I leaned on an elbow. The blood dripped off my raincoat. I looked, stunned, at the red pavement. A lot of blood. ' Mine?'.

My stomach jumbled and I vomited there. It felt sick and everything looked green.

Finally I was under an obligation to get on my knees.

In the distance, I heard a siren. They were far, but they were coming closer. I got up, trembling, and leaned on a car parked in the corner. I didn't know where I was; the street was dark and silent. I looked at the bloody pavement and I wondered what could happen.

The sirens came closer.

Wobbling, I turned to the corner, stopping to recover my breath.

The sirens were closer, a light now shone in the street that I have just abandoned.

It rained again. I didn't know how far I walked. I didn't know where I was.

I continued walking until I saw a taxi. It was detained with the motor going.

- Take me to the next hospital, - I said.

The driver looked at my face.

-Don't think so, - he said, - forget it.

And he left me transfixed there, when I was about to get inside.

In the distance, I heard the sirens again.

Again, I felt sick. I leaned a little and waited for it to happen. I vomited again. The blood dripped of some parts of my face. There were red drops in my vomit.

It continued raining. I trembled in the cold, but that was what kept me conscious. I got up and tried to control my senses, I was in some part of Washington, the next sign said Canning Street. That name didn't mean anything to me. I began to walk, hesitant, stopping frequently.

I hoped to find the correct address. I knew that I was losing blood, but didn't know how much. After walking a little, I had to stop to lean on some parked car and to recover my breath.

Every time I felt more stunned.

I tripped and fell. My knees hit the pavement and I felt pain through my whole body. After a moment, I felt better and was able to stand up again. My shoes were drenched. My clothes, too, with perspiration and rain.

I concentrated on the sound of my own steps and made an obligation to myself to continue
walking. One step after another. Three streets down, I saw lights. I knew that I could come in.
One step after another.

For a moment I leaned on a blue car, only a moment to recover my breath .

'You can come in, Seaborn'.

- That's it. That's it, boy.

Somebody was rising. I was in a car and he lifted me. My arms were on somebody's shoulder, and I walked. Lights before me. A sign. "Emergency room." A sign with blue letters. In the door, a nurse.

- Slowly, boy, calmly.

My head hung down my chest. I tried to speak, but my mouth was too dry. I was thirsty and terribly cold. I looked at the man that helped me, at a man with an almost bald head and a beard. 'TOBY?' I tried to incorporate, so that he wouldn't have to support my weight, but my knees didn't stay straight, and I was trembling.

- Calm down, everything's gonna be okay... We're doing well.

His voice was encouraging. The nurse advanced under the light that the sign emitted, saw me and entered the building.

Two doctors came and each one took my arm. They were strong, I was lifted to my feet, touching the pavement. I felt the rain in the nape of my back when my head fell forward. The bald man walked ahead to open the door.

They helped me enter where the atmosphere was warm. They put me on a padded table, maybe a stretcher, and began to take off my clothes, but as they were wet and soaked with blood, they stuck to my body and, finally, they had to cut them off with scissors. It was a difficult operation and it took them a long time.

I kept my eyes closed because the lights that were focused on me were painfully brilliant.

- Get a blood count and find out the group, - one of the doctors said, - and bring a suture case to room two.

They were moving my head, I felt the hands and the tight gazes vaguely against my skin. My forehead was cold and insensitive. They had undressed me completely. They dried me with a rough towel and wrapped me in a sheet; later they transferred me to another padded table. I began to turn looking for the lobby. I opened my eyes and saw the bald man looking at me.

- Where did you find him? - one of the doctors asked.

- On a car. He was tossed on a car. I saw him and thought that he was be some drunk. Half his body was on the roadway and I stopped to take out it of there, fearing he'd be run over. Then I saw that he was a man well-dressed and all bloodstained. I didn't know what had happened, but he had bad aspect; so I brought him here.

- Don't you have a clue of what happened?

- Well, if you ask me, I will say it looks like he was beaten.

- He doesn't have a wallet, - the doctor said. - Does he owe you money for the trip?

- It's all right, forget it. - the bald man said.

- I am sure that he will want to pay you.

- Leave it, that's okay. Now I will leave, - the taxi driver said.

- It is better if you leave your name at the counter, - the intern said.

But the man had already left.

- We will stop that hemorrhage, - said the doctor. - Then we will take some x-rays, - he looked at me - Did you waken up, Mr..?.

I agreed and tried to speak.

- Don't speak. You can have a broken jaw. First, we will close that wound you have in your forehead, and later we will see.

The nurse wet my face first with an antiseptic. The sponge was bloodstained.

- Now alcohol, - she said, - it is possible that it may burn you a little.

The doctors spoke to each other, looking at the wound.

- You can write a superficial wound of six centimeters in the right temple.

The doctor maintained the suture curved needle in a carries needles. The nurse went back and he stepped in her place near my head. I waited for pain, but it was nothing more than a slight jab in my forehead. The doctor that was sewing said, - It is a clean and sharp incision. It almost seems surgical.

- Cold weapon?

- It could be, but I doubt it.

The nurse put a tourniquet on my arm and extracted blood.

- It is better that you also give him the antitetanic serum, - said one doctor, while he made the suture, - and an injection of penicillin, - and he told me, - close your eyes once to say "Yes" and twice to say "No". Are you allergic to the penicillin?

I closed my eyes once.

- Are you sure?

I closed them twice.

- That's right, - said the doctor.

He returned to the suture. The nurse gave me two injections. The other doctor examined my body without saying anything. I lost consciousness again. When I opened my eyes, I saw a great apparatus of X-rays above my head.

Somebody was saying, "Slowly, slowly", in an irritated voice.

And again I was unconscious.

- It seems that you will recover nicely, - he said, - maybe you lose some teeth, but there is no apparent fracture.

My head began to clear up, and I was sufficiently awake to ask,

- Can I make a call?

- What's that?

He could hardly hear me, I had a sticky tongue and didn't speak clearly.

- I need to call Toby Ziegler.

They looked at each other, and one of them said,

-Toby Ziegler, from the White House ?

- Yes, - I said.

My mouth was dry and rigid, and speaking hurt my jaw. I touched my cheek and noticed it was very swollen and aching. It was not surprising that they suspected a fracture.

- Do you work with Toby Ziegler?

- My name is Sam Seaborn, and I do, I work with Toby Ziegler.

