"Losing it all is just another word for freedom, Blake. And it ain't half bad, I can tell ya!" Lucky whispered.

I jerked my head from my soppoing pillow and stared around the darkened room as though I were looking for a burglar in the velvet night.

"Lucky?? Where are you? What the hell is going on?????"

"Relax, big fella. The case must go on. I see it so clearly now. You're gonna do fine. I'd love to come along, andhelp out. You have no idea how ghelpful I can be from here! But it seems I have other fish calling for frying.... Just wanted you to know it's okay, baby!!! I'm okay!! You are, too"

"Lucky!! Lucky??? I'm so sorry I took my eye ooff the ball, I don't know what I was thinking -- I really fucked up, babe. I wanted you to know...."

"As it happens, old pal. you did just right. I can't explain, exactly, but... well, this piece of the script was what I wrote, honey, and you played it exactly right. Don't worry about a thing...."

"But....hey!!! Lucky!!! What the hell kind of a script izzat??? Huh??? I was supposed to protect you!!! And I didn't!!! I was really dumb!!!!">p>"Ya gonna learn what ya gonna learn, babe. 'S okay with me if you want to pay more attention to business in the future. But don't kick yourself around on my account. I'm doing fine, just now, and I think I know why I wrote it going down this way. Oh... and by the way.... I heard that discussion we had dowbn in the cold room. I love you too, Blake. Always have. Always will... I just didn't want to swell your head up, you big baboon. Too late to worry about that now. Gotta go... get back to work, ya bum!!! See ya next time!!! So long, Blake....."

I sat up shaking my head, grabbing for eyesight and plunging through the window I had refused to think about, slamming into 'real" time. I looked at my watch, which someone had left on me wrist. Ity was five thirty. I was late for a date at the Fretloose and the concert was only hours away. I grabbed a bell pull on a string next to my bed and started pumping it and an overplump red-facxed woman in a white costume left over from a John Wayne does Iwo Jima flick scuttled through the doorway. She made it clear she was about as interested in releasing me as she was in gettong elected at the next Sons of Arabia Chapter Meeting. I told her I understood and really appreciated the care I was getting. She went back to the National Enquirer at the nurse's station. I slipped my shoes out of the closet and I stepped into the bathroom and slipped the flip-lock into the next room down the hall. They hadn't bothered to steal my clothes. The next room was empty, and it was only a few strides from the door down to the fire escape and I was hospital history. I headed for the Fretloose, wondering what the hell I had just seen, and not caring much whether it was 'real" or not.