Judge Me Not by John D. MacDonald

Author:John D. MacDonald [MacDonald, John D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: hardboiled, suspense, crime
Published: 2012-01-27T03:26:10+00:00

Chapter Eight

“How are we this morning?” Dr. Schaeffer said.

Aftereffects of the injection were like clouds, his mind like an aircraft that flew through them, alternating bright lucidity with the almost overpowering desire to sink back into sleep. His tongue felt as though it had been split, packed with cotton, resewed.

“From neck to knees, Doctor, I feel like a dull toothache. The rest of me is fine.”

“You’re like a rainbow. I can pick out six distinct colors. Hungry?”

“Definitely.”

“You’re on a bland diet. Milk toast, soft-boiled eggs. Yesterday’s fever is gone. You’re subnormal right now. X-ray plates show nothing.”

“Wait a minute. Yesterday’s fever? What’s today?”

“Friday, Mr. Morrow.”

“Wasn’t I brought here last night?”

“No. Wednesday night. You’ve lost a day. Can’t you remember any of it?”

Teed frowned. “A few bits and pieces. Can I get up?”

“This afternoon, if you feel like it. You can get dressed tomorrow. Avoid bending over, picking up anything heavy. There’s some abdominal-muscle damage. Not much, but enough to be careful about. Stop in my office Monday morning.”

The doctor left. Teed could sense his own weakness. He shut his fists, and could not shut them tightly. After a time he heard steps on the stairs, the clink of dishes. Marcia came in with food on a tray table.

“Good morning, nurse,” Teed said.

She was crisp, quick, smilingly polite. She bent over him to pull the pillows up. She smelled of soap and some floral perfume. She looked as though she had been scrubbed with a harsh brush until she glowed. Viking woman.

“Did I make the papers?” he asked.

“I’ll get them for you. The Times played it down. The Banner News convicted you, on the front page, of drunken assault, lechery, obstructing justice. They slyly hinted that you killed Mrs. Carboy, but Mr. Rogale told Daddy that some legal eagle had gone over the story before it was printed, so there’s nothing actionable.”

“I guess I’ve got a little dirty linen to hang on the public clothesline.”

Her lips tightened a bit. “That’s your affair, Teed. Not mine.”

“Marcia, are you as prim inside as you look outside?”

“I’ll get the papers now,” she said.

He went over the Thursday papers and the Friday morning Banner News carefully. The only important thing was to determine if Dennison had been hurt by this. He flushed as he read the editorial in the Banner News.

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