They were immobile. They were frozen to the core when thinking what I was trying to say.

- Are you Sam Seaborn from the White House?

- Yes, give me some water.

One of them walked out in search of water. The other looked at me with strangeness, as if he had just discovered that I was a human being.

- You arrived one hour ago, with a wound in the superficial temporal. You bled enough. But your hematocrite is forty, which doesn't demonstrate the quantity of blood that you lost.

- Maybe I have a good split.

- It is possible.

With remarkable speed, they brought me water. I drank it quickly, it tasted of marvels.

- It is better if you drinks slowly.

- Here is a mirror. Take it. Do you know what happened?

- I don't remember many things, the events about the accident are confused for me.

- Accident? The nature of the bruises on your body don't demonstrate that you suffered an accident.

- Did I trip and fall?

- I don't believe it, it seems to have been an attack and robbery. The wound is a notably clean incision. It is made with a razor blade or something like that. You brought neither identification nor a wallet. It seems that you were attacked and robbed.

I looked at him. He used the robe and it had some stains of blood; I supposed that it were my blood.

- I would like to know with whom I am speaking.

- My name the Craig Clatter.

I held the mirror looked at the cut on my forehead. I was angry, it helped me to forget the pain and uneasiness I felt in my whole body. I looked at the wound that stretched from above a brow almost up to the ear.

- We have given you almost twenty stitches, the wound is clean and it is healing nicely. How do you feel?

- Not very well.

- Headache?

- A little, but it happens sometimes.

- Do you feel sleepy? Dizzy?

- A little.

- Don't move, - the doctor said. He took out a flashlight and examined my pupils. Then he checked reflects in my arms and legs. - Everything is normal. But it is possible that you have a hematoma. I want you under observation during 24 hours.

- No... it is not possible.

- I'm sorry - you will stay. Rest, while I prepare a room. When they come to see you, I will show them in.

- Hello!

- Mr. Toby Ziegler?

- Who wants to know?

I didn't recognize the voice. How could have my cellular telephone give me desires of answering it four fresh. But I didn't do it.

- Sir, I am the doctor Javis. Here, there is a person that was brought in this morning, he says that he is Sam Seaborn. Can come over quickly?

My first thought was that it had been an error.

- Are you there, Sir?

- Yes I am here, I'm going there now.

I walked through a corridor, smelling the typical scent of a hospital, a combination of alcohol, antiseptic and soap.. a clean and intense scent. Two women in a nurses' outfits booth looked at me. I listened to them speak and I knew that I was in the correct place.

- My God! That must be him.

- I never believed that, being a nurse, I would meet somebody from the White House.

- I have heard say that he has a habit of chewing the hardest Republicans and then spitting their pieces.

- Shhhh! He's coming closer.

- Good night. Can I help you? - said me the nurse while she bit her lip.

- I'm looking for Sam Seaborn, - I said moodily.

She looked at me, examining me attentively.

- Yes…

She got up from behind her desk and walked towards me.

- My name is Sunny Sork. Doctor Craig Clatten informed us that you would come.

• Well. You already know my name, - I felt really violent and only wanted to know how and where Sam was.
  

- Dammed! - she exclaimed - they told me that you were rude, but now I can be sure they didn't make a mistake. I will accompany you to where the doctor is.

She walked before me and I followed her. I have a very bad temper. I know it and though she tried to control me, the truth is that I am gloomy and rough with people, and more in tense situations .

We arrived to a room which a man who should be the Dr. Craig Clatten exited; he wore a white hospital jacket. He bent forward and I saw a stethoscope hanging off his neck. His expressions were cold , very carefully chosen, and very diplomatic.

- Mr.. Ziegler, - he took off the stethoscope, bent it, and put in into the pocket, then shook my hand, - Dr. Clatten, I have heard much about you.

- I want to see Sam Seaborn, - I didn't want to see a damned doctor. He looked at me with a deep, inquisitive and examining expression.

- Mr.. Seaborn arrived to the ER at almost three in the morning. He was semi-conscious when he came; a taxi driver brought him here. His problem without a doubt is a deep cut in the superficial temporal, he lost a lot of blood, but his hematocrite is almost normal,...

- How is he? - I interrupted.

- He is in one room , he will stay 24 hours hospitalized under observation so we can rule out a hematome ...- the doctor saw me anxious, - ... if you accompany me, I will take you to him.

We walked toward the Sam's room . My cellular phone rang.

- Toby Ziegler.

- Toby.

- CJ, what happened now?

- Now ? What else happened? How do you know that something happened?

- I don't know, - I said in an exasperated tone, - call it persecutory mania.

- Toby, I have just talked with Danny. He says that Sam was attacked. And...

- How did he know that? - I interrupted her.

- Jesus, - she said, - it is true. Where are you?.

- In the hospital en route to seeing him.

The telephone began to make noises.

- I'm coming there now..

- How did Danny know it, CJ? - I raised my voice.

- Someone called the newspaper saying that the person who attacked Sam Seaborn would give a statement in a police station and... - the interference was heavier.

- Hello? CJ?

- Mr.. Ziegler, we are walking by the Diagnosis and Treatment Area; the teams of Camera Gamma and MRI emit waves that interfere with cellular phones.

- Dammed.

The doctor escorted me towards where we would find Sam.

The cellular phone rang again; seemingly we already had left the section of the hospital that caused the interference on the line; I didn't let the first ring finish, I knew it was CJ.

- What happened, CJ?

- Can you tell me what happened?

- CJ, tell me what Danny told you before this stupid apparatus cuts off again, - I said.

While I spoke, I made a sign with my hand to the doctor that he continue walking. I wanted to see Sam.

- Danny says that somebody called the newspaper, informing them that the person that had attacked Sam tonight would surrender voluntarily at a police station.

- Are you sure?

- Yes.

- Who is the attacker?

- He doesn't know. He is sending a team to the police station.

- Did you call the police?

- No, not yet.

- Get in touch with Ron, and tell him what you know.

- It is not a lot.

- Do it, - I screamed at her while I followed the doctor.

- What is all this?

- I don't know, - I said. - I don't know more than you.

- How is Sam?

- I haven't seen him yet, I just arrived to where they are keeping him. According to the doctor, he is well. Now he is conscious. He had a possible shock and some blows but he is well.

- Keep me informed. Okay?

- I am coming to where he is, calm down, and call Leo and Josh.

