"Messy but superficial," the intern said calmly. "I'll bet it hurts."
"You win," Rick muttered.
"How did it happen?"
Steve described Rick's accident briefly. The intern nodded. He shined the light into Rick's eyes and watched the pupils contract. "Possible concussion. We'll check at the hospital." He knelt and took a roll of cloth from his bag and unwrapped it to disclose hypodermic needles in a sterile inner wrapper. He fitted a needle to a syringe and found a bottle of alcohol and a vial of sedative. Working swiftly, he wiped the vial top and Rick's arm with alcohol, then drew fluid into the syringe. "This will help the pain," he said, and pressed the needle into Rick's arm.
"Now," the doctor said briskly, "let's look at the next one. What happened to him?"
"Fish spear in the side," Steve replied.
Scotty and the attendant helped Rick to the ambulance. He lay down on the stretcher gratefully and closed his eyes. Scotty stayed with him while the attendant went to help with the bodyguard.
"Quite a party," Rick said faintly.
Scotty covered him with a blanket. "You missed most of it, but I'll give you the details tomorrow. How are you feeling?"
"Groggy." Rick's eyes were closed. He was never sure at what point he drifted off into deep slumber. He knew only that he had no recollection of the bodyguard being placed next to him or of the ambulance leaving Calvert's Favor.