'll check at the hospital." He knelt and took a roll of
cloth from his bag and unwrapped it to disclose hypodermic needles in a
sterile inner wrapper. He fitted a needle to a syringe and found a
bottle of alcohol and a vial of sedative. Working swiftly, he wiped the
vial top and Rick's arm with alcohol, then drew fluid into the syringe.
"This will help the pain," he said, and pressed the needle into Rick's
arm.

"Now," the doctor said briskly, "let's look at the next one. What
happened to him?"

"Fish spear in the side," Steve replied.

Scotty and the attendant helped Rick to the ambulance. He lay down on
the stretcher gratefully and closed his eyes. Scotty stayed with him
while the attendant went to help with the bodyguard.

"Quite a party," Rick said faintly.

Scotty covered him with a blanket. "You missed most of it, but I'll give
you the details tomorrow. How are you feeling?"

"Groggy." Rick's eyes were closed. He was never sure at what point he
drifted off into deep slumber. He knew only that he had no recollection
of the bodyguard being placed next to him or of the ambulance leaving
Calvert's Favor.

Rick awoke to bright daylight. The pain in his face had subsided to a
faintly aching stiffness and he felt fine. He knew from the surroundings
that he must be in a hospital, probably at Cambridge. He groped for the
call bell and found it wound around the bedpost. He pushed it. In a few
moments a nurse came in.

"Well," she greeted him, "how are you this morning?"

"Hungry," Rick replied promptly.

The nurse, a pleasant-faced woman of middle age, smiled. "That's a good
sign. Let's see what we can do. Ready for visitors?"

"Send them in," Rick said cheerfully. "Or is it just one?"

"Two." The nurse went to the door and beckoned. "I'll send in some
breakfast," she said, and left.

Rick's hand touched his head gingerly. The right side of his face was
bandaged, the pad held in place by tape that crossed his forehead and
circled down under his chin. He probed gently and discovered that the
sorest places were his temple and an area just in front of his ear.

Steve Ames and Scotty came in and greeted him with wide smiles. "The
nurse says you're hungry," Steve said. "Sounds like the old Rick."

Scotty asked, "How about crab cakes for breakfast?"

"Bring 'em on, followed by a dozen steamed clams and an order of
fritters," Rick replied. "How's the bodyguard?"

"Well enough so his disposition is pretty nasty