1 - Vacation

"I think it's going to be fun, Daddy," Sarah Stafford said to her father.

"I hope so," said Amy, "I think you and Daddy are going to like the roller coasters a lot more than I do."

"You don't like roller coasters?" Sarah asked her mother.

"No."

"Why not? They're not dangerous or anything."

"It's just that I prefer to stay in control. I don't even like riding in a car if someone else is driving."

"I've never been in a car."

"Yes you have. You probably don't remember it though."

"When then?"

"When we left California, and again when we came to Utah."

"We lived in California?"

"Yes. Surely you remember me telling you about that."

"I know you said that the headquarters of Stafford Industries used to be in California before the earthquake destroyed it, that's why we moved to Utah."

"Right. Do you remember Las Vegas?" Jake asked. At the time of the earthquake the Stafford family had been staying in their hotel/casino in Las Vegas. They had stayed there for two years before moving to the space station. However, Sarah had been only three years old when they left Las Vegas. Jake doubted if she remembered much about it.

"Not really. I remember the space station though."

"That was also a long time ago. We've lived in TowerLand for more than half of your life now," Amy said. Had it really been that long? Time had gone by so quickly. It seemed like it had been just a couple of years ago that she and Jake had started Stafford Industries, but in fact it had been more than fourteen years.

Stafford Industries had changed much over the years. When it was first founded, the computer operating system, JAW, had been the only product they sold. Shortly thereafter they began selling computers and household robots. The company was already large when they began producing the recycling centers that were responsible for the generation of electricity supplied to many cities worldwide. Later, the company shifted priorities and started building cars and fuel systems. The computers and robots had become only a tiny fraction of the income. Over the years the company started producing other goods. Now Stafford Industries produced just about everything that could be imagined, almost all of it reserved for use in the towers.

"So Mom, what are you going to do while Daddy and I are riding the roller coasters?"

"I don't know. I will find something to do. Maybe I will just read," Amy Stafford told her daughter.

"That sounds boring. You can do that here. You should do something that you can't do at home."

"Like what then?"

"I don't know. Perhaps you can go to one of the shows or something."

"That's a good idea, but I would rather go there with you."

"I will be busy riding the rides. I want to ride everything in the park."

"I think some of the rides are not for children," her mother pointed out.

"Daddy!" she whined. Sarah knew how to play her parents.

Jake Stafford came into the room. "If she wants to ride something, she can. I will make sure she is allowed in, and I will go with her to ensure that she feels safe." He wanted Sarah to enjoy herself.

"I am not afraid of anything," Sarah stated.

Twelve-year old Sarah Stafford was indeed not afraid of anything. She had spent many hours while she was living in the space station flying around in zero gravity, and had never had cause to fear anything. Since moving out of the space station, she lived in a large estate in TowerLand, with her parents, Jake and Amy Stafford. Sarah was not an ordinary kid.

Jake and Amy Stafford were undoubtedly the richest couple in the world, being the sole owners of the largest company in the world, Stafford Industries. The true value of the company was immeasurable; as the controllers of TowerLand and most of the world's energy production, it was impossible to precisely calculate the company's worth.

The vacation was something that the entire family was really looking forward to. They had been neglecting it for far too long. Through all of their years staying in TowerLand, and the space station beforehand, the family had only left the tower once. That had been on Sarah's fifth birthday, and she had experienced a bad case of sunburn after only a few minutes. This time, they would take proper precautions to ensure that neither the temperature nor the ultraviolet rays of the sun would overwhelm Sarah. She had a right to experience the planet that she came from. She couldn't spend her whole life indoors.

It was true that TowerLand had amusement parks, but they weren't the same. They couldn't be, because inside was inside and outside was not. There was a real sky outside but only a simulated one inside. No matter how high the ceiling, how good the graphics are on the displays, it couldn't compare to the real one. Jake knew that, Amy knew that, and they needed to make sure that Sarah knew it too. It was imperative that their daughter would have the experience of feeling the Earth under her feet, to be able to smell the freshly cut grass. The sun had spoiled the trip for them the last time, and they were forced to cut the visit short. They whisked Sarah back into the tower very quickly that time, this time things would be different.

This time they planned carefully to minimize the risk to her skin. They planned on taking plenty of sunscreen. It was ironic that Jake had to order a case from outside his company. It was something that they didn't make. Sunscreen wasn't necessary in the towers.

It was March, and the temperatures at the park located at the base of the tower were moderate. They would spend an entire week visiting the park, so there was no chance that Sarah could miss anything there was to offer. In the evenings, they planned on staying in the hotel that had once been their home. If for some reason, the weather turned against them, they could always enjoy facilities indoors: bowling, playing tennis or racquetball, swimming in the indoor pool or just relaxing in the sauna or whirlpool. It was going to be a wonderful vacation.

Sarah couldn't wait. As the days grew closer, she grew more and more excited. She kept track of the time, and on the morning they were supposed to leave, she was awake and ready to go long before her parents woke up.

"Mommy, Daddy, wake up!" she shouted.

"Huh? What time is it?"

"Quarter to six. Aren't we going today?"

"Yes, but not this early."

"Why not?"

"The park doesn't open until 10:00. We don't have to leave until at least 9:00."

"We can wait by the ticket booth. That way we'll be the first ones in."

"We don't need tickets dear. We own the park."

"Oh."

"So I suppose you want to sleep."

"Please. Why don't you go play with your computer or something."

"Oh, all right." Sarah left her parents room and went back into her room. She had no desire to play with the computer, but there was nothing else to do. She sat down in front of the computer, but instead of playing computer games like most of the other children of her age, she connected to the Net. She went looking for information about how roller coasters actually worked, and the physics involved in their design. She was not an average twelve-year old.