- This is just great, - she said in an out voice.

- Don't worry. - I repeated.

- Okay.

- You go to the White House and prepare everything, the means will be hungry.

- I will. Please call as soon as you know something.

- I will , I'll call you soon.

I hung up and advanced to fall into stride with the doctor.

I found the scent of the chemical sterilizes exceptionally strong and felt nervous; I let loose my tie and unbuttoned my shirt. How could I put on a suit?.

A group of people passed by us, transporting a patient that went on making arcades. One of the male nurses that pushed the stretcher sustained his chin back; his head was a nightmare of bandages.

- We're here, - the doctor told me.

I stopped a moment before the door, making an effort to keep calm. Sam knew me well. And he would know that something bad was happening. I didn't want to hide anything from him; I learned the lesson of the drop-in, but how could I explain to him something that I didn't know...

The doctor opened the door and I entered. The room was darker than the corridor; there was a night light near the floor, I waited until eyes got used to the darkness, while I remained on foot, trying to embrace the scene.

The doctor walked in, looked at me, nodded and went back to the door.

I saw him leave and advanced quietly into the room, with eyes fixed on sleeping Sam's face.

He was laid on several pillows. When coming closer, I was impressed by his aspect. In contrast with the healthy semblance that was Sam earlier today, he was pale, eyes surrounded by black circles, fresh bruises from the blow, the swollen cheek; on his lip there was a dry secretion. And on his forehead he had a wide bandage. Coming closer
to the bed. And the knot in my stomach that had formed when Dr. Javis called became tighter.

Sam didn't move, his blanket had slipped to a side, one of his hands was crossed on his stomach. I could see that he was dressed in one of those hospital robes, tied at the nape and cut at the thighs. Later I took the charge of joking on that.

I stood, observing Sam, for a moment. I fought to maintain my emotions in check. I felt a desire to shake him by the shoulder so that he'd wake up and speak to me, but I fixed the blanket and separated the hair that was tangled on his forehead.

Take a seat next to the wall and bring it near Sam's bed.

And I sat down, waiting for Sam to wake up.

I was sleeping like a log when the telephone rang. I lifted the handset on the first ring, in an instinctive way, while Joey Lucas' report on the last statistics, that had made me fall asleep, fell to the floor from the bed.

• God, what .. is it? ...Who is?
  

• Josh, something has happened to Sam...
  

• What?
  

-Yes, Josh, wake up, Toby is at the GW Hospital, he is waiting for you. Sorry but I don't know a lot. He will explain everything there.

-Hmm... CJ?

• Josh, I should make other calls, Toby will explain to you, now go, - she screamed.
  

• CJ…- Josh, now!
  

Then I heard a strong noise… she cut me off. I hung up and began to put on my pants, shirt and shoes. I ran toward the door and walked to the elevator, while I finished buckling up the pants-belt. I pressed the button and heard the buzzing of the electric motor. Frustrated by the slowness of the elevator, I hit the door with my hand. I had little information, CJ had not said a lot.

Fighting, in its last mechanical efforts, the elevator arrived and the door hid inside the wall. I entered, pressed the button and waited impatiently for the lazy beast to take me to the ground floor. The elevator finally brought me to the ground. I crossed the corridor quickly and looked for a taxi.

-To the GW Hospital, quickly.

With a constant and oblique rain falling through the brilliant splendor of its lights, the taxi slipped inside the driveway of the hospital, creaking when hitting the curve, then braked abruptly and stopped in front of the main door. I jumped out of the taxi and gave the pay to the driver; I didn't know how much money I gave him. Hastily, I ran towards the mechanical doors. I walked to the counter and opened my mouth to speak, when I was pushed by an obese woman.

- Nurse, how much longer should I wait for the doctor?

• Not long, Ma'am.., there is a backlog, but he will assist you shortly, please have a seat
  

• My God! - she shouted.
  

• Excuse me, - I said, - I need to know where Sam Seaborn is, he was brought in today...
  

• Don't be rude! - exclaimed the obese woman. - I was speaking. As I was saying, I need urgently to go to proctology…
  

• One moment, Ma'am,- the nurse interrupted her
  

• This is unacceptable!
  

• Mr. Seaborn is in room 1403, in the first floor.
  

• Thank you, - I said.
  

I finished talking with CJ, closed my eyes and eased my forehead onto my hand. I wanted to leave running and kill that bastard; I opened my eyes again and saw Toby in the corridor.

When Toby is mad, he grinds his teeth, and speaks in a monotonous tone. I did not doubt CJ also spoke with him.

- Imbecile, damned imbecile! -I heard him mumble. And he hit the wall of the corridor with both fists; the somber oil portraits of old directors dressed in academic gowns trembled on them. I walked closer to him and saw the number of the room 1403, there Sam was supposed to be.

- If I lived a hundred years, I could not find a single decent journalist, never, they don't exist... bastard idiots full of shit, stupid, damned bastards... - Toby said, - they are also guilty and I would squash their brains, their damned brains...

Toby gestured, looking towards the roof as if he were speaking to God. God, as all the other ones, had already heard him at other times. The same anger, the same gritten teeth and the same expressions; He gave a furious look and noticed my presence. We looked at each other, he knew that I already knew it.

- Today Sam did a good job, Josh! - he told me, furious.

I saw him kick a waste basket, which loudly rolled across the floor. I stopped it with my foot.

- Stupid, bastard fools, - he continued saying.

He stood up and went slowly towards the door where Sam was resting. He seemed to hesitate, with his body curved and his shoulders sunken. He raised his arms and rested both hands on the door of Sam's room, resting his body, lowered his head and murmured:

- He did a good job.

I looked out the window at the dense traffic they moved slowly below. I turned my back to the window and came closer to Toby, now calmer.

- Are you better, Toby? - I asked him placing a hand on his back.

- Yes, thank you, - he mumbled between his teeth.

- This is so absurd, - I said.

- Yes, - he responded sharply. - Let's go in to see if he already woke up.

- She has been waiting for you.

- How could he... How could he do something like that... I mean, there's a limit to... This is a mistake, Danny, - said CJ as I walked by her office. And with an attack of fury badly directed, she threw a report on her desk. Several pages fell to the ground.

- There is absolutely no doubt on the matter, CJ, - I said to her soothingly, entering the office and closing the door behind me.

