Chapter 1

I looked at the doctor again, “Everything still hurts, and movement is a pain, but I’ve got a handicap suite at the Hyatt, and room service, so I’m getting by.”

“Well your records show you received one hell of a beating, I am concerned with the spots in your vision, I don’t see anything,” she said after examining my eyes with a very bright light.

“It’s not exactly spots, and it’s tinted blue, and it sits right in the middle of my vision. I can see thru it, but it’s more annoying than my tinnitus.”

She handed me a piece of paper and a pen, “You said it doesn’t change? Can you sketch it for me?”

I sketched it out, “It kind of looks like a guy in a hat standing next to trees, there was a flash of light just after the plane landed in Beijing, and it’s been there ever since.”

系统

“Both eyes? I wonder if it’s retinal burning, looks Chinese, maybe a sign exploded and the light damaged your retina? I’m going to write an order for a specialist, you said that was a week ago, it should have healed by now.”

“8 days ago, I think,” I counted the days in my head, I’d been in the hotel five days, and had been in the hospital here for three days after getting off the plane.

“Otherwise the bruising is looking good, ribs are mending, eight weeks on those leg casts, and maybe six on the arm cast. Labs from the hospital look good, I’d like to see you again in a week, but come early or call an ambulance if something doesn’t feel right, you’ve had a blow to the head, and all those plane fights while injured leave me concerned, but less as time goes by.

“If it feels like an emergency don’t try to come in, just dial 911,” she concluded.

“Understood doc, thanks, I appreciate you willing to see me on a Sunday.”

“For my sins, I get the weekends this month. It works, not like you have to travel far.”

The nurse brought in my paperwork a bit later then wheeled me out. The doctor’s office was in a wing of the hospital, the Hyatt was just next door. Still I called the concierge who sent a bellboy to fetch me back to my room on the fourth floor.

“Thanks Mike,” I told him, as we navigated the sidewalk so he could push me across the parking lot, for a much smoother ride.

“No problem Mr Roberts, you’re a guest in the presidential suite, we are happy to care for you”

“Please, just Koby,” I said, and glanced at my watch, “almost lunch time, but I’m not feeling hungry. I’ll probably wait on room service till later.”

“No problem Koby, it’s open till midnight,” he reminded me.

He opened my hotel door for me and pushed me in, then helped me move from the wheelchair to the medical recliner. Not sure what it’s called but it could move in nearly any direction, and was the only comfortable place I had to rest. And I was tired. I was using less pain killers, but even the trip to the doc had worn me out.

I startled awake at the knock, and the head that peered thru the door calling my name.

“Hi Koby, napping again?” she teased.

“Hi Gloria, can’t seem to stay awake, are you here to wash away my dignity again?”

“Dignity, is that what guys call it these days?”