Sarah found a site that listed the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world. She was pleased to find that of the twelve roller coasters at Stafford Park, six of them were on the list. The top of the list was the Revolver. It wasn't the tallest, but it was the fastest, and its rating was the highest because of the speed in combination with the barrel rolls and loops that the coaster contained. It was guaranteed to make you dizzy or nauseous, or both. She wanted to test that guarantee.

The time to leave finally arrived. They each carried one suitcase out of their suite and headed for the elevator. Carried was not really the correct term, as the suitcases had wheels. They rolled the suitcases, or even better described, dragged them. The corridors were crowded, but they made their way through the people with little difficulty. Once they were on the moving sidewalk, they could go much faster, and in a matter of minutes they were at the central elevator that would take them all the way to the base of the tower, four thousand kilometers below. The elevator had been reserved so it was waiting there for them. There were definite advantages to owning the facility.

It was necessary to reserve the central elevator because the distances that it needed to travel were so great that it would have been impossible for people to use it without some sort of schedule. There were other ways to get to the base of the tower, but using the series of escalators through the levels took far too long. The elevator was much faster.

In reality, the elevator wasn't used as much as people thought. Most of the residents of TowerLand used the escalators because of the way the tower was designed, it wasn't necessary to travel to levels very far from your own unless there was a major reason, and Tourism was it. Everything else could be done on or near the local level.

The whole family piled into the elevator and off it went. Sarah looked like she was about to pop; she was so excited. The elevator ride took a while and she settled down after about fifteen minutes. However, once they reached the bottom, and entered the base complex, Sarah was again finding it hard to contain her excitement. She had only been here one time before, and she remembered how grand the place was. It didn't look quite as large as she remembered, but it was still large. She thought it odd how perspective changes things. The last time she was here she was only five years old. Seven years of growing made a difference. She was tall for her age, and that added to the perception.

Sarah knew exactly where to go. She had studied the maps before they left, and before Jake or Amy could react, Sarah was running toward the exit that was closest to the amusement park.

"Sarah! Wait! We have to first put our luggage in the hotel!"

Sarah stopped and turned around. "Oh, all right."

A few minutes later they reached the edge of the tower. The hotel was already in sight. It had been several years since the Stafford family had been there. Stafford Lodge had been originally built as a house, or rather a mansion, but was converted into a hotel when the Stafford family had moved to the space station. Seeing the place brought back memories for Jake and Amy, but Sarah didn't have much of an attachment to the magnificent structure. She was far too interested in the rides of the amusement park to think about the hotel and the fact that it used to be her house.

They walked into the building, and were immediately taken to the best room in the hotel. It was not necessary for them to check in, as the entire staff, if not everyone on the entire planet knew who they were. Jake and Amy had tried to stay out of the media for the last several years, but that was almost impossible considering that they were the richest couple in the world.

Jake and Amy tried not to act any different than they did when they were just average citizens and they definitely didn't spoil Sarah with everything she wanted. While the living arrangements were well above average, the suite in TowerLand that they used was smaller than many houses owned by people with seven figure incomes. To Jake and Amy, it was a matter of needs. How much space did one family need? Certainly not so much as many of the rich people had available. The hotel they were standing in was indeed once their house, but that had been built in the days when the money was new, and they hadn't learned the lessons of waste.

Things were different now. In the last few years, things had changed for the Stafford family, and more importantly in TowerLand. Money was no longer the driving force of the economy; supplies were available in abundance, and money became something that was only used when outside TowerLand. Everyone that lived in there had everything that he or she needed, and while some people abused the system by requesting more than they needed, on average the citizens were quite prudent. It boiled down to one simple question: Why hoard things that are widely available?

Aside from the shelter that ensured that the disasters that were occurring all over the world would not harm the residents, everyone who lived in TowerLand was provided with food and clothing. The only reason anyone needed to work at all was to acquire luxury goods, or perhaps alleviate the boredom of staying in their suite all of the time.

It was nearing 10:00 and Sarah wanted to hurry to be the first one in the park. Finally her parents relented and said that it was indeed time to go. Sarah ran out of the room and was around the corner before Jake or Amy could see which direction she was going.

"I hope she knows where she's going," Jake said.

"I think she does. I know she's been looking at maps of the area for some time. I am sure she can find the entrance to the park."

"Even so, I think we should hurry. I don't want anything to happen to her. She's still just a little girl."

"Don't let her hear you call her that," Amy laughed, "OK, let's go."

Sarah was waiting in line in front of the entrance to the amusement park when Jake and Amy arrived.

"Why don't you go get her and explain to her that we won't have to wait in the line? We can go through the employee's entrance. That will save us from having to deal with the crowd, and Sarah will be able to be the first in the park. You know she'll like that."

"Good idea."

Amy walked up to Sarah and asked her to come with her.

"Why?"

"We're going to go in another way."

"What other way? There's only one entrance to the park."

"That's not true, there's another entrance for employees."

"But we don't work in the park."

"Sarah, we own the park."

"Oh yeah."

Together they walked over to the employee's entrance. When they arrived, they were immediately recognized and the door was opened for them.

"Go right on in, the park isn't open yet, so none of the rides are working, but they should be operational in another five minutes. You can take that time to look around, or go to whichever ride you want, you'll certainly be first in line if you do that," the man behind the door said.

"Thank you very much," Jake replied. Sarah had a big grin on her face.

They started walking. The park was beautiful. They were just to the side of the main entrance, and they could see the long line of people waiting on the other side of the gate. They started walking down the main aisle. On their left was a pool of water with many fountains in it. The fountains were all different sizes, and some of them were so complex that it was almost impossible to see how water could behave that way.

On the right side of the walkway were several shops, selling everything from souvenirs to food. Sarah was not interested in the shops or the fountains. She wanted to ride a roller coaster.

"So, where shall we go first?" Jake asked.

"I don't know," Amy replied.

