Revenge is Necessary will publish December 6, 2020 and be available in paperback and as eBook on all major online outlets. You can pre-order signed copies directly through Bill Mathis for $18.00 shipped. Use PayPal: http://paypal.me/WilliamRMathis
Connie sat in the surgery waiting room, tiring of the wait. The surgeon and a nurse finally approached. The surgeon shook her hand. “I’m Dr. Patel, the surgeon. Your husband has extensive damage to his lower leg. Both the tibia and fibula are shattered. Just cleaning it out has taken us this long. It’s clear to me the leg should be amputated below the knee.”
“So, are you asking for permission to amputate now?”
“Yes, we checked his medical records. Years ago, he designated you to have power of attorney in medical manners.”
“That’s only in case he is incompetent to make decisions. Is this something that can wait for him to decide? What happens if I won’t make that decision? That I think he should make it. The man just tried to shoot me at close range with a twelve-gauge slug for reasons I don’t know. If I tell you to amputate and he doesn’t want it, what will he do to me if he recovers?” She stared into the surgeon’s eyes, saw them flicker. “Can he be patched up enough till he regains consciousness? Is there a possibility he can survive with a chewed-up leg?”
Dr. Patel looked at the floor. “His leg needs to be amputated. I think it should be done in The Cities. We will discontinue the sedation so that he wakes up and can express his decision.”
~ * ~
As Shaw came to, he realized Connie sat next to him. Her voice sounded distant, unfocused. Must be on her phone. To who? Or was it whom? He didn’t like being groggy. He heard the word secret. Secret? She had one, a very big one. Had she figured out his? He had more than one. Why was she talking so strongly to Junior? Telling him to not come home? Shaw didn’t look at her when she leaned over him. Why should he?
He knew the truth.
Now.
Finally.
Her truth.
Would she discover his? Should he tell her? Everything?
He listened to Cochran’s questions. He asked his own back. He might be groggy, but he wasn’t going to answer anyone until he had more time to think about things….. Nope, he didn’t care if the boys were gay, in love or in heat. Right now, though, he’d have to think about things. Right now, he needed sleep. Let Fred Cochran sit there as long as he wanted to. No, he wasn’t going to The Cities or have his leg amputated. This just meant he’d die sooner than he planned. Which, given the information that could surface, might not be such a bad option. Easier than the legal mess that would ensue.
~*~
Junior scooted his chair closer toward the head of the bed. “Yeah, Dad. I can understand you being upset that Mom had an affair with Hans, but why shoot me?”
Shaw turned his face to see Junior, slightly lifted his right hand and pointed his finger at him. “Because you’re not my son. It’s impossible.” Despite his facial look, his voice was emotionless, calm, matter of fact.
“How is it impossible?” Connie knew the fear in her voice was palpable. The knot on her second secret was coming untied. How could it be impossible Junior was Shaw’s?
She knew how
Don’t miss the first virtual book launch or Revenge is Necessary, December 10, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Join through this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82217853950. There will be prizes, several short readings and I will be interviewed by Kathie Giorgio, author, my writing coach and head of All Writers Workshop. Invite your friends!
Another excerpt next Thursday!