- What he is doing to obtain publicity is inconceivable. I swear, Danny, that I will tie him to a chair and put those ... those... things in his eyes, like Stanley Kubrick in Clockwork Orange, and I will make him watch his damn film until he cries and regrets he made it.

CJ's voice arose in crescendo, and the last sentence resonated with the fervor of a religious fanatic.

- For what he did to Sam, or because he made that film?

- For what he is, - refuted CJ.

- I'm glad to be your friend. - I thought aloud.

- To promote that terrible film, he has exceeded very limit of honor and law. Perhaps he is trying to forge his future on Sam's corpse? - she said with incredulity.

- Maybe he didn't do it, single takes advantage of what saw. if he was there when somebody attack Sam. We don't know anything.

- I don't know, and don't care what he did or didn't do, that's up to the police. But he said that he do it. I must stop this publicity before the... - the telephone interrupted. She decided not to answer. We heard it ring three times; four; the fifth time she picked up the receiver. She indicated to me to sit down. And, after listening for a minute to whoever called, she said,

- Truly? really? I swear that I will make him cry, - she hung up, shaking her head. Then she looked at me.

- Incredible! absolutely incredible ... Morgan Ross will give a live interview on Imus.

- He is taking advantage of every moment of stardom.

- Why wasn't he thrown in jail so he would speak more! - CJ shouted, collapsing, like a deflated balloon, on the couch.

- CJ, the police cannot place him in jail until Sam presses charges.-

- I know it, I know it, - CJ said without raising her eyes. She suffered the final indignity of an unconditional capitulation. She curled her lips and was still in silence. I rested my hands on her shoulders, knowing her world was shattering, and made her glance at me. Her eyes were full of tears. She opened her mouth, but before she began to speak, I asked her,

- How is Sam?

- Toby and Josh are with him. I spoke with Toby and he was in his room, he left to speak with me and tell him the last news and he met with Josh. Now they were going to speak to Sam, if he woke up. But every two hours the doctors wake him up to see that there are no anomalies.

- Morgan Ross will spend some time in jail, - I said.

- Yes, and when he gets out, he will be a millionaire, with that trash of a film. It bothers me that we are used this way, - she said, angered.

- I know it, and there is no way of avoiding it. This will bring him much publicity.

- Damn, that revolting film would never obtain as much publicity as it is obtaining because of... and he is using us, first his cowardly flame of the President and later he attacks Sam with such impunity... and people will be running to see that movie! - CJ said smoothly, playing nervously with a small box full of paperclips.

She let out an enormous sigh and, shaking her head, added,

- This is a fucking tangle. It is necessary to keep the press away from Sam.

- Hey, good, you are awake, - Toby said softly.

- T.. … Toby? - I breathed deeply and felt a twinge of pain.

- How do you feel? - He wondered almost in a sigh.

- Better.

Only I couldn't think about another thing save the pain. My stomach was its origin, hurting as if I had swallowed a skittle. I leaned back and felt better., I turned my head slowly and met with Josh's smiling face at the foot of the bed.

- Welcome to the world of the living! You have given us a good fright. Besides, you have a terrible look. - Josh said studying me critically.

-That is what I like about you, your sense of knowing what to say at the patient's bed, - to speak was costing effort, my throat was hurting, I had a dry mouth and passed the tongue over my afflicted teeth. - I believe I must go to the dentist. They say that I can lose a couple of teeth..

- It will not help you to restore your love life ,if until now you did not remember your last date, you will not to do in a lot of time it. -Toby assured me.

I laughed, and the movement made me instantaneously regret having done it.

- Thank you, but I do not remember very much, neither the dates nor why I am here.

- You do not remember anything? - asked Josh, while he was approaching another side of the bed.

- No, - I answered without too many convictions.

I closed my eyes to concentrate and think up some images. Stars were arising in the clouds of my mind.

- No, not very much; I only remember that something cold struck my head, and later I felt some kind of cold deep in the forehead, and a strong punch in my stomach. I fell on the pavement and the world started turning around. I am thinking about having heard a voice, a few steps and later.. nothing. I don't remember absolutely anything more.

- It's all right - Toby said in a consoling voice.

- You do not know who struck you? - asked Josh with anxiety.

- I don't.

Toby looked at me for a moment. Worried, doubting, as if he knew something that I did not.

- What happened?

- Nothing, - he said. - Are you sure that you feel well?

- Yes. And stop looking me like that, and tell me what happened.

He stood up. My head was beginning to beat in an agony of pulsation.

- This, well, you will not like this.

Toby looked at me, observed me for a fraction of a second, as if to assure himself that I was listening to him.

- Today, Morgan Ross appeared at a police station, being accused for attacking you that night.

- What? ... What you are trying to say to me?

- Only this, Sam, we believe that he is doing it to promote his devilish movie, and he is using you to increase the advertising. - explained the very angry Josh.

I started breathing heavily, rapidly. Toby put one hand on my shoulder.

- Calm down, Sam.

- How ..? - I said looking across the room.

- Sam ...

- He is the worst ...the worst ... …

- Sam ... relax!

I looked fixedly at Toby, containing my fury. I tried to calm down and think clearly. I knew perfectly well that Morgan Ross was capable of doing anything for advertising, he didn't even stop before using the President. He was capable of a thing like that. After a long pause, I asked,

- Where is Ross now?

- The policeman took his declaration and now they are outside to take yours. But now he is free; they cannot do anything without your declaration, - Josh said.

At that moment I realized that I had to think rapidly and not allow Morgan Ross leave with his intention.. I realized perfectly that everything was one dirty situation. These details, now without importance and completely innocent, would acquire enormous proportions. But I was exhausted. I closed my eyes to relieve the stitches of pain of my head.

Then the door opened and doctor Cletten entered. I opened my eyes.

- How do you feel , Mr. Seaborn?

- I might not feel better - I responded without being able to conceal the sarcasm.

- Do you feel pain, are you light-headed?

The doctor came closer to me and examined my eyes with his lantern. I was just starting hating this light.

- Outside, there are policemen, wanting to speak with you.

- No, - I hesitated. - … I don't remember very much …

- It is just a matter of time before what happened becomes clear for you. I don't believe that you suffered a real long-term memory loss, yours only included the fifteen minutes previous to the accident or attack. But you will be slightly confused for a couple of hours. -

I directed my look to Toby and saw him frown. I was sure he perceived my intentions.

