Chapter 54 Section VI

When Decker undressed and went into the bathroom, he had never felt so alone, so unprotected.He never wanted to leave his residence unless it was absolutely necessary.So he dismissed the idea of ​​going to Beth's house to take a shower, and made do with the cool water from his own bathroom.Of course it was not very comfortable, and it was impossible to satisfy his eager desire to wash away the sticky sweat and the mold of death that clung to him.Shaking non-stop, he washed his hair and body as quickly as possible.His muscles ached with tension. He shaved quickly.Because of the cold water, the razor hurts on the face.Then he puts on flats, khaki trousers, and a camel hair shirt.He chose these dark garments because they were unobtrusive.How he wished the police hadn't confiscated his pistol, and regretted not buying two.He picked up a shopping bag of clothes he'd taken out of the bedroom closet after a phone call at Beth's house.He carried his bag and tried not to look at the dried blood on the hallway floor, and came to the living room.Officer Sanchez was waiting for him.

"I had to go to the hospital to see my friend," Decker said. "I'll drive you." The burly policeman walked across the yard and up the drive.He looked around and after confirming that there was nothing unusual, he signaled Decker to come out and get into the police car.A crowd of curious onlookers gathered on the road, pointing at Decker's house.Decker was annoyed and uneasy, but it was always better to have Sanchez on guard.If only I had a gun, Decker thought. Decker was not fooled by Esperanza's explanation that the police were sent to protect him.Sanchez's stay with Decker wasn't just about protection; the presence of the police ensured that Decker wouldn't suddenly leave the place before Esperanza had answers.Decker recalled that the intelligence officer he had spoken on the phone had told him to call in six hours, but those six hours seemed like an endless stretch of time.

Sanchez drove onto San Miguel Avenue, heading for the hospital.Decker glanced out the rear window of the car to see if anyone was following him. "Are you nervous?" Sanchez asked. "Esperanza told me to watch out for stalkers. Aren't you nervous? You seem a little stronger than when I first met you, and you look like you're wearing a bulletproof vest under your uniform." "We wear them all the time." "You really should." They come to the hospital.Sanchez parked his car not in the parking lot, but outside an out-of-the-way side gate.Then, he looked around to make sure everything was in order before letting Decker in.On the third floor, the burly police officer strapped on his gun and stood guard outside Beth's hospital room.Decker entered the room.

"How are you?" Decker looked at Beth on the hospital bed, full of pity and remorse.He blamed himself again, feeling that he should be indirectly responsible for what happened to her. Beth forced a smile. "Better." "Yeah, you look better." Decker carefully kissed her cheek, not to touch the sling on her right arm.He found the IV line had been removed. "You're teasing me again," Beth said. "Really. You look beautiful." "You are very considerate of patients."