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Part 36 
The tall, dark-haired nurse barely glanced up from the medication cart. "Last I saw, he was headed upstairs, Nick," she murmured, crossing off a line on the chart she held, setting it down, and picking up another cup from the tray.
"Do you know where he was going?" persisted Nick.
Jess paused, thought a moment. "Um.....I think he said something about seeing that paramedic he brought in from that car accident." She pushed with her rear end against the door to the room behind her. "You could try there. Somewhere on the fourth floor, I think." She was gone before Nick could respond.
Nick shook his head and ambled back to the elevator.
Damn doctors. Never can find 'em when you need 'em. Even
in a hospital. He summoned the elevator, slouching
against the wall with his hands in his pockets while he waited. Just
need to ask him one more question about that nutcase...
*****
Alica groaned and opened her eyes slowly. Where--? Wha--? Disjointed thoughts swirled a good long while in her head before one finally jelled into coherency. Why am I so cold?
Slowly righting herself, easing cramped muscles, she stared at her surroundings. Looks like a hopital room. Why am I on the floor of a hospital room?
Movement nearby caught her attention. She turned her head.
Johnny? Dr. Lambert? Oh, my God!
Alica scrambled to their sides, noticing first Johnny's naked form, then his wadded hospital gown pressed against Lambert's chest, growing ever redder as a steady supply of the doctor's blood seeped into it.
"Johnny?" she cried. "Johnny? Dr. Lambert? What happened? Oh, my God!"
Her feet scrabbled against the slick tile floor as she stumbled to her feet and dashed for the door. "Somebody!" she shouted. "Help! I need help in here!"
She yanked open the door and flew into the deserted hall. "Somebody, get a doctor!" she screamed. "There's been a man shot in here!"
At that moment, the elevator doors opened and Nick emerged. Hearing Alica's cries, he propelled himself forward. "What?"
"It's Dr.Lambert!" cried Alica, grabbing Nick
as he reached her, and pointing frantically toward the door closing behind
her. "John Gage has shot him!"
*****
Hank Stanley cupped his chin in one hand, a bemused look crossing his face. He drew his eyes from the television set and stared at first Chet Kelly and then Marco Lopez. "I can't believe you two are so hooked on this, he murmured. "Why do people watch this?"
"This is great, Cap!" grinned Marco. "Don't you wanna know what's gonna happen next?"
"Not particularly."
"Man," Chet murmured, shaking his head, "that chick is one strange bird. I mean, she's so smart, but the way she keeps attacking that poor guy, trying to make him fall in love with her again..." His voice trailed away in reverent admiration of the script writers.
Hank continued to stare at the television set. "What was that she just did to him?" he asked in disbelief.
"Ooh! Did you see that?" cried Marco simultaneously.
"All right!" Chet thumped the arm of his chair.
Hank shook his head. "I got better things to do with my time," he muttered, standing up and turning his back on the two men engrossed in the program. "Whoever'd believe all that stuff? None of that's real. Not a bit of it..." He continued to talk aloud to himself, shaking his head. The volume blared loudly as he reached the door to the apparatus bay.
"'AS THE SIREN TURNS' WILL RETURN AFTER A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR!" shouted a television announcer.
Hank winced and hurried to his office.