- No… I am not sure that I have been attacked … - I said, returning Toby's look.

- Mr. Seaborn, the nature of contusions to your body is ...

- It doesn't matter for me if it doesn't coincide with the text books. I am saying to you that I don't remember absolutely anything, and for what it's worth, I could have stumbled and fallen down. Nothing else, maybe it was a stupid mistake.

- God, Sam, return to sanity! You are not going to achieve anything with ...- Josh tried to say.

- Enough, - I said, - I don't want discussions.

Every time I have more headache; it was giving me a few pricks very intensely and I was feeling terribly tired. I rested my head on the pillow and slept for hours and hours. But I could not relax. I couldn't allow Morgan Ross to win.

Toby breathed deeply, he rested the palms of his hands on his cheeks, massaging them. His hands turned and he put his fingers behind his ears. With his face between his hands, he looked at me and said:

- Sam, I know what you're trying to do. You have to leave this self-destructive crusade. It is a crazy ...

- My god, Toby, I know what I am doing, - I was grateful for the rage, which was giving me energy - I want to get out of here.

- No, - doctor Clean said with firmness, - you will remain here for twenty-four hours.

- It is not possible! - I sat down in the bed. My stomach was hurting. I looked at Toby, - Help me get up!

- No, - he grunted.

I sat up without his help.

- Sam, - said Josh, slapping his forehead with his hand, - it will be best that you listen to the doctor, it is not important what Morgan Ross does, you must remain here.

I looked at the doctor for a few seconds. - Doctor, I will sign my discharge from the hospital, I assume the whole responsibility.

- Mr. Seaborn, you are not conscious of the risks that you are traversing, you might have a hematome epidural.

Toby, Josh, and I stared at him with strangeness; he continued.

- A hematome epidural is a clot of blood inside the skull caused by a broken artery, and owed to the fracture of the skull. The blood is accumulated inside the skull and it might cause death because of the compression of the brain.

- But you said to me that the X-ray didn't show any fracture.

- Yes, but we are expecting to hear from the radiologist. The X-rays of the skull are difficult to interpret for a person not expert in X-ray.

- Why were they not seen by a radiologist? - asked the amazed Toby.

- He is on his way, - answered the doctor. - Listen to me- he said to me, - remain here a couple of hours more.

- No, I feel fine, - I lied, - give me my clothes.

- I am afraid that his clothes...

- I know it, they are destroyed ... but bring me something I can put on.

- Sam! - exclaimed Josh, - you didn't listen to what he said, stay here a couple of hours more.

Without looking at Josh and fixing my sight on the doctor, I said:

- Bring me something to put on and the papers that I must sign for the discharge.

- As you wish, but remember that it is absolutely your responsibility, - The doctor said and went out in search of clothes and the papers.

Toby looked at me and said:

- If you will go out in this conditions, I will be stuck to you as a tick to a dog.

- Yes, I know it, - I said.

- What is it that you think to do? - said Josh, angry.

- To give a press conference and to ridicule Morgan Ross.

- This is madness... - said Josh.

In this moment, a nurse entered, carrying a heap of clothes, and I began to dress with Tobu's help. She brought me my wet, very bloody shoes, Josh cleaned them and I put them on. I was feeling weak and tired, but didn't have another remedy that to support it. Everything would end this night. I was sure.

Doctor Clatten came and handed me the papers. I singed them under medical disagreement, and got up, feeling exhausted and aching.

We walked with Toby and Josh along the corridors of the hospital, trying not to show my discomfort. Josh was wondering constantly how I was feeling, and I was answering 'well'.. I was annoyed and the headache was major when I was standing. But the bad thing was the fatigue. I was tired, terribly tired.

We went to the entry of the ER. It was a space with an open garage, where the ambulances were loading and unloading the patients. The doors opened automatically to give entry to the hospital. We went out and I breathed a little night air. It was a rainy and humid night, but the cold air was sitting down well.

Toby said, - You are pale.

- I am fine.

- Still, they have not verified that you had this thing ... internal hemorrhage.

- No.

- If you're not feeling well, it is better you say it to me, don't be a hero.

- I am not.

We went to Toby's car. Josh opened the passenger door and I climbed in, and he help me with the seat belt.

- How do you feel ?

- Stop asking me that, you two, - I said, - then I'll stop telling you the same thing. I'm well.

- You look tired.

- I am tired. I have been tired the whole week.

- No. I want to say that you seem to be exhausted.

- Leave me alone, - I said. Josh looked at me and closed the door with a strong blow, for which I hated him immensely.

Then Toby drove the car out of the garage and we headed to the White House.

We tried to get into the inner door in the middle of a now small multitude whirled about the car.

- Mr. Seaborn... Mr. Seaborn ... - the journalists were shouting.

- I am from the Globe - another shouts...

- We want to ask some questions...

The questions were continuing as we were advancing slowly among them.

- Mr. Seaborn, is it true that you was attacked by Morgan Ross?

- Mr. Seaborn, is it true that this morning you threatened Ross ...- shouted a woman while leaning on the windshield.

- What the hell happened to them? - asked Josh.

Rapidly after the insatiable press leaving behind we came to the entrance. In the lobby, the first person that I saw was CJ.

She was standing up, with a confused and angry expression. When she saw me, she walked over and took my arm.

- Sam Seaborn... - she said in an angry voice, very angry...

- Later, CJ, - I said to her.

Gradually I was feeling more pain in my head; giving me a few very intense pricks, and I was terribly tired. I wanted to sleep for hours and hours. But I could not relax and felt more nauseous by the moment.

We were going towards Toby's office, passing the White House´s labyrinth of corridors. When we were there, I collapsed in Toby´s couch

- Very well, Sam, here we are - Toby said, while he looked for a pink ball on his desk.

- I would like to know what is happening? What is Sam doing here? And what are you trying to do? - protested CJ.

I sighed.

- I want to give a press conference and deny everything that Morgan Ross said.

When I said it I looked obliquely at Josh who was still standing up in the doorframe, shaking his head, but I was sure that he was listening.

- I´m sorry, Sam, I cannot let you do it. If you feel like you say, you wouldn't even sustain the first round of questions.

- Oh, CJ! ... There is no other way.

CJ looked at Toby, at Josh and the two made the same gesture of surrender with their hands; then she looked at me, then again at Toby. Finally, she said to me:

- And what do you intend to say to them, Sam?

- That I was in an accident.

