He was so deep in thought that he almost missed the parkway turnoff to Egret Pointe, but he managed it, his brakes squealing just slightly as he cornered the turn. The hospital was nearby. He hadn't been to Egret Pointe General since J. J. was born. He swung into the lot and parked his sports car. He found a Pink Lady manning the desk.

"I am Jeff Buckley. My wife, Nora, was brought in this morning."

"Buckley. Buckley," the Pink Lady repeated, going down the list. "Ah, here it is. Buckley. She's in the ICU, but no visitors, Mr. Buckley. Still, if you're her hubby, I suppose no one would mind. Three West is the ICU. Take this card." She handed him an index card with the words ICU VISITOR stamped on it in black. The edges of the card were frayed.

"Thank you," he said, giving her his best smile.

The elevator opened on the third floor. Immediately in front of him was a sign with arrows pointing in various directions. THREE WEST was the heading. CCU was to the left, and ICU was to the right. Jeff turned right, and hurried through a pair of swinging doors.

"Jeff!" He turned to see a small lounge. Rick and Carla were in it. He turned again, and went in to greet them. Carla just glared, but said nothing. "What happened to her?" Jeff asked.

"They don't know," Rick said quietly. "I was to pick her up this morning to drive into town to Kramer's office. When she didn't show up, I called first but didn't get any answer, so I went over. I rang the bell. I knocked. I called her. Nothing. So I went back home and got a spare key. We all have keys for the other houses on the court," Rick explained, knowing Jeff wouldn't have known that. "I let myself into the house. Both cats shot by me. We'll have to get them in later. I called her name, but the place was as silent as a tomb. So I started searching the house. I went upstairs first, and when I couldn't find her, I came back down to look around there. I found her in the den.

"She was in her chair, in front of the television. It was still on, but no picture. She must have ordered a movie, and whatever happened to her happened while she was watching it. Her teacup was tipped over. There was no sign of forced entry, or violence. I called emergency, and they brought her to the hospital," Rick concluded.

"Did she try to commit suicide?" Jeff asked. "Did you see any pills?"

"You know Nora doesn't take anything stronger than aspirin," Carla finally spoke up, "or maybe you don't. You've never been around much. Besides, Nora wouldn't kill herself over you." The last word was said in a scornful tone.

"What do the doctors say?" Jeff wanted to know.

"We're waiting for Dr. Rhone now," Rick answered. "He's the ER guy."

"I'll wait with you," Jeff said.

Carla made a rather rude noise but said nothing more for the time being.

The doctor arrived. He looked to Rick and spoke, but Rick quickly introduced Jeff to the physician, who said, "I didn't realize Mrs. Buckley's husband was still alive."

Carla laughed aloud.

"We're in the process of a divorce," Jeff said. "Rick is my wife's attorney, and should be told anything that concerns her health. I'll be driving back into town shortly. I just came out when I heard the news."

"Oh," Dr. Rhone said. "Well, the preliminary tox reports are in. There is nothing in her system that would indicate she took any harmful substance. Not even an aspirin. She doesn't appear to have had a stroke, although those are difficult to pinpoint actually, so it might be she stroked out, but the MRI shows nothing. Other than that, I have no answers. Her vitals are good. But Dr. Sam will know more. He's her regular guy."

"She isn't dying?" Jeff asked.

"Not at all," Dr. Rhone replied. "She's simply unconscious, and we can find no cause yet. But I'm sure we will. And she could wake up at any time. Tell me, Mr. Buckley, has this divorce proceeding been particularly stressful for Mrs. Buckley? Stress is something we're learning more about every day. It seems to be able to do just about anything to a body and mind's well-being."

"You bet, she's been upset," Carla burst forth. "Wouldn't you be if after twenty-six years of devotion and love, you were told you were being replaced by a Heidi, who is young enough to be your daughter?"

"Carla!" Rick pleaded.

Dr. Rhone looked uncomfortable. "About your wife's care, Mr. Buckley," he began. "Since you aren't here, would you like to sign a document delegating your wife's attorney to make any decisions that need to be made?"

"Sure," Jeff said. He turned to Rick. "That's okay with you?"

"Yeah," Rick told him. "I'm here. You're not. What about her health insurance? Has the divorce policy kicked in yet?"

"Call my assistant, Carol. She's got all the particulars, but yes, Nora is covered," Jeff said. He turned back to the doctor. "Can I see her?"

"Certainly, come with me," Dr. Rhone replied.

Jeff followed the physician into the ICU, where Nora lay quietly in a neatly made hospital bed. He looked down at her. She looked younger than she had last spring. And she had colored her hair. He figured she'd be going fishing for another husband once they were parted. And she was a heck of a lot thinner. There was even a slight smile on her face. She was very still. She actually looked as if she were sleeping, and having a very nice dream while she did. He turned away. Wake up, or die, damnit! the voice in his head said. "Let me sign that paper now so Rick can have the responsibility of her care," Jeff said, and returned to the waiting room.

"I'll have a nurse bring you the papers," Dr. Rhone told him. Then he was gone.

"You're certain you don't mind doing this?" Jeff asked Rick one more time.

"He doesn't mind!" Carla snapped. "Nora and I are best friends. Who else is here who can look after her?" You schmuck, she thought silently.

Jeff signed the papers and handed them back to the waiting nurse. "Look, Carla," he said, but she stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"It isn't the divorce that bothers me, Jeff," she said. "It's what a son of a bitch you have been about it. All she wanted was the house. She deserved it. She wanted nothing else from you. No alimony. Nothing. Just the house."

"I don't want to start with another mortgage at my age," he said.