"I do. I think we should try the Super Chute," Sarah said.

"I thought you wanted to ride the roller coasters."

"I do, but I've already told you I want to ride everything, and the Super Chute is the most popular ride in the park. I don't want to wait in line all day."

"I am sure we could arrange something that would cure that."

"I don't want people to get upset by us cutting in line. I will wait in a line if there is one, but since we're here first, we won't have to wait for the Super Chute."

Amy really admired that sentiment. Her daughter actually cared what other people thought, and didn't want to abuse the fact that she was a Stafford. Amy was sure that not all children would act the same way if they were in the same situation. She was glad her child did.

"OK, we'll go to the Chute. I will just watch if you don't mind," Amy said. There was no way she was going to get on any of the thrill rides. Amy was not that type of person.

They started walking. "Are you afraid, Daddy?"

"Of course not, but being dropped from such a height is not my idea of fun."

"It's only 300 meters. It's not that high, and after a hundred meters the chute slows you down. You don't even have time to reach terminal velocity."

"You know about terminal velocity?"

"Sure. It's the maximum speed you reach when falling. Everybody knows that."

"Not everyone that is twelve."

"Really Daddy, you seem awful naïve sometimes."

"Can you believe this honey? My twelve year old daughter is calling me naïve."

Amy just laughed. "She's right you know."

"Hey! Whose side are you on?"

By the time they reached the Super Chute, the park was open. Since the Super Cute was not close to the entrance, Sarah was the only one in line when the ride opened. She tried all the way while they were walking to convince her father to go on the ride, she knew there was no chance of convincing her mother, but he wouldn't give in. Sarah was not happy about him breaking his promise, but she was determined to go on the ride. She entered the elevator all by herself.

After the forty-five seconds that the ride took, most of which was spent climbing to the top, Sarah came back with a big grin on her face. "What a rush!"

"I am glad you liked it, honey."

"You really should try it Dad, it's better than sex."

"Now how would you know that?" Jake doubted that Sarah had ever had sex, but he wasn't with her all the time. In fact, he didn't spend nearly as much time with her as he would have liked. That was one of the reasons for this vacation.

She was only twelve years old. He was pretty sure that most twelve year olds were virgins, but certainly not all of them were. He hoped his daughter still was.

"It's just an expression Dad, take a chill pill."

"Yeah, right." He dismissed the issue and the unusual language that she used. Where she picked that expression up he had no idea. He never used it, nor did Amy. There was a lot he didn't know about his daughter. "So where are we off to now?" he asked her.

"One of the coasters."

"Do you have a preference?"

"Well, the Maneater is supposed to be really good, but the Revolver is the best according to the site I visited this morning."

"Isn't the Revolver the one that is supposed to make you sick?"

"Yep. That's the one, but maybe we should start with a small one so Mom can ride too. I know she won't go on the Revolver, but the Comet is a little one, she can handle that."

Sometimes it seemed that Sarah was a lot older than she really was. She was certainly smart. The only evidence that gave away her young age was she hadn't yet learned how to mask her emotions like most adults do. Her face was a always a dead give away to how she was feeling, although Jake and Amy both sensed that she was developing the ability.

They headed to the Comet. It took several minutes to walk from one side of the park to the other, and as they were walking, they noticed that the park was becoming busier. Many of the people were actually running to the side of the park they were coming from and there were several times that a collision was narrowly avoided.

"What is it with these people?"

"They want to ride the Chute. I told you it was popular."

The day seemed to go by very quickly. Before they realized it, it was time for lunch. Amy suggested that they go to a restaurant, and then attend one of the shows to let the food settle. Sarah didn't argue. She knew that the roller coasters could make you nauseous, and with a full stomach something was bound to come out. Best let the lunch settle.

They went to one of the seven different full service restaurants in the park. They ordered baby back ribs and French fries. Sarah and Amy came out of the restaurant perfectly clean but Jake had managed to spill some barbeque sauce on his shirt. He tried to clean it off, but it just managed to make his shirt look worse. Amy suggested that they stop by a gift shop on the way to the Dolphinarium to buy him a new shirt.

They all bought new t-shirts and changed into them, discarding their old shirts in the rubbish container in the store. Sarah pronounced the shirts really cool. They were the type that changed colors based on heat. They started out all purple, but as the shirt warmed up, it would create patches of pink, red, orange, and blue. The colors faded into each other. No two shirts were ever exactly alike once they were worn, and that's what Sarah liked about them. It reminded Jake of plasma.

The dolphins were amazing. They could jump so high out of the water it was unbelievable. The trainers used hand signals to tell the dolphins what to do, and the dolphins performed flawlessly. There was even a demonstration of dolphin intelligence where the dolphins would push buttons on a large underwater keyboard to answer questions that were posed to them. It was not certain how rehearsed the show was.

Sarah was beginning to think that the dolphins were just trained to push buttons in a certain order until the trainer asked people in the audience to ask the dolphins questions. There was no way the dolphins could know what questions the audience would ask. Of course, the people could have been planted in the audience to ask questions that the dolphins knew the answers for, however unlikely it might be.

They left the show with a new appreciation for dolphins.

"You know that chimpanzees are quite intelligent," Sarah stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but what about squid?" her father retorted.

"I don't know, I haven't done any research on squid."

"Well, they have very large brains and they manipulate things in their environment."

"I don't think they use tools. Some of the primates do though," Amy pitched in.

"I guess it doesn't matter. So, where to now?" Been there, done that, let's move on. Sometimes Sarah's attention span seemed a bit lacking.

"How about one of the projection screens? We can all go there," Jake suggested.

"You mean one that shows a display and the seats move to make it feel as you're in the movie?" his wife asked.

"Yes. You know those are safe. The seats don't ever actually go anywhere."

"I suppose we could do that." It was settled.