- Ah, yes?

- Yes, that I fell on the wet asphalt.

- And you had a contusion? - added Toby

- Yes.

- Sam, nobody will believe your story when they see you, - protested Toby

- They will.

- OK!, Sam, do it, - CJ gave up, - but I'm warning you that they will
destroy you, they are hungry.

- If anyone is hungry, it's me, - I said; it was alie, but I needed to gain force in their eyes.

- I will bring you something, - answered CJ, walked out and stumbled into Leo.

- What the hell is happening here? - was the question that Leo asked while entering the office.

- What happened here is that our hero wants to face hungry press in this terrible condition to discredit what Morgan Ross said,- pointed out Josh.

Leo seemed to remain confused.

- What for? - he said watching me.

- Why?... why? ... Because I don't want him to use me to promote his damned movie! - I said, angry.

- Sam, you are nuts!. - Josh assured me.

- Why ? Because I do not want to be used? - I shouted and then I regretted that.

- Not, because you will not be able to make anybody believe you that have not been attacked, that only you slipped, look at you... for God's sake!- Toby said throwing the ball against the crystal… and now it was his turn for me to hate him because of what he did. I closed my eyes and put my hand over them. My right eye was bothering me.

- What you would do in my place? - I said while opening my eyes slowly and seeing CJ's hands in front me with a tray with a cup of coffee and a muffin.

- I would leave it like this. I would not do anything, would go away to my house, would get into bed, and would not go out of there until I could meet normal people in a cafe without scaring them.

Josh could not refrain from a smile at Toby's commentary, and neither could I.

- I feel fine, - I said.

- Yes?! - asked Leo with irony .

- Yes, - I assured him, drinking the coffee and biting into the muffin. I could not savor it; it was like eating a newspaper, but I knew that it was necessary to eat a little.

My head was heavy as a wheel. The pricks were increasingly intense, more painful.

- OK! let's get the show on the road, - said Toby. - We prepare the Roman Circus, I want to see you struggle against the lions in the sand.

- While you fight the lions, I will be in my office, - Leo said. - Josh, come with me.

- But ... - protested Josh pointing at me with a finger, but it was the only thing he said, made a grimace, looked at me and followed Leo
.

- Now that you bring up the Romans, maybe Leo does not want Josh and Sam together, or they recreate Nero. - commented CJ, going forward to prepare the journalists.

I got up and we walked towards the briefing room where we could start working. Toby accompanied me. While we crossing the corridor, I suddenly felt nauseous. I stopped by the men's room with the excuse of wanting to wash up a bit and vomited the muffin and the coffee.

I was feeling very weak, sweaty, but the dizziness passed and I felt better. I returned to Toby.

- How do you feel?

- You are becoming monotonous, - I said.

- You look awful, as if you are on the verge of becoming dizzy.

- It is not like that.

Toby frowned. We arrived to the front of the briefing room's door .

- And well, here we are, genius. And now what? are you ready? ...- he remained observing me fixedly - ... I hope, Sam, that you know what you're doing, - said Toby.

- I know - I said.

But before entering, I approached the water-cooler and filled a glass. I drank it and turned to fill it again. My headache was now stronger, and the terrible drowsiness added. I wanted to fall asleep, to forget myself and everything, to sleep... But I did not say anything as I knew what Toby would do if he noticed.

- I know what I'm doing, - I said.

- I hope so, - he said, - because if something happens to you, you won't have to worry about another concussion. I will open your head and verify that you have really something there.

- Don't worry, - I said leaning on one of the walls of the corridor and drinking another glass of water.

- The hell with not worrying! ...look at yourself...

- Don't worry, - I insisted tiredly.

- You're killing yourself.

- Toby, don't exaggerate...

- Let's forget it, Sam, you do not need to clarify anything, lets let Ross suffocate in his own garbage. You'll go to your house, leave this and tomorrow we will find a way of finishing Ross. Maybe we could have a meeting alone with CJ.

I smiled at this.

- I bet that she could make him cry.

- And then tell his mom, - added Toby.

- I do not want him to use me. And I want to see to it myself. This became personal, - I insisted.

- Sam, you are not all there. What are you trying to prove? - he asked.

- Nothing, only that I'm tired of all this. First he used the President and now this. I warned him that he would meet with me and I will do it, someone must stop him.

- And you believe that it's your responsibility to do it? Stopping this madman justifies your going there and trying to prove that you had but slid in the street, it's ridiculous... - Toby paused and
pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose, - ... the end does not justify the means, Sam, you are acting just like him.

- Maybe.

- Sam, I am letting you do this because if I do what I must I'm afraid you'll faint right here and then the press will have something interesting to write about.

- I knew I could count on you, - I said, trying to smile.

- My God ...! - sighed Toby

In that instant CJ joined us.

- Ok, everything is ready, you will say that you are feeling very well, that it was an accident and you came back, understood?

- Yes ,- I said.

Toby threw a glance at me and I avoided his eyes. I was feeling
terribly; my headache was much worse and there were moments when my eyesight was clouding over. I had trouble seeing with my left eye. But someone had to stop Morgan Ross, and it did not matter how I wasdoing it, I had to do it.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead.

- Good, - I said. - I am ready.

- Yes? Are you sure? - asked me CJ but though she was to my side, it felt like she was very far. Her voice was becoming suddenly switched off and insignificant. Everything around me was looking equally insignificant. Everything turned small and discolored. The headache had now converted into rhythmic explosions of intense pain. I straightened up and took three steps. Then I had stopped to rest.

- Sam?

- What happened?

- Nothing, I'm just tired.

Toby nodded:

- Well, - he said, - that's enough.

- What?

He took me by the arm, lead me to an office and seated me in a chair. I put my hand on my forehead and noticed that my left hand was trembling.

- Do you want another glass of water?

- Yes, - I said.

I was feeling dizzy, with a stomachache and discomfort in my whole body. A bit of water would do me well, and I'd be able to speak with the press. Or maybe it make me feel worse. Toby gave me a glass of water and while I was drinking it, I said:

- Toby, I want to give this conference...

- The only thing that you will do is rest here, until you can take two steps without getting dizzy and then you will go back to the hospital.

I looked up to protest at that and saw one of the pictures on the wall, it looked like a painting of a lake. I fixed my eyes on the boat that was there, then the boat started moving.

- Sam?

I needed a while to answer. It would take time to speak. I was sleepy, so sleepy.

