Yes. Quickly now, I dont have a lot of time.

The doctor paused. Sir, you wont get high from Ritalin. If you have an attention deficit, you can easily get it with a prescription. You dont have to go to all this trouble. There are programs that will help you pay. And anyway, Ritalin isnt the preferred

Luke shook his head. Were not in school anymore, Doc. Lets just assume I know what Im doing, and you dont know what Im doing. Okay?

The doctor shrugged. Suit yourself. He opened a cabinet, showed Luke the bottle, and prepared the injections. While he worked, Ed placed four plastic zip ties on the counter. He opened a drawer and found a couple of small hand towels and some surgical tape. He put the items next to the zip ties.

The doctor finished preparing the injections, and passed the syringes across the counter.

Very good, Luke said. Thank you. Now I need you to do one more thing before we leave.

All right, the doctor said.

Take off your clothes, Luke said. Both of you.

*

Luke and Ed, dressed in surgical gowns and gloves, walked through the crowd of police officers standing outside the door to Eldrick Thomass room. They paused and put their surgical masks on before they went in.

A yellow and black triangular sign was affixed to the door. DANGER: RISK OF RADIATION.

Beneath that was another sign. It was a series of instructions.

A. Visits limited to 1 hour per day. No pregnant women or persons under age 18 should visit the patient.

B. Visitors should remain at least 6 feet from the patient.

C. Visitors must be protected with gowns, shoe covers, and gloves. Visitors should not handle any items in the room.

D. Visitors must not smoke, eat, or drink while in the patients room.

A cop touched Luke on the arm. When can we expect him to wake up?

Luke gave him the serious doctor face. You mean if he wakes up. Were doing the best we can. You guys just need to wait a little longer.

They went inside. Thomas lay flat on a hospital bed, asleep. Random spots on his face and neck were flushed a deep, dark red. His wrists and ankles were fastened to the metal rails of the bed with plastic flex cuffs. Various machines monitored his vital signs. Two cops in surgical masks and gloves stood in one corner, as far from Thomas as the room would allow.

Guys, can you please give us a few minutes with the patient? Ed said.

Were not supposed to leave the room, one cop said.

Ed said the magic words, the ones that would start a bureaucratic shoving match if the patient werent radioactive. Im sorry, but your presence conflicts with the provision of medical care. Then he smiled. Anyway, the guy is tied to the bed. Hes not going anywhere. Just give us a minute, okay?

The cops went out, probably happy to get away.