"Hey, you're starting with another wife. And don't think she won't want at least one kid, Jeff. She will. If you play, honey, you gotta pay. But Nora shouldn't have had to pay for your libido, and your big whopping midlife crisis. Whatever has happened to her is your fault. She's lying there right now because of you. I hope you're satisfied! Now run home to Bambi, or whatever the hell her name is. Just don't let me ever see your face again!" And Carla began to cry.

Jeff Buckley looked distinctly uncomfortable. He had never understood his wife's friendship with Carla, a smart-mouthed city kid- an Italian Catholic, for God's sake. And the others. Rina Seligmann, a Jewish social worker. Joanne, who was the wife of a hardware store owner. Tiffany Pietro d'Angelo, that hot little blonde who had kneed him once when he had come on to her. Good riddance to them all. Rick was comforting his wife. Jeff caught his eye. "Thanks," he said, and then he left. He could hardly wait to get back to town, but telling Heidi wasn't going to be easy.

"Is he gone?" Carla asked, sniffling into her husband's shoulder.

"Yeah. You sure gave it to him," Rick chuckled.

"He's a bastard!" Carla muttered.

"Agreed," Rick said. "I think he was hoping she would die. I really do."

"Nora's not going to die!" Carla said. No, she wasn't. Right now she was having a very good time in The Channel. Carla almost smiled. When Nora got back, she'd tell her how she had told off Jeff. Yet seeing her best friend lying in the ICU bed so still and fragile-looking was not easy. She did look as if she were sick, and it scared Carla just a little bit. Was Nora really alright?

"Let's go home, honey," Rick said. "There isn't anything we can do right now." He put his arm about his wife. They stopped at the nurse's station, and Rick gave the charge nurse his card. It had all his numbers. His office. The house. His cell. His e-mail. "Call me if there's any change," he told her, and she nodded.

Carla called Jill and J. J. that night. Both of them wanted to come home immediately, but Carla told them there was nothing they could do, and warned them that Nora would have a fit if she woke up and her kids weren't in school, where they belonged. "I'll keep you up to speed," she told them both, and they agreed to remain where they were for the interim. Next she called Margo.

"I just talked to her yesterday," Margo said, suddenly sounding very frail. "She didn't try…"

"No!" Carla said quickly.

"What about the divorce?" Margo asked.

"Everything is on hold for now."

"I'll come up," Margo said.

"If you want to, and you can stay with us," Carla replied, "but honestly, there's nothing you can do right now, and she could wake up any minute." Carla hated lying to Nora's mother, but she couldn't possibly explain what Nora had done.

"Well," Margo responded slowly, "I'll wait, then. Who's in charge? Not Jeff!"

"No. He signed everything over to Rick. I think he was relieved to do it," Carla explained. "I think he's afraid of the responsibility under the circumstances."

"Thank God!" Margo replied.

That had been the difficult call, but she had gotten through it, Carla thought, relieved. Margo wasn't the kids. Now all we have to do is wait for Jeff to cave like Nora said he would, Carla considered. But it was all very nerve-racking.

Nora lay in her unconscious state for ten days. There was no change. The hospital kept her hydrated, but they did nothing more. Finally Dr. Sam suggested that his patient would have to be moved to a nursing facility.

"Shorecrest is lovely," he told Rick, "and when she awakens she'll need physical therapy certainly. They have several excellent therapists."

Rick agreed. He had checked with Jeff's assistant, Carol, and learned that she had chosen the best health care policy possible. It even included nursing-home care for several months. "That was very thoughtful of you, Carol," Rick had noted.

Carol laughed. "He'll never know. He doesn't bother with stuff like this, and fair is fair. Mrs. B. was always nice to me. And I know where those lovely Christmas gifts with Jeff's card came from every year. I put J. J. on the policy, but I didn't dare add Jill."

"I'll tell her so she can get something for herself if she can afford it," he replied. "Thanks, Carol. If this causes any trouble, let me know."

Carol laughed again. "I already have a job offer from Raoul Kramer," she said.

Rick laughed too, and hung up.

Nora was moved from the hospital into a sunny private room at Shorecrest. The nurses at both the hospital and the nursing facility remarked upon how Nora's mouth was always smiling. Some smiles were broader than others. It was encouraging, but it was eerie too. Carla had noticed it as well, and one day she bent to whisper in Nora's ear, "Don't wear them out, sweetie!"

She couldn't know, but Nora actually heard her. She was sitting atop Kyle's chest while he amused himself with her breasts. His thick cock was buried deep in her wet pussy, and she was burning with her lust. She laughed softly to herself at Carla's words. She needed Rolfie too today. "Rolf!" she called, and he came eagerly into the bedroom. "I need two today, darling," she said. She leaned forward, offering Kyle a nipple, which he quickly took and began to suck on hard.

Rolf was behind her now. "I want to put it in your ass," he whispered hotly in her ear. "You haven't let me do that yet, Nora, and I want to do it so bad." His big hands massaged the cheeks of her bottom. "You have the cutest tush," he said, stroking her.

"I'm not sure," she teased him. Her clit was tingling at the thought of Kyle throbbing in her cunt, and Rolf throbbing in her ass.

"Let him," Kyle murmured. "Together we can give you the climax of your life, Nora. And then send him away, please."

"I'm in charge here," she reminded him, smiling into his handsome face. "I need you both tonight." She could feel Rolf's finger rubbing her anus with sweet-smelling oil. She wiggled provocatively against his finger. His cock began foraging between the twin half spheres of her bottom. "Ohh, do it!" she told him. "Do it now!"

His hands closed about her hips to steady them both. He pushed the head of his penis against the tight little opening. She moaned, and arched her back for him. The sphincter suddenly relaxed, and he was plunging forward. Now Rolf groaned as the tight walls of her flesh tightly encased him. He moved carefully. "Can you find the spot, Kyle?" he asked his male companion.