"Was he right? Could I stop fighting myself and still face the world? Or myself? For what the shrink was telling me went against everything I had been...taught. Yet it was what, in my weaker moments, I had dreamed about and wished for, until I caught myself, and forced the evil thoughts out of my head. We were still silently holding hands when the nurse came in, and chased Michael out while she did my thing with a bedpan. I wondered briefly which was worse, death or bedpans. It was a toss-up.As. .. Kategiggled inwardly. No, this couldn't be."Well, looks like she wasn't tying up his laces after all." Alec lookedat Brenda defiantly.Celeste was sitting beside Jerry holding a hand mirror, carefullyreapplying her lipstick."I've seen enough for one evening," Nathan said standing up. "See youlater guys." I'm coming with you, babe." Kate clung to his arm. "You look like youneed somebody to comfort you this evening."Alec grinned. "Later guys. Oh, and Nathan? We'll drop by tomorrow tosample your. Golden, in fact, was no worse than woozy with a bad headache; he'd actually regained consciousness unaided, and had been the one to call for help. I'd shot Quiller in the chest all right, but I'd missed everything really important—it was, after all, only a low-caliber pistol round—and he, too, was expected to recover after surgery to remove the bullet.In fact, as time went along we became quite pals-y. At one point I remarked about the rental car I'd left at Union Station, and an FBI guy. It broke whatever link or connection he had been able to make.The next thing he saw was the bright light above the recliner and the obscured alien face of a Leedei.He felt completely confused and disoriented.He heard someone say. “It was successful, Roy made contact with his mother. She is indeed alive.”As if a curtain was lifted from his mind. He reached for the helmet thing that was now lifting away from his head. “Quick, reconnect me!”Someone spoke with concern in the voice. “He is not a.