Meg: Hell's Aquarium by Steve Alten

Author:Steve Alten
Format: mobi, azw3, epub
Tags: Thrillers, Suspense, Espionage, Fiction
ISBN: 9780765365859
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2010-04-27T05:00:00+00:00

20.

Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula

Monterey, California

Amazing really. He lost so much blood. Did you call his wife?

Yes. She’s flying in with his daughter. Will Carlos be okay?

They have him in a recompression chamber; he’s being treated for the bends and shock.

The pain of consciousness pushes Ed Hendricks above the dark surf. He attempts to spit out his regulator, but it’s wedged too tightly in his mouth and throat. Unable to yank the annoying object free, he grunts in frustration, shaking his head to and fro.

“He’s awake. Mac, call the nurse. Ed, it’s Jonas. Open your eyes. Ed?”

A slit of daylight breaks through an ocean of shadows as Ed Hendricks opens his eyes. Fran Rizzuto leans over him, smiling with relief. “Thank God.”

Groggy, he turns to his left and sees Jonas.

“You’re in a hospital. Don’t try to talk. You’re going to be fine.”

Fran shoots Jonas a look as the doctor enters the room. “Welcome back, Mr. Hendricks. My name is Daniel Pernini, I’m your attending physician. You’ve been in shock due to massive blood loss. We had to place a tube down your throat to keep your airway open. Open wide, this may make you gag.”

The doctor removes the tube. “How’s that?”

Hendricks flinches as he swallows.

Fran places a cup of water to his lips. “Slow sips.”

The master diver nods his thanks while Dr. Pernini checks his vitals. “How do you feel?”

“Pain.”

“In your throat?”

“Legs. Hurt bad. Sharp pain. Like needles puncturing my bones. Feet are throbbing.”

The physician glances at Jonas and Fran. “We’ll get you something for the pain.”

“Doc, there’s pressure . . . like a weight squeezing them . . . like I’m being crushed. Still, I owe you, guys for saving them.”

The doctor prepares a hypodermic needle of morphine. “You’re a lucky man, Mr. Hendricks. By all rights you should be dead. Your friends refused to give up; they saved your life.” He injects the morphine into the I.V. bag. Adjusts the drip.

Ed Hendricks drifts back beneath the waves, the pain receding.

Jonas watches the big man’s eyes roll up, wondering how he’ll tell him that his legs are long gone—devoured by Angel just below the hip.

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