood chemistry is within normal limits. Aside from the CVA, everything is great. You have what we think is a transient hemiplegia or hemiparesis, and we expect full resolution of that. You following me?" Gridley nodded, not wanting to hear his own voice. "Good. You'll be here for a day or two, then we'll let you go home. Physical therapy starts this afternoon. Somebody will come in and show you some exercises." The doctor glanced at her watch.
"Got to run. I'll check in on you later, with a bunch of medical students. People will come and go, draw blood, give you meds. Try to get some rest."
Dr. West handed the flat screen to Rowena and left. Get some rest?
Yeah, right. Part of his brain had exploded and he was supposed to rest? No way. Not gonna happen. He didn't want to just lie there and worry about it, either, but what choice did he have? He was tubed and wired, and he wasn't going anywhere. Lord. How could this have happened?
Sunday, April 3rdThe Yews, Sussex, England Applewhite brought Goswell's tray and set it on the table. Vapor rose from the teapot's spout--it was a bit cool out here in the garden, but crisp and bracing. Goswell nodded.
"Thank you, Applewhite."
The butler poured a cup of tea, adding one lump of sugar and a squeeze of lemon. "More scones, sir?"
"I think not. A telephone, if you would." "Certainly, milord."
Applewhite produced a mobile from his jacket pocket before Goswell could even take a sip of the tea. He shook his head. Technology. A mixed blessing, to be sure, but fortunately, one that had served him

well, financially and otherwise.
"And what was our scientist fellow's name again?" "Peter Bascomb-Coombs, milord."
"Ah, yes, of course." Goswell repeated the man's name into the phone, then held it to his ear. It rang thrice.
"Yes, what is it?" He sounded irritated. Well, of course, these kinds of fellows always did. "Geoffrey Goswell here."
"Oh. Lord Goswell." That changed his tone quick enough, eh what? "What may I do for you?"
"Not much, my boy. I was ringing you up to see about that, ah ... small matter we discussed recently over supper."
"Ah, yes, well, it is proceeding apace, my lord. There have been a couple of minor setbacks, but I have taken care of them, and we should be back on schedule right enough." He was properly cautious, the scientist.