They went to the Panorama where they were seated in an auditorium that had a screen that covered half of the circular dome. The chairs had seat belts, and that gave Amy a sense of foreboding, but she didn't back out. She fastened the seat belt as tight as she could before the show started, apprehension filling her mind like a headache from hell. She fought back the panic that was welling up inside her. The ride didn't move, she kept telling herself.

The show started with the audience being the driver of a racecar traveling around a grand prix circuit. They could actually feel the car going around the tight corners and it took everyone in the room by surprise. Jake sneaked a glance at his wife. She didn't look so good. Well, he couldn't do anything about it now. It wasn't as if he could stop the ride.

Suddenly they were no longer on the racecar. Instead, they were riding in the back of a hook and ladder fire truck. As the front of the fire truck went around the corner, the back was whipped around. Jake realized now why those types of trucks had steering in the back as well as the front. It was like being at the end of a rope when someone started swinging it. It brought back memories of playing as a child. A large group of people would all hold hands and the person in front would run around and pull the whole line. Once there was speed, as the leader turned the corner, the last person would be pulled around and more often than not, someone would let go. It was a fun game.

The next clip was of an airplane. It wasn't the typical passenger jet that people typically flew; this was a stunt plane. The plane turned so sharply that many people though they would be thrown from their seats. It was amazingly realistic. It really felt as if you were in the plane. The only way to tell that you weren't was to turn around. As long as one was forward facing, the illusion was complete.

The last sequence was the most spectacular. The display changed into the inside of a spaceship. It was possible to see the Earth far below. What was most amazing is that the ship left the Earth at an astounding rate. The moon flashed by, then Mars, millions of asteroids, then Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and finally Pluto. Jake knew instantly that this could not be real. The speed that this ship was traveling had to be faster then light. There was no way a ship could go this fast. The most exiting thing about the display however were not the planets, it was the stars. The stars zoomed by. The illusion was very well done, as the stars that were further away were not moving as fast as the ones that were closer. It reminded Amy of the screensaver on her first computer.

When the show was over Amy was more than a bit relieved. She looked a bit green to Jake. He suggested to her to go to a bookstore and get a book while he and Sarah went riding roller coasters.

She loved the idea. She said that she would meet them at the hotel later, so they wouldn't have to worry about hunting for each other in a crowded park. Before she went to the hotel, she strolled around the park looking for things that might interest her in the next few days. They would be staying a full week at the hotel, and other than the amusement park, there were not many other things in the area that were attractive, at least not to her.

It was dark when Jake and Sarah were ready to leave. As they walked back to the main entrance, Sarah stopped to look at the fountains. She had noticed them when they passed them earlier in the day, but they didn't look anything like they did before. There were many different colored lights in the pool, and they changed colors in a random pattern. The water from the fountains was reflected in the light and it appeared that the drops of water were diamonds. It was a spectacular sight. They stood watching the beautiful display for several minutes before leaving the park and heading to the hotel.

They ate dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, and after dinner, Jake suggested that they go bowling. Sarah had never been bowling before. Considering she had never done it, she was quite good. She managed to break 100 on her first game, and by the time they were finished, she beat Amy by getting 154 points compared to Amy's 147. Jake won all three games, only finishing under 200 one time, and that just barely. His three games were 212, 198 and 224. He was quite an accomplished bowler, and could give the professionals a run for their money. Amy of course already knew that he was good. She rarely went bowling with him because of that fact.

They all slept well that evening. A full day in the amusement park had both Jake and Sarah sleeping like logs. Amy was not nearly as tired as the others, but she nevertheless slept soundly.

For the next three days they enjoyed the amusement park. Amy decided not to attend on the fifth day. She had had enough of the place. Jake didn't really want to go either, but someone had to keep an eye on Sarah. There was no way they would let Sarah go by herself, even though she was responsible for her age, there were too many lunatics that could do something to her. Jake and Amy were unwilling to take the risk.

As it turned out, it wasn't Sarah they had to worry about.

While they were waiting in line to ride the Revolver for at least the tenth time, a loud bang could be heard. It sounded like a rifle shot. It was easy to hear over the crowd noise. Everyone looked around, stunned. Suddenly Jake collapsed to the ground. Sarah looked down at her father and could see he was bleeding from the chest. She leaned over to make sure he was breathing. He was. Thank Goodness.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I think you've been shot."

"Oh my... " Jake said as he lost consciousness.

2 - Hospital

It took a few minutes before the paramedics arrived. A crowd of people stood around looking at the scene. The security officers arrived shortly thereafter. As the paramedics were loading Jake onto the collapsible gurney the security officers began investigating the incident.

"Did anyone see what happened?"

Sarah was the first to speak. "My father was shot."

"That's obvious. Did you see which direction the shot came from?"

"No, but he was facing toward the west when he was hit. I assume the shot came from the west."

"How do you know that?"

"Easy, the sun is over there. That direction," she pointed, "that must be west, and since he had been shot in the chest. " She was smart. Most kids wouldn't know that. The officer was impressed. He was also impressed by the way she was conducting herself. Most kids would have lost it. She was certainly crying, but it was obvious that she was willing herself to stop. Nevertheless, tears were sluicing down her face.

"I want the park entrance closed. No one should leave the park until we have more information. The suspect is likely to still be here," the officer said into his radio.

"Yes sir," came the reply.

"You," Lieutenant McBride said to one of his officers, "Go around and see if you can find anyone who saw someone with a gun. I assume it was a rifle, as no one here seems to have seen anything, the shot must have come from a distance. A rifle has a much longer range than a pistol. I'll lay odds that it was a rifle shot. We should be able to find out exactly what type it was, when they get him to the hospital."

"Is he going to be all right?" Sarah asked.

"It looks like the bullet missed the heart. I think the worst thing we have to worry about is the shock, although he may have some internal damage that I can't detect. We'll get him to the best hospital in the area."

