"Your blood pressure is too high. It's outside of parameters." I know," I said, nodding. "I have this phobia about having my blood pressure taken you ...ee. Usually it's..." I went back into my spiel again. Maybe the doctor would have a little sympathy.She listened to my tale of woe, her face giving no indication whether or not she pitied me. When I finished she said, "Well, let's do the rest of the physical and then we'll retake your pressure. Maybe it'll come down a little and I can pass. " He pulled Christy's hands away from her excruciating stomach and delivered another punch just below her bellybutton.She grabbed her stomach again and retched. Whatever he was saying or doing to her no longer mattered. Air— she needed precious air, like a diver trapped beneath the water, unable to reach the surface. And she needed the agonizing explosions in her gut to stop.He blocked her from curling into a ball of pain. "No, baby, stay on your back for me. We not done yet. Now do what I say. He pushed back the covers and moved to kneel down between her legs. She sat up quickly, breathless. ‘What are you doing?’ she whispered fiercely. She had a horrified look on her face. He smiled at her. His eyes flashed for a moment. What was that look on his face? Hunger? No, she thought, he was calm and calculating, wasn’t he? ‘My dear, I am educating you.’ ‘What are you doing? ‘ She repeated, more slowly. ‘If you must. . . I am about to bend down thus, plunge my tongue into your ripened. Even though it hurt like hell, I still swung with hands in an attempt to regain the upper hand. It took some effort, but I managed to pin his arms to his body long enough to step in and deliver a well placed fist to right around where his temple should have been. For the second time, Death dropped his weapon. Wasting no time, I struck. I brought down my blade so that the center of it would have sliced straight through the base of his skull. Just inches before the blow was to be struck, my.