Three Shirt Deal

Chapter 33.

THE NEXT THING I REMEMBERED, I WAS LOOKING AT A CEILING, studying the cracks in the white paint, again hearing the distant roar of the ocean. Or was it just the air conditioner? Light streamed through the window. I heard whispering, tried to look, hut couldn't move. "Aye… Aye…," I croaked. Chooch and Alexa leaned over me. "Dad," Chooch said, his face drawn into a frown. "Aye… Aye…" I couldn't talk. "Get the doctor," Alexa said. Chooch disappeared. "You were shot two times. Almost drowned. A farm truck saw you go off the road. They came back and pulled you out." As she spoke I vaguely remembered some of it. Secada rolling the SUV. Getting shot. Scooping her up in my arms as I ran. Then a doctor was leaning over me. "Mr. Scully?" "Huh?" "Can you hear me?" He reached out and touched my right hand. "Can you feel this?" he asked. "Huh?" "If you feel it, nod." I nodded. "And this?" He reached across to my left side, but I felt nothing over there. My left side seemed numb. I closed my eyes and in a few seconds I was gone again. When I next came to, it was dark. I could still hear the distant crash of the surf. I looked in the direction of the sound. The windows were arched, Spanish style. I had no idea where I was. I made a noise, then heard a chair scrape. In a moment, Alexa hovered over me again. "Shane, I'm here," she said softly. "Where?" I finally managed. "Casa Dorinda." No idea where that was. She pulled her chair close and sat beside the bed, reached out, and held my right hand. "I'm here. I'm with you, babe," she whispered. "Don't try to talk. Conserve your energy." "Se-ca-da?" I finally managed. "We'll talk about it in the morning. Go back to sleep." I closed my eyes and tried to remember what had happened. As I slipped away, disturbing images replayed in my head. In and out, in and out. A knife flashed relentlessly. Underhanded and fast, prison style.