"I sure hope he gets better. I feel so guilty."

"It's not your fault," an officer said, "you're not the one who shot him."

"No, but if it weren't for me we wouldn't be here."

"Where is your mother?"

"Back at the hotel. I think we better call her."

"That is a good idea. I will do that," Lt. McBride said.

A medic helicopter landed a few meters away from where Jake was lying. The paramedics loaded him onto the helicopter and it flew away. Sarah was allowed to accompany him.

Lieutenant Patrick McBride asked to be connected with Amy Stafford.

"I am sorry sir, I cannot confirm if Mrs. Stafford is staying in this hotel."

"Listen to me. This is Lieutenant McBride from Stafford Park Security. If you don't connect me right now, I will make sure you won't be answering the phone any more."

"Oh, I am sorry officer. Why didn't you say who you were in the first place?"

"I just told you who I am, now connect me." He didn't have time for this nonsense.

The phone rang. Amy picked it up on the third ring.

"Mrs. Stafford?"

"Yes."

"This is Patrick McBride from Stafford Park Security, I am afraid I have some bad news for you."

"Yes?" Amy had no idea what he was going to say.

"Your husband has been shot. He is in route to the hospital as we speak."

Amy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Oh my god. Is he going to be OK?"

"I cannot tell you that, all I can say is that he was alive when I saw him last. I would suggest you go visit him at the hospital and talk with his physician."

"Which hospital?"

"I assume the closest one, but I don't know for sure. The helicopter just left. Your husband and daughter are both aboard."

"Can't you find out which hospital they are flying to?"

"Yes ma'am, I should have done that before I called you."

"Please call me back as soon as you know."

"I will do that."

"Before you go, how did it happen?"

"We're investigating that now. The park has been sealed. The assailant must be here somewhere."

"Good luck."

"Thank you, ma'am. I will be calling you back in a few minutes."

Amy hung up the phone and immediately started packing the suitcases. She surely was not going be staying in the hotel any longer. Of course she would wait there until she found out exactly where Jake was being taken. She had to keep busy in the meantime. If she didn't do something she would go crazy with worry.

Ten minutes later the phone rang. Amy picked it up on the first ring. She knew it had to be McBride.

"This is Amy Stafford," she said as she picked up the phone.

"I apologize that I couldn't get back to you sooner. Your husband is heading to LJMH in Salt Lake City."

"LJMH?"

"Lord Jesus Memorial Hospital. It is the best hospital in Utah."

"I don't think Jake will like it."

"Why not."

"Let's just say it's in the name."

"Oh, well, that won't make a difference. They won't ask him to pray or anything, although in times like this prayer can be a big help."

"I will remember that." She paused, then said, "I have a slight problem. How in the world am I supposed to get all the way to Salt Lake City?"

"You don't have a car?"

"No, we live in the tower, we don't need a car." It was amazing that she could think straight. Perhaps the shock was being delayed.

"Hmm. I suppose I can commandeer the helicopter and have you flown there."

"You would do that?"

"Sure. There's nothing I wouldn't do for the Stafford family. If it hadn't been for you I would be unemployed."

"Nonsense, you'd surely have found other employment."

"You don't know how scarce good jobs are, do you?"

"No, I guess not. In any event, I would really appreciate it if you could arrange the helicopter."

"I will make a call, I will have the helicopter sent over as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much."

"I also promise that I will do my best to find out who is responsible for shooting your husband."

"Thank you." She hung up the phone. Then it hit her. Jake was shot. He could be dying. Oh god, what was she going to do now?

The rifle was found more than 700 meters away from where Jake fell. It was an old weapon that was commonly known as a thirty-odd-six. The rifle, originally manufactured in 1906, was popular among collectors. It had a reputation as a very well made firearm. The weapon was dusted for fingerprints but there were none found. Whoever had smuggled the rifle into the amusement park had been very careful not to leave fingerprints on it. The question was, did the assailant use a rag to wipe the gun, or did he or she use gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.

A witness was found that had seen a man carrying the rifle through the park. The man paid little attention to the man with the gun as he thought it was just one of the people who were part of the Wild West show.

How wrong he was.

At least now they knew it was a man. The witness did his best to describe the man, but alas, the description was quite vague: A white male that appeared in his mid thirties, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, average height and build. He couldn't remember what color the hair was.

It would be almost impossible to find the attacker with that description. At least many of the people could now leave the park. The security force let anyone who did not fit the description leave. The men that did fit the description were questioned. Name and addresses were taken from all of them as well as a photograph. Identification was asked for to verify the name and address given but a surprising number of people couldn't produce identification. There was no law that stated that people were required to carry identification papers. A law that Lt. McBride regretted not being in place.

Of course no one would admit that they had anything to do with the shooting, but it was hoped that someone would appear nervous under the questioning and that would lead to finding the suspect. That didn't happen. Everyone that left the park that night cooperated fully with the investigators. There was little chance that the perpetrator would be caught quickly, much to Patrick's dismay.

The helicopter landed on the lawn in front of the hotel. An officer exited the helicopter to fetch Amy, but she was already on her way out the door when he was entering the hotel. She had heard the noise from the helicopter and knew that it must be the one sent for her. She needed to bite her tongue to get control of herself. She learned that trick from a psychologist friend of hers. The technique worked wonders. There were a lot of psychologists and psychiatrists in TowerLand.

The officer took the two suitcases she was dragging behind her and asked her to follow him to the waiting helicopter. She did so.

Amy had never traveled in a helicopter before and she was quite surprised to find out how noisy the helicopter was from the inside. She was given headphones that not only helped to dampen the noise level, but also contained an intercom system so she could talk to the pilot or the other officer whom she assumed was the co-pilot. He was not. His job was not to fly the helicopter, but to keep an eye on the surrounding area while the pilot concentrated on flying.