- Call the hospital.

Was that CJ?

- Sam?

- Yes?

My voice was deep, as if it was coming out of a hole, of a grave. It seemed to echo.

- Are you okay?

- Yes, perfectly. - I continued hearing the words, repeated as if I was dreaming; ...perfectly,...perfectly.

- You look awful..

- I am perfectly

perfectly...,
perfectly...,
perfectly...,

- Sam, don't be angry.

- I am not angry, - I said, closing my eyes. My eyelids were very heavy and sticky so I could not open them - I am happy.

- Happy?

- What?

- You are happy?

- No, - I said. Toby was speaking, but I didn't hear him say anything, his voice sounded the gurgling of a baby, infantile ...ha! Toby with an infantile voice

- No, I am definitely not crazy.

- Sam...

- Stops calling me Sam

- It's your name, - Toby said.

I saw him get up slowly, moving with the slowness of a dream, and I felt very tired watching him move. He approached CJ and said something to her. My eyes were hurting me. Especially the right one.

- Look at me.

Toby's voice was strong and authoritative now; this was the Toby I knew. The voice of a sergeant. Sharp, irritating. I liked this voice.

- Go away, - I said.

Someone entered, more people, they all were moving in slow motion.. Why did they do it? Strong fingers were holding my head, a light was shining inside my eyes.

- Leave me alone, Toby.

- Sam, hold on a little more.

- Leave me, - I closed my eyes. I was tired. Very tired. I didn´t want to see more people and every time I looked, I saw more. I wanted to sleep for millions of years. The dream was something wonderful, like an ocean bathing the sand on the beach, with soft and wonderful
noises of the waves washing everything.

- I am fine, Toby ... only a bit confused.

- Sam, hold on.

Sam, hold on...
Sam, hold on...
Sam, hold on...

- Toby, for god's sake...

- Shut up, - he told me.

Shut up…
Shut up…
Shut up…

Now I was laid down, and they were moving me. I was getting angry, I
wanted to sleep, wanted to sleep deeply

Deeply ...
Deeply ...
Deeply ...

- Toby, stop making noise.

- Sam, keeps silent, you are terrible.

Terrible...
Terrible...
Terrible...

The words were producing an echo in my head ...terrible ..? I asked myself.

Later, the dream overpowered me, later there were fingers that were stretching, plastic fingers, rubber, which were hovering above my eyes.

- I am tired.

- I know, I can see it

- I cannot see anything. I do not see anything ...nothing ... -

Nothing....
Nothing....
Nothing....

I could not see ... I tried to open my eyes -

- Coffee. I need coffee.

- No, - Toby said.

- Josh ... I want coffee.... Josh?.

- Here I am, Sam.

- I want coffee ... or get me a lion, - I said, and wondered why said that. That doesn't mean anything . Or does it? It means something? something?. Everything was so confused .. my right eye hurt too much. The headache was exactly behind the right eye. As if there was a dwarf there, hammering down.

- A dwarf, - I said.

- What?

- A dwarf, - I explained. It was clear. He was stupid for not understanding. I was perfectly clear; a reasonable affirmation of a
reasonable man. Toby was pretending not to understand.

- Sam, - a voice said ... - one moment .. - it was not Toby.

- I want you to count from one to a hundred, but backwards. Keep subtracting seven .Can you?

I made a pause, wondering who it was. A hundred minus seven? It was not easy. In my head, I saw a chunk of paper, a white brilliant paper and above, a pencil. Hundred minus seven. And a line below to do subtraction.

- Ninety three.

- Good, continue, Sam.

Who was this, I liked the challenge ... I needed another piece of paper. I must tear the used one before being able to begin with the new one. And when I tore the old sheet, I could not remember what I must do ... Complicated.... Confused .. who was this?

- Came on , Sam. Ninety three.

He continued defying me...

- Ninety three minus seven, Sam.

I made a pause. Eighty-eight.

- No, eighty-six.

- Continue, Sam.

- Seventy nine... Seventy-three. No. Seventy-four. No, no.

Wait a minute... I was ripping pieces of paper, but slower now. It was very difficult to tear the paper. Very difficult. And everything was so confused. It was very difficult to concentrate.

- Eighty seven... No... Eighty five.

- Sam. What day is it today?

- What day? - What a silly question.

Toby, where are you? ... someone is asking me silly questions. What day was it?

- Today - I said.

- What dates?

- What date?

- Yes, the date.

May, I think it's May.

- May.

- Where are you now, Sam?

- I am in the White House - I said.

- No, Sam.

No? ... I am always in the White House.

- You are in a hospital, Sam.

This is a hospital? ...what is this man saying? Who was this?

- Toby?

I opened my eyes a little, but the eyelids were heavy and the light hurt me. I wished they would leave me alone and I could sleep. I needed to sleep. I was very tired, very tired. And I did not want to make clear to this person that I was already out of the hospital,and signed my papers.

- I am not in the hospital.

- This is the hospital and you are in it.

- It can not ...- I started saying something, but I could not recall what I intended to say. My headache was now unbearable, striking the right eye, the forehead, to the right of my head, a terrible headache.

- Sam , raise your left hand.

- What?

- Raise your left hand, Sam

Now I heard him, I heard the words, but they were stupid. Nobody would pay attention to a few words like those. Nobody would listen to them.

- What?

I felt a vibration to the side of my head, a curious vibration. I opened my eyes and saw a young woman. She was nice, but she was doing something very strange to my head - moving objects of brown color, and later they fell down... Toby, where is Toby...or Josh...

- Josh?

Someone was observing me and asking for something but I was not understanding the words. After the brown object came the cream... and the shaving. I watch it, and also the shaving cream, and suddenly without previous notice, I felt tired...and without me realizing anything I was sick, and someone was saying, " Let's go , hurry up..."

Later they brought a drill. I could hardly see it, my eyes were kept closed, and I was sick again.

The last thing I said was:

- I do not want holes in my head.

I said it very clearly, very slow, stressing the syllables.

Or so I thought.

A distant, remote part of my mind was trying to send me a message, trying to communicate something of importance to me, but the hammering located deeply inside my cranium was so agonizing that I found it impossible to concentrate on anything.

