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d out。 This was a guardsman； he told himself； a professional soldier from a crack regiment who'd had to prove he had real balls before they sent him to the finishing school that made windup toys for tourists to gawk at。 Maybe as good as a Sea Marine。 How did you get here so fast？
Slowly and carefully； Ryan held the pistol out at arm's length。 He thumbed the clip…release button； and the magazine clattered down to the street。 Next he twisted the gun so that the soldier could see it was empty。 Then he set it down on the pavement and stepped away from it。 He tried to raise his hands； but the left one wouldn't move。 The guardsman all the time ran smart； head up； eyes tracing left and right but never leaving Ryan entirely。 He stopped ten feet away with his rifle at low…guard； its bayonet pointed right at Jack's throat； just like it said in the manual。 His chest was heaving； but the soldier's face was a blank mask。 The policeman hadn't caught up； his face bloody as he shouted into a small radio。
〃At ease； Trooper；〃 Ryan said as firmly as he could。 It was not impressive。 〃We got two bad guys down。 I'm one of the good guys。〃
The guardsman's face didn't change a whit。 The boy was a pro； all right。 Ryan could hear his thinking how easy to stick the bayonet right out his target's back。 Jack was in no shape to avoid that first thrust。
〃DaddeeDaddeeDaddee！〃 Ryan turned his head and saw his little girl racing past the stalled cars toward him。 The four…year…old stopped a few feet away from him； her eyes wide with horror。 She ran forward to wrap both arms around her father's leg and screamed up at the guardsman： 〃Don't you hurt my daddy！〃
The soldier looked from father to daughter in amazement as Cathy approached more carefully； hands in the open。
〃Soldier；〃 she announced in her voice of professional mand； 〃I'm a doctor； and I'm going to treat that wound。 So you can put that gun down； right now！〃
The police constable grabbed the guardsman's shoulder and said something Jack couldn't make out。 The rifle's angle changed fractionally as the soldier relaxed ever so slightly。 Ryan saw more cops running to the scene； and a white car with its siren screaming。 The situation； whatever it was； was ing under control。
〃You lunatic。〃 Cathy surveyed the wound dispassionately。 There was a dark stain on the shoulder of Ryan's new suit jacket that turned the gray wool to purple…crimson。 His whole body was shaking now。 He could barely stand and the weight of Sally hanging on his leg was forcing him to weave。 Cathy grabbed his right arm and eased him down to the pavement； sitting him back against the side of the car。 She moved his coat away from the wound and probed gently at his shoulder。 It didn't feel gentle at all。 She reached around to his back pocket for a handkerchief and pressed it against the center of the wound。
〃That doesn't feel right；〃 she remarked to no one。
〃Daddy； you're all bloody！〃 Sally stood an arm's length away； her hands fluttering like the wings of a baby bird。 Jack wanted to reach out to her； to tell her everything was all right； but the three feet of distance might as well have been a thousand miles and his shoulder was telling him that things were definitely not all right。
There were now about ten police officers around the car； many of them panting for breath。 Three had handguns out； and were scanning the gathering crowd。 Two more red…coated soldiers appeared from the west。 A police sergeant approached。 Before he could say anything Cathy looked up to bark an order。
〃Call an ambulance right now〃'
〃On the way； mum；〃 the Sergeant replied with surprising good manners。 〃Why don't you let us look after that？〃
〃I'm a doctor；〃 she answered curtly。 〃You have a knife？〃
The Sergeant turned to remove the bayonet from the first guardsman's rifle and stooped down to assist。 Cathy held the coat and vest clear for him to cut away； then both cut the shirt free from his shoulder。 She tossed the handkerchief clear。 It was already blood…sodden。 Jack started to protest。
〃Shut up。 Jack。〃 She looked over to the Sergeant and jerked her chin toward Sally。 〃Get her away from here。〃
The Sergeant gestured for a guardsman to e over。 The Private scooped Sally up in his arms。 He took her a few feet away； cradling her gently to his chest。 Jack saw his little girl crying pitifully； but somehow it all seemed to be very far away。 He felt his skin go cold and moist shock？
〃Damn；〃 Cathy said gruffly。 The Sergeant handed her a thick bandage。 She pressed it against the wound and it immediately went red as she tried to tie it in place。 Ryan groaned。 It felt as though someone had taken an ax to his shoulder。
〃Jack； what the hell were you trying to do？〃 she demanded through clenched teeth as she fumbled with the cloth ties。
Ryan snarled back； the sudden anger helping to block out the pain。 〃I didn't try I fucking did it！〃 The effort required to say that took half his strength away with it。
〃Uh…huh；〃 Cathy grunted。 〃Well； you're bleeding like a pig； Jack。〃
More men ran in from the other direction。 It seemed that a hundred sirens were converging on the scene with men some in uniform； some not leaping out to join the party。 A uniformed policeman with more ornate shoulder boards began to shout orders at the others。 The scene was impressive。 A separate； detached part of Ryan's brain catalogued it。 There he was； sitting against the Rolls； his shirt soaked red as though blood had been poured from a pitcher。 Cathy； her hands covered with her husband's blood； was still trying to arrange the bandage correctly。 His daughter was gasping out tears in the arms of a burly young soldier who seemed to be singing to her in a language that Jack couldn't make out。 Sally's eyes were locked on him； full of desperate anguish。 The detached part of his mind found all this very amusing until another wave of pain yanked him back to reality。
The policeman who'd evidently taken charge came up to them after first checking the perimeter。 〃Sergeant； move him aside。〃
Cathy looked up and snapped angrily： 〃Open the other side； dammit； I got a bleeder here！〃
〃The other door's jammed； ma'am。 Let me help。〃 Ryan heard a different kind of siren as they bent down。 The three of them moved him aside a foot or so； and the senior officer made to open the car door。 They hadn't moved him far enough。 When the door swung open； its edge caught Ryan's shoulder。 The last thing he heard before passing out was his own scream of pain。
Ryan's eyes focused slowly； his consciousness a hazy； variable thing that reported items out of place and out of time。 For a moment he was inside a vehicle of some sort。 The lateral movements of its passage rippled agony through his chest； and there was an awful atonal sound in the distance； though not all that far away。 He thought he saw two faces he vaguely recognized。 Cathy was there； too； wasn't she no； there were some people in green。 Everything was soft and vague except the burning pain in his shoulder and chest； but when he blinked his eyes all were gone。 He was someplace else again。
The ceiling was white and nearly featureless at first。 Ryan knew somehow that he was under the influence of drugs。 He recognized the feelings； but could not remember why。 It required several minutes of lazy concentration for him to determine that the ceiling was made of white acoustical tiles on a white metal framework。 Some of the tiles were waterstained and served to give him a reference。 Others were translucent plastic for the soft fluorescent lighting。 There was something tied under his nose； and after a moment he began to feel a cool gas tracing into his nostrils oxygen？ His other senses began to report in one at a time。 Expanding radially down from his head； they began to explore his body and reported reluctantly to his brain。 Some unseen things were taped to his chest。 He could feel them pulling at the hairs that Cathy liked to play with when she was drunk。 His left shoulder felt 。 。 。 didn't really feel at all。 His whole body was far too heavy to move even an inch。
A hospital； he decided after several minutes。 Why am I in a hospital 。 。 。？ It took an indetermina