hold lessened as they fell the twenty feet toward icy Boston Harbor. It broke entirely as, halfway down, they struck a massive support beam jutting out from beneath the pier. The beam hit North just above one ear. A fearsome pain shot through his head, followed by numbing cold as he struck the water.
Then there was only blackness.
'He's a fighter, Norma. Look at the way his lids are fluttering.
His random eye movements are gone too.
Sir, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me…
There, I felt it! He squeezed my hand.
Sir, try and open your eyes.'
Through an artillery barrage of pain, the muffled voices of two women worked their way into Sandy North's consciousness.
'… Jean, I'm going to check on some of the other rooms. Just page if you need me.'
'Thanks, Norma. You've been a big help… Sir, you're in the hospital. White Memorial Hospital.
My name is Dr. Goddard. I'm on the neurosurgical service.
You've been unconscious, but you're going to be all right. Do you understand that?'
'I. I understand,' North heard himself mumble.
Colors spun like a psychedelic light show as he opened his eyes and tried to focus on the concerned face looking down at him. One by one, recollections of the mayhem on the East Boston docks began floating back into place.
'That's better. Much better,' the doctor said. Her reassuring smile warmed a long, angular face framed by frizzy black hair. 'What happened to you?'
North looked at the IV draining into his arm, and the overhead cardiac monitor.
'You tell me,' he managed.
'All we know is that someone found you unconscious. soaked, and freezing on some road in East Boston, and called the Rescue Squad. It looks like you fell and hit your head. Or else somebody hit you. It also looks like you spent some time in the water.'
'I don't remember.' That's no surprise. Amnesia's common with concussion- And you've got half a dozen bruises that could have caused one. We've done a CT scan of your head that's negative, and a bunch of other X- rays, also negative. Your temp was only eighty-nine. It's up to just about normal now. What's your name?'
'Trainor- Phillip lyainor,' North said without a hitch. The lie came easily, because on other assignments he had been Phillip Trainor; on still others, any of half a dozen meticulously documented aliases.
This time he had chosen to be Sandy North. It would, he decided, be the last time. North seemed to get into more scrapes than the rest.
Subtly, he began to test his extremities. Each muscle, when called on, seemed to respond. Apparently Sandy North had dodged another bullet.
'Almost nine A.M.'
'which day?'
'Tuesday the twenty-fifth of February.'
'Good. I've got to leave.'
The physician Patted his hand. 'I'm afraid that isn't possible, Mr.
Trainer.
'Why not?'
'Well, for one thing you've already been admitted,' she said cheerfully.
'You might as well use up one day, at least. Let us keep an eye on you.' Then Squeeze my hand if you understand that… 'What time is it?' he asked. page sounded, summoning her to another room.
'Look, Mr. Trainer. I've got a man with a fractured neck I have to check on. Do me a favor and just stay put. I'll have someone come in and talk to you.'
The moment she had left the room, North grabbed the siderails of the bed and pulled himself up. just as quickly, he sank back, mortar fire barraging his temples. Seconds later he was lying again.
'Back from the dead. My God, what a recovery.'
The woman behind the words, a nurse in her early fifties, entered the room and raised the back of the litter. She was a trim, officious-looking woman with carefully styled silver hair and eyes that spoke of hard times. North thanked her and leaned back against the support. The mortars were beginning to let up.
'My name is Norma Cullinet,' the woman said.
I'm the nursing supervisor for this shift.'
'Trainer. Phil Trainer.'
'AH, welcome back, Mr. Trainer. For a while we thought we might lose you.',I'm grateful to all of you.'
You had no wallet when you arrived. Were you assaulted? Robbed?'
'I really don't know. It sounds like I might have been. Now, if you'll pardon my abruptness, I have to leave.
'So Dr. Goddard tells me. She doesn't think that's such a good idea.'
'I understand. I'll be happy to sign out against medical advice.'
The nurse turned off the — monitor and removed the electrodes from his chest.
'As a head injury victim, you could be kept here against your will. but neither Dr. Goddard nor I think that's appropriate. I'll tell you what. Let me get some information for our records, and then I'll pull that IV, clean off your scrapes, and you're out of here.'
'Deal,' North said.
'Fine.' Norma Cullinet picked up a clipboard.
'Name and date of birth?'
One by one North answered the nurse's questions with whatever lie he felt she would accept most readily. 'Occupation?'
'Import/export.'
'Health insurance?'
'Blue Cross. I'll phone the number in as soon as I get home.'
'Next of kin?'
'None.'
'No one? Brothers? Sisters? Cousins?'
'None that matter.'
'Aunts? Uncles? Business associates? Anyone we can call?'
'Mrs. Cullinet- please. You asked; I answered.
Now how about keeping your part of the bargain.
There are some things I must get out of here and do. Very important things to… my business. Believe me, I'll be fine.'
'Sorry,' the nurse said, heading for the door. … Two minutes. Just give me two minutes and I'll have you out of here. I've got to get you some clothes, anyhow. Yours are soaked.' In two minutes, as promised, Norma Cullinet was back. She gently cleansed the scrapes on his forehead and back, then gave him a set of disposable surgical scrubs.
'Tetanus okay?' she asked as she helped him off the bed.
'Up to date. Mrs. Cullinet, thanks. You've been wonderful.'
'It's cold out there.'
'I'll call a cab. My apartment's not far from here.'
'So you said…
'Well, thanks again,'
'Yes. We'll, see you around.'
'Pardon?'
'Nothing. Nothing. Just take care of yourself.'
The nurse smiled briefly, turned and left.
North's high-cut shoes, warming by a heat register, were almost dry. He glanced around and then pulled up the inner soles and extracted three hundred-dollar bills and a twenty from beneath each shoe.