I was feeling as if someone had tried to cut my head, as if... Toby had tried to fulfill his threat. I lifted my hand to touch my bandaged head, and I did not like it. Looking forward, I was aware of
what was surrounding me. I was feeling totally foreign, a strange mix of science-fiction and reality. Strange instruments were hanging off the walls and the roof, adorned with thousands of goatees, keys and screens of oscilloscopes. Their beeping reminded me of submarinesonar - they were mixed in a symphony with the rhythmic click-clack of other strange devices and the drowned sobs of some mother reclined on a bed, in a corner.

At my side, I could see a person in a bed, who was lying immobile, covered with bandages and connected by plastic pipes to the flasks that were hanging off the supports. The mixture of everything was producing the sensation of being in an ambient mystery of another planet .My head was killing me, and I was feeling a twinge in my right eye.

- Good, Mr. Seaborn, - exclaimed a voice by my left side. I turned my head slowly and though my vision was a bit turbid, I met a smiling face of a nurse, - welcome to the world of the living. You have given us a good fright!

Even perplexed, I tried to return her smile and to read the name that the nurse was wearing on her badge. "Miss Raquel Harrison Unidad of Intensive Therapy" was getting me confused all the more.

- How do you feel?

I moved slowly and had a uncomfortable sensation between my legs. I realized that the had placed a probe. I was feeling totally confused. Somehow I returned to the hospital.

- Where am I? It is recovery? Why am I here?

- No, you are in Intensive Therapy. Don't you remember anything about yesterday?

- I don't think so, - my voice sounded unsteady.

And suddenly my subconscious started saying to me what I had been trying to say when I woke up. And somehow I started to remember some things vaguely, Toby and Josh annoyed, the trip from the Hospital to the White House and that I was ready to give a conference to thepress. But, that was all, nothing more, it was as if a curtain had fallen down before my memory. I remembered absolutely nothing else

- Wait I'll call Dr. Clatten, he´s anxious to see you, he was your attendant and he'll explain.

I sighed and closed my eyes. Well, I was in the hospital; nobody enjoys a stay in the hospital, and I already had entered two times in at least 24 hour. The beat in my head had been converted into an agony of pulsation...

- Do you want a consultation?

I opened my eyes and in front of my eyes appeared Doctor Craig Clatten.

- Good, - he said happily, - you became one of our better clients. Do you know how much your bill is for the seams alone? We are going to have to apply reduced tariffs... How are you doing, Mr. Seaborn? - he said to me, sitting down on the side of the bed.

- I feel like someone had opened my head.

- Good, we did something like that, we have realized three holes in the parietal right. We extracted enough blood. Do you remember anything?

- No, - I said.

- You came in here sleepy, sick and one of your pupils was dilated. We did not wait for the x-rays, we did the holes immediately.

-Oh, - I said, - when I will get out of here?

- Three or four days maximum.

- Is it a joke? Four days?

- An epidural is slightly serious. Besides we want to make sure you are going to rest.

- There is no another possibility?

- Well, I always believed that doctors were the bad patients, but I think now that lawyers are bad too. You are a lawyer, aren´t you ?

- Yes, - I answered, reclining in the pillow, exhausted and closing my eyes trying to relieve the headache. I heard the voice of the doctor again.

- I know that you are in pain, but unfortunately I cannot give you more morphine.

- Aspirin?

- It is good, you can take some aspirin.

- Thank you.

- Well, Mr. Seaborn, this time I assure you that you are not escaping from the hospital. Your co-workers spent the whole night here. And then they have called every hour. They are worried about you.

- I do not doubt it

- Good. I will be going to call them and say that you have woken up. And as soon as you look like a human being I will give them authorization to see you. And, Sam ...

- Yes?

- Look after yourself, I would hate to lose a patient as good as you, - he began to laugh and went out of the room.

I slept a good while, and later Toby came into the room to see me. Initially, he tried to look angry, but it didn't last very long; certainly he told me that I was a fool, and later he relaxed.

In a while, the police came and I simulated sleep until they left. CJ came at night and told to me that everything with Morgan Ross was fine. I asked how everything was going, she smiled, did not say anything to me, but gave to me a kiss and tucked me in, waiting for me to fall asleep.

The notion of the time is not present in a hospital. One day happens after another; the routine - the temperature, the food, the visits of the doctor, more temperature, more food - that is all. Toby was comingto see me every day as well as the others. And the police; only this time I could not pretend to be asleep. I told them everything I knew and they annotated it.

Towards the end of the second day, I felt better. I was feeling stronger with a clearer head, and I slept much less. I said it to the doctor and he smiled and said that I should wait a day more. In the
evening, Josh came to see me.

- Hello, - I said. He looked at me from the foot of the bed and shook his head.

- It hurts very much?

- Not anymore.

- Nice fright you gave us.

- Everything is already over. In a sense, it was interesting. It is my first hematoma epidural.

Josh did not say anything, only looked at me. And then he said:

- The police have the whole complete story.

- They verified something?.

- Yes, they found a person with your wallet. He said that he had found it, but they found that he had the weapon with which he hurt you in his apartment. It was a razor.

- Wow.

- Besides there was a witness. He says that you fought against the man. It had should have been a very agreeable scene - you with the fists and he with a razor.

- The witness said it?

- Yes, and you do not remember anything!

I nodded, then I asked:

- What happened with Morgan Ross?

- Well, he looked for publicity and he obtained it. But CJ thinks his 15 seconds of fame are gone. The next time he will think of a better way of achieving his goals.

- You don't mean she made him cry and told it to his mom?

- Don´t ask, - said Josh with a big smile, -it went in that way , she took care of everything and already now it is old news, - and he threw me several newspapers. I looked for some news especially for this incident. There wasn't any. Only some sensationalist story and criticizm on the movie " The prince of New York ". I smiled.

The third day of my stay in the hospital, I was insisting to the doctor until finally he agreed to let me to go. They discharged me at half past three in the afternoon, Toby brought me some clothes and we drove to my house in his car. On the way, I said:

- Turn right at the corner.

- Why?

- I want to see something.

- Sam... - started Toby but I cut him off.

- Come on Toby, it won't take long.

He frowned, but he did as I asked. I directed him up to coming to the movie theater and saw with pleasure that the movie Prince of New York was being extracted off the billboard.

Nobody paid attention to me while I watched them unhook the cartel. They had done this work thousands of times now. For them, it was only they daily work. I looked at Toby and told him that he could drive on. We followed our way, and in a moment the whole matter left my memory. I never thought about it again..