Chapter 23

We were in luck. My doctor wasn’t working on a patient when we arrived back in the ER. I told him I was ready to be sprung from the ER and needed both his blessing and his instructions. He went over to the nurses’ station, retrieved my chart, and came back and sat with us in the waiting room. “Are you in any discomfort?” he said.

“Not really,” I said. “It began throbbing earlier, but I took one of the pills you gave me and eventually it stopped.”

“Good, but just to be safe, I’ll give you a prescription for a mild painkiller.”

“You mentioned more X-rays earlier, but I haven’t been there as of yet.”

“It can wait until tomorrow. I presume you’ll be coming back to see your friend in the morning.”

“Doc, I’ll be sleeping on a cot in my partner’sroom tonight.” I emphasized the word partner.

“Good. You’ll also need to be careful with that cast. It’s a very light one, but take care not to get it wet.”

“How long will I be in it?”