The helicopter lifted off and immediately Amy felt anxious, unsettled. The officer that was the lookout noticed the expression on her face. He had seen it many times.

"It really is safe Mrs. Stafford."

"I am sure it is, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy this ride."

"I can understand. Under the circumstances I imagine all sorts of things are running through your mind."

"You've got that right." Boy did he have it right. Her mind was on overload. She kept telling herself she had to do this; she was a tough woman. Yeah, right.

"I can explain to you what we know about what happened to your husband."

"He was shot." She couldn't get any more words out. She wanted to know, but then again, she didn't want to hear the details. She had to though and she knew it.

"That is correct. We found the weapon. It is a very old, accurate rifle that is popular among collectors."

"Is my husband all right?"

"As far as I know. He was shot in the chest, but according to the report from the paramedics who first attended to him, his condition is stable. The biggest threats were shock and blood loss. On the medical helicopter that he is on, they have all of the facilities necessary to ensure that he is well cared for."

"If he's not in danger, why is he being flown all the way to Salt Lake City?"

"There are other hospitals closer, you're right, but figuring who your husband is, we thought best that he be taken to the best hospital in the area."

"And LJMH is the best?"

"So I've heard. Personally I've never been there."

Amy dared to look out of the window and noticed how different the landscape around the amusement park was from the land inside the park. Inside the park there were patches of green from the grass and trees. Outside the boundary it was mostly brown. The area where the park was located was officially a desert. It was not the typical endless dunes on sand or cacti that are normally associated as a desert, but because of the mountains to both the east and west of the area, very few clouds made it into the valley, and rain scarcely fell. That was most likely the reason that Jake was able to purchase the property nine years previously. The land was useless for most commercial purposes. The Stafford family owned several hundred square kilometers of the useless land. It served nicely as the base of the original tower.

The first tower, now termed the North American Tower, had been built on this land, and it could be seen in the distance as they pulled away. Although it was far from complete, it was already more than a hundred kilometers high, far higher than any other building in the world. The secret of its construction had been the cables dropped from the space station floating over the patch of land. Hundreds of cables had been dropped and anchored to the ground, and the tower rose between the cables using them for the structural support. Amy had been told that it could be seen for quite a distance, looking like a huge column disappearing into the sky when you were close, to a string hanging from the sky when you were not.

As the helicopter flew away from the tower, towards Salt Lake City, Amy could understand why it had been described that way. It did look like a huge column that disappeared into the sky. Because she lived there, and almost never left the tower, she had never really thought about it before. However, her thoughts soon returned to Jake.

She thought about Jake and all that had happened since she met him. She sure hoped he was going to be all right. Life just wouldn't be the same without him. It was true that he would go off into his own little world sometimes and she wouldn't see him for sometimes weeks at a time, other than at night when they went to bed, but that was old news, she was used to Jake's compulsive nature when he found a project to work on.

When Jake finished one of his projects he would snap out of his compulsive behavior and return to the man she loved. He was always so proud of the things he accomplished. He would buy her flowers or some other trinkets and apologize for not paying enough attention to her, and he would be the perfect husband until of course he came up with a new project. Then the same thing would happen. He was so predictable.

Amy had known people who had had severe accidents. They were never the same after coming back from the hospital. Even after recovering from their injuries, she knew some that were forever changed by the incident. Their mental attitude changed, and that was one of the concerns started to creep into her mind. She longed for him to be the same man she married, or rather the one he had become since she married him.

It was irrational for her to be having thoughts like this, but she couldn't help it. She was used to analyzing situations, weighing the evidence and taking action based on predictions. It was the way she ran the company, and the reason it had become so successful.

She had nothing else to do while sitting on the helicopter. At least it kept her mind off of the fear of being in such a dangerous contraption.

The chopper finally arrived at the hospital. Amy thanked the pilot and the officer who accompanied him for taking her. Mustering her courage, she walked into the main entrance of the hospital with her head held high. She wasn't going to show any weakness now.

She approached the information counter.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Stafford," the receptionist said. She recognized Amy from seeing her picture in the magazines. She knew about Jake Stafford being admitted and was expecting Amy to show up. "Your husband is in surgery. Your daughter is in the waiting room. You'll find that just down the hall to the left."

"Thank you very much." Amy walked to the waiting room. There she found a group of people, including her daughter. Sarah was talking to an older woman when Amy walked in.

"Excuse me, my mother is here," she said to the woman. She stood up and ran to Amy, hugging her fiercely when she reached her.

"Oh Mom, I'm so glad you're here. It was so terrible."

"I know, honey. Don't worry, everything will be OK." She sure hoped she was telling the truth. In reality, she had no idea of Jake's condition, but she knew she mustn't give up hope. Even if the worst thing happened, and he died, it was important for her to remain strong for her daughter's sake.

"Why don't you tell me what happened."

"We were standing in line, then all of the sudden I heard a shot. The next thing I know, Dad was lying on the ground bleeding from his chest."

"Was he conscious?" She had to ask.

"Only for a few seconds. He asked me what happened, and I told him that I thought he had been shot. Then he said ‘Oh my' and then passed out. A few minutes later the paramedics showed up and they started treating him. Then a helicopter came and brought us here."

It was obvious that Sarah had been crying. Amy took a tissue out of her purse and cleaned off Sarah's face. "Don't worry. We'll manage through this." She then put her arms around her and held her comfortingly.

A few minutes later, a doctor came to the waiting room looking for Amy. "Mrs. Stafford, I am Doctor Smith."

"How is my husband?"

"Your husband is a lucky man. A few centimeters to the left and he wouldn't have made it. The bullet just missed his heart."

Lucky man? Lucky men don't lie in hospitals. "Is he going to be all right?"

