Then it was too much work to talk. At the ER door where I’d been so recently when Rebecca had her baby. I was deftly wheeled through the secret swinging doors and into a cubicle bristling with gloved and gowned people. “Not every day we get a GSW,” said someone. “Since this isn’t the Wild West, we’d probably better get that hunk of lead out of your arm, Mrs....?”

“Demetriou.”

“Okay, let’s just get an X-ray in here...”

I heard Jep before I saw him, where is she? Is she being operated on? When he was ushered past the curtain, I watched his face as he engaged in a titanic struggle not to say, didn’t I tell you so?

“Let’s just have a little bit of...ten milligrams diazepam, get you all comfortable while the numbing medicine takes effect.”

Jep took my other hand and said, “You’re the only person I’ve ever known who’s been shot.”

I said, “I’m the only person I’ve ever known who’s been shot. Sheltered lives we’ve led.”

“That’s one way of looking at it.” He went on, “Stefan told me everything. This changes our whole life. But I confess I’m having a hell of a time wrapping my head around it. Why would she do this? How could she do this? Do you think she’s making it up?”

That hadn’t even crossed my mind. I considered it briefly.

“No,” I said. “I’m sure she’s not making it up.”

“I’m glad I called the police.”

“You were the one who called the police?”

Jep smiled and kissed my forehead. “I had a hunch.”

“Okay,” said the doctor, holding up the X-ray. “You got lucky here, as far as being shot-wise goes. Didn’t hit a bone, and muscle tissue pretty much takes care of its own healing. You’re going to feel this for a while though. Maybe quite a while. It’ll feel like a bad bruise. Right now, you’re just going to feel some pressure while I get this thing out. We’ll keep you overnight and give you some antibiotics IV.”

Jep went on, “How could she carry this on so long and wait so many years?”

When he said that, suddenly, I got it. I got the whole thing.

18