As the Eagle Flies. J. D. Oliver

put a bandage on it. I wouldn’t be doing any setups, if I were you.” He said. I turned to Cort,

      “How about it, do you need me any longer?”

      “No, I don’t think so, the bartender gave me the particulars. And there was also a surveillance camera. When you going home? There sure seems to be a high body count when you’re around.” He laughed, then added, “I was just kidding, I’ll be by after lunch tomorrow. I have a little more info on that Dipper Tick. See you then, go on, go the bed.”

      I used my magnetic key on the door, looked like every one was still asleep, the clock said that it was three. Faith was still asleep, I undressed and got in, cuddling up close. She was on the right side of the bed, my wound was on my left side, so I could lie on my right side. It wasn’t long till I fell asleep, with no dreams.

      I was woke by Faith screaming, “What the hell, where did all of the blood come from?” She was setting up in bed looking at me. She had thrown the covers back, “There’s blood all over you and the bed.”

      Her screaming brought Rosie on the run, she was carrying Alita. All three of them were staring at me. “Take it easy, I’m okay. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I went down to the bar for a nightcap.” I looked at Rosie, “Rosie, your old foster father is dead, and your foster mother has a broken nose.”

      Faith said, “Turn over, let me see your side.” I did so, “What happened, it’s still bleeding.”

      I told them the whole story. Faith said, “Come on, get in the bathroom, let me take that bandage off and see if I can’t put a cork in that leak.” I got up and walked to the bathroom, with blood running down my side. Faith yanked the bandage off, “That’s a piss poor job of sewing, Rosie get my sewing kit out of my suitcase, will you. Get in the tub, don’t bleed all over the floor. Take your shorts off, they’re soaked with blood.” I stood there in my altogether. Rosie came back and handed Faith the sewing kit. Faith said, “Rosie, use your free hand and hand me a wet washcloth, then put Alita in her high chair and come back and give me a hand.”

      Of course Alita wasn’t about to be left in the next room, Rosie had to bring the high chair into the bathroom. Faith looked at Rosie, “You okay?” Rosie nodded, “Good, then put your finger here, put pressure on it. I’m going to cut those stitches, it’s bleeding from somewhere deeper, I have to get down to it. Here let me hold that, you get me that book of match’s from my suitcase.” She looked up at me, “You’re not going to faint on me are you?”

      “Hell no, do what you have to, I’m okay.” I said, with more bravado than I felt.

      Rosie came back with the match’s and then put her finger on the spot, Faith finished cutting the stitch’s. “There it is, that little bleeder, Rosie light me a match and heat the end of this needle, I have to cauterize that blood vessel.”

      There was a little sizzle, then Faith said, “Rosie thread the needle with that cat gut thread. No, not that one, the other one.” It didn’t take her long to stitch it back up. Then Faith said, “I’m going to turn on the shower and wash the blood off of you, it won’t hurt your ‘owee’. I hadn’t noticed before, but Faith was still naked, just like when she went to bed. I had left my shorts on when I came back and went to bed. Rosie didn’t bat an eye at either one of us, she knew what was important and what was not.

      After we had got dressed, Faith called the front desk and had them send a maid up. She was little bit upset, the blood had soaked down into the mattress. I told her we would pay any damage’s. And that we were going down to eat. The maid said she would call maintenance for a new mattress.”

      As we were walking down to the restaurant, Rosie said, “Where did you learn to do that?” She was looking at Faith.

      “Oh that, in college one year I had a part time job with a vet, I used to watch him do it, it looked pretty simple. And sure enough it was.”

      “But you had cat gut, in your sewing kit, who carries cat gut?”

      “Oh, I’ve had to do that sort of thing before, I believe in being prepared.”

      While we were waiting for our food, Cort found us. I asked him to join us. The waitress came over and he ordered. Then he turned to us, “I’m afraid the woman died, seems a little bit of bone penetrated her brain. And again, they want an inquest, tomorrow to be exact.”

      “Are they going to want one every time I kill someone?”

      “Again, I’m sure it’s just a formality. Nothing to worry about.” Cort said.

      Rosie looked at me and said, “You’ve killed other people?”

      Cort said, “Yes,” and then told her about me saving that Highway Patrolman. Rosie smiled at me and said, “You’re somewhat of a hero, huh?”

      “No Rosie, I’m not, I was just in the right place at the right time. Now Faith here, she’s the hero, and you also. Look at how you both saved my life this morning.” I said,

      Cort said, “What’s this?” Rosie told him all about it.

      “Clay, you had better go have that checked out,” Cort said. Faith said, “Hey, you doubt my work?”

      “No, of course not, but you’re not a Doctor.”

      “No, I’m not, I work for free. Clay’s alright, but just to be sure, I’ll take him by the Hospital this morning, myself.” And she did, along with Rosie and Alita.

      We went in, they said that they were expecting me, Cort had called them. They ushered us into one of those little tent rooms. It only took about 30 seconds for the Doctor to show up. He looked at the wound, “Hey that’s a pretty good job of stitching, did the paramedics do that?”

      “No, my wife and daughter did, there was a bleeder the paramedics missed, she had to cut it open and cauterize it.” I said.

      “Huh, you did this? With no anesthesia or anything?” He said, incredulously.

      “Sure, my husband is tough, he didn’t even cry.” Faith said, giving me a wink.

      “Well, that’s good, I would have. But we had better shoot him full of antibiotics, to ward off any infection.” He rang for the nurse, then said to me, “I hear you’re responsible for those two new bodies in the morgue?”

      “No, I’m not. She killed him as she committed suicide. I just got in between them.”

      “Uhhuh,” he said, then he seen my face, he flushed and went to meet the nurse. Faith looked at me and said, “Really honey, he didn’t mean any harm.”

      “I know, it’s just that maybe I’m feeling guilty.” I said.

       We sort of lazed the day away, anyway, I did. The girls all went shopping. I laid on the bed watching TV. Yeah, it hurt. I didn’t want my family to know it did, but I think they figured it out, when I wouldn’t go with them.

      They, all three came back late that afternoon with more clothes and accessory’s, for all of us. Faith had bought Rosie a video game that you could plug into the TV, you could play Golf, Bowl and stuff like that, pretty realistic, you actually got exercise from it. What wouldn’t they think of next?

      I didn’t feel like going out, so we just ordered room service for supper. Cort called and told us the time for the hearing; ten the next morning. I was feeling some better, just a little stiff. Faith changed the bandage, she said there was no sign of infection.

      All four of us went to the hearing. Guess who else was there, yep, you’re right, that Dipper Tick. He tried to speak, but the Judge shut him down right quick. He had that Delbert Washington with him. The Judge had them escorted out. Anyway, I was glad he was there, I got a good look at him, I bet I could recognize him in a dark alley.

      Cort was right, it was just a formality. Especially after they seen the bar video, it sure made things simple, cut and dried. The Judge did say that I seemed to be a little bit of a violence magnet. Whatever