"He is recovering from the operation now, he should be awake in a few hours. The surgery was successful. We removed the bullet and have sewn up the wound. Unfortunately, his left lung collapsed. I'm afraid he's going to be in pain for a while, however I would think that he should be able to leave in a few days. We'll keep a close eye on him if that's all right with you."

"Whatever you say. Thank you doctor." A wave a relief flushed through her. He was going to be all right.

"You're welcome. It's my job, you know."

"If he pulls through, I'll see to it that you can retire if you're interested."

"That is not necessary. I enjoy my work. I save lives, and there is nothing more rewarding."

"I would think the opposite could be true as well."

"Yes, it is difficult when we lose a patient, but sometimes that is unavoidable."

"Well, consider my offer."

"I will."

"Can I see my husband?"

"There is no need. He isn't awake. I will send a nurse when he wakes up."

"Can't I just wait in his room? I would like to be there when he does wake up."

"I suppose that can be arranged. I suggest you first go get something to eat. You look hungry."

"You're perceptive."

"It goes with the territory. I will have your husband moved to a private room. I'll come looking for you in the cafeteria once he is moved. When you're finished eating, we can go together to his room."

"That is very kind of you."

"Not at all." He turned and walked away.

Amy walked back to the reception area, with Sarah in tow and got directions to the cafeteria. They had just started eating when Dr. Smith came in. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Not at all."

"I'll be right back."

He went and grabbed some food and then sat down at their table. While they were eating he admitted that he was a big fan of Jake's. He had followed Jake's career, and was really admired by the fact that the main goal of all of Jake's products were to help people. He explained that he was a doctor for specifically that purpose. He enjoyed helping people. To him there was no better profession to have. There was nothing more worthwhile in life than to save the lives of fellow man or to help them recover from a serious injury or illness. Helping others is what it was all about.

"You're very flattering. Yes, Jake is quite a man. When I met him he was quite different than the man you've read about in the papers."

"Really? How so?"

"He was a loner, a hermit. He had almost no friends and he was stuck in a job that had no chance for advancement. I am sure his employer appreciated his work, but they were not in the position to promote him any higher, even though it was my husband that was responsible for the company's success."

"You wouldn't by any chance be willing to tell me which company you're referring to?"

"Why not. They don't exist anymore anyway. It was M. Co."

"I always wondered what happened to them. I do know their stock plummeted and caused some of my friends to lose quite a bit of money."

"I hope they have recovered their losses."

"They could easily do that if Stafford Industries would go public."

"I can assure you that that is very unlikely to happen."

"A shame."

"The problem with taking the company public would be that outside investors would want a say in the way the company is run, or even more so, what the company produces."

"Not necessarily. As long as your husband retains a majority of the stock, he would be able to out vote any of the other shareholders."

"Perhaps, but I prefer to stay in full control of the company."

"You mean your husband, don't you?"

"You really don't know do you? Jake doesn't run the company. He works in product development. I run the company."

"I had no idea. I guess I am too old fashioned to assume a woman would be controlling such a huge company. I should be ashamed of myself."

"Apology accepted."

"By the way, your husband has been moved to his own room now. He's still asleep. I imagine he'll be out for at least another hour, possibly two."

"That's all right. There's not much different waiting here, or in his room. Either way we'll be waiting."

"I understand. Well, if you're finished, I will take you to his room."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you. Honey, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Prepare yourself dear, your father may not look all that well when we see him."

"He can't look any worse than he did when he was lying on the ground bleeding."

"You have a point."

The three of them stood up, and the doctor led the way out of the cafeteria. He led them through a maze of corridors, then to an elevator. They took the elevator to the third floor, and through another series of corridors, arrived at Jake's room. Amy hoped that she would be able to find her way back out of the hospital, not that she had any way to get back home. She thought it might be a good idea to see if there were a hotel nearby. That is, if there was no place for her and Sarah to sleep at the hospital. She knew she was not going to go home without Jake.

They stopped at the nurse's station. The doctor talked briefly with one of the nurses who were there, explaining that the three of them were going to visit Mr. Stafford. Then they walked down the hall to the room that Jake had been taken to. The doctor immediately walked over to Jake and looked at the devices that were monitoring his condition. He seemed satisfied with the information shown.

"You might as well have a seat. Like I said, he'll be sleeping for a while. I guess should be going. Sorry, but I do have other patients to attend to."

"Thanks again for your help."

"Like I said before, it's my job. I will come back in a few hours to check up on Mr. Stafford. Goodbye." He walked out of the door. It closed behind him.

Amy looked at Jake. He looked perfectly normal. He was sleeping soundly on his back, and other than the fact he had an IV, and that he was in the hospital, it would be hard to tell anything was wrong with him. Of course, she couldn't see any evidence of a wound, as he was under a sheet from his neck down. He looked quite peaceful.

Time passed very slowly. Boredom prevailed. Sarah was clearly more affected than Amy by it. Amy was busy making plans. There was nothing at all to do while they were waiting. Amy saw how restless he daughter had become. She seriously thought of going to the gift shop and buying a magazine or book, but was reluctant to leave in the event that Jake would wake up. She felt it important that the first thing he saw when he woke up would be his family.

Finally, Jake started to move. Amy and Sarah stood on each side of his bed. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The ceiling was completely unfamiliar to him. He looked around and saw Amy standing next to him. "Where am I?" he asked.

"You're in the hospital. Don't worry. Sarah and I are here, you're going to be fine."

"What happened? How did I get here?"

"Don't you remember, Daddy?" Sarah asked.

"The last thing I remember is standing in line for the Revolver."

Sarah blurted out, "You were shot. You were brought here by a helicopter and went through surgery to remove the bullet." Nothing like being direct.

"I don't feel any pain."

"Most likely you're still under effect from the pain medicine. I would imagine you'll be able to feel it soon enough."

"Where was I shot?"

"In the amusement park." That brought a chorus of laughter.

"No, I mean where on my body."

"Oh, in the chest."

At that moment, Dr. Smith walked into the room. "I thought you were awake."

"How could you know that? He just woke up."

"We have sophisticated monitoring equipment here. I noticed the difference in his heartbeat, breathing, but more important in his brain waves."

"How do you get the brain waves? There are no wires attached to his head."

"We don't need wires. See that machine behind the bed?"

"Yes."

"That machine takes readings of almost everything in the room. It registers not only your husband, but you and your daughter as well."

"How?"

"I don't know how it works, I just know that it works."

"And you have remote monitoring capabilities?"

"Exactly. All of the machines tie into the station at the nurse's desk. Any major changes signal an alarm. I had them make adjustments when you two came into the room so the extra activity monitored would not set off an alarm."

"So if someone else walked into the room the alarm would sound?"

"Yes. It works well as not only a monitoring device for patients, but also makes a good security device."

"That is amazing. Who makes it?"

"I don't know. You'd have to ask the administration of the hospital."

Jake spoke up. "This is all fine and dandy, but isn't the main reason you're here is to check on me?" It was so much like Amy to think of business, and to distract the doctor.

"You're right of course." He turned to face Jake. "I just wanted to ask how you're feeling."

"Tired."

"That is to be expected. It's the after effects from the anesthesia. Are you in any pain?"

"No, as a matter of fact, other than being tired, I cannot detect anything wrong with me. I had to have someone explain to me what I was doing here."

"Good. Well, I'll leave you three. If you need anything, just press the button that is there on the right hand side of the bed."

"I don't see a button."

Dr. Smith pointed to the button; it was located on the side of the bed, just a few centimeters from Jake's hand. "This button."

"Oh, I didn't know it would be on the side of the bed."

"It is for patients that can move their arms very well. For other patients, we have a cordless device that we place in their hand. Would you prefer the cordless model?"

"No, that's all right. This is fine."

The doctor left the room. Jake tried to sit up, but found the process difficult. Nothing hurt, but for some reason he was too tired to get his muscles to move the way he wanted them to. He resigned to stay lying in the bed. He was visibly distraught.

"Don't worry, you've been through a lot. You need to rest," Amy told him.

"How long do I need to stay here?"

"The doctor said that you would be here for a few days. He wants to monitor your condition."

"Good. I don't want to stay here too long."

"Why not? This looks like a really good hospital," Sarah asked.

"I don't like hospitals. I don't like doctors either."

"Honey, most men are like that. They all think they can take care of themselves."

"Nonsense! I just don't like the smell of the place."

"Yeah, right."

"I am glad to see you acting more like yourself, Dad. I was so worried about you."

"Really Sarah, I feel fine."

"Well, we better go see if we can find some place in the area to sleep. Sarah, you stay here with your father and I will go talk to the nurse and see if she knows of a place nearby."

"OK."

Amy left the room and went looking for the nurse. As soon as she left the room, the alarm at the nurse's station sounded, and she noticed that there was less activity in the room. The nurse started running down the hall towards Jake's room and bumped straight into Amy. Amy was knocked over and the nurse stopped and helped her up.

"Are you OK?" she asked Amy.

"Yes, although a little shaken."

"I assume you just left your husband's room."

"Yes."

"That's a relief."

"What are you talking about?"

"I noticed something changed in the room, it was either someone leaving, or someone dying. I had no idea which, so I came running to check. I don't suppose I need to go any further, as now I know what caused the alarm."

"I should have called. I am sorry. The doctor explained how sensitive the sensors in the room are."

"They are indeed."

"Actually, I was looking for you."

"Do you mind walking with me back to my station? I am responsible for monitoring the system and I shouldn't be away any longer than necessary."

"Not at all."

They walked back to the nurse's station. While they were walking, Amy asked if the nurse knew of a place where she and her daughter could stay.

"I suppose we could find room for you here in the hospital if you would like, otherwise there is a hotel not too far away."

"I would prefer to stay as close to my husband as possible."

"I understand. Let me make some calls and I will let you know."

"Is it normal to let families stay in the hospital?"

"No, but you are not a normal family."

"It seems I can't go anywhere without being recognized."

"That's the price of fame."

"Don't I know it."

3 - Nurse

Amy went back to the room where Jake was staying. He had fallen back asleep and Sarah was sitting in the chair on the other side of the room. She looked really bored. Amy felt sorry for her, but she could think of nothing better to do.

"Cheer up honey…"

"Oh, I am not upset. I am actually glad that Dad is doing well. If we can go home tomorrow, that will be fine with me."

"You're not upset that we have to cut our vacation short?"

"Not really, I have seen just about everything I wanted to in the park. It was started to get old anyway, I mean, we rode all of the roller coasters many times. I think a couple of days is enough, and we had four and a half."

"Well, I am glad you enjoyed yourself."

"I can assure you Mom, I will never forget it, for two reasons."

"I bet. I wish you hadn't have been there to see what happened. That had to have been a very traumatic experience."

"I suppose so," Sarah shrugged.

A nurse entered the waiting room, walked over to where the Stafford women were sitting. She said that she had found a room for them. It was only three doors away from Jake's, and they were welcome to use it as long as necessary. It was just then that Amy realized that she had never taken her suitcases out of the helicopter when she arrived at the hospital. She wondered what had happened to them. Perhaps the helicopter took them back to the hotel. That would be the most logical thing to do.

Other than not having fresh clothes, there was not a problem being without the suitcases. She imagined that she would feel quite dirty in the morning, but it wouldn't be the first time in her life that she didn't change clothes in two days. There had been a few times in the past that it had happened, specifically at college when she went to parties. Sometimes the parties would last all night, and she was due in class just minutes after leaving the party.

She wondered how Sarah would feel about it. Sarah had not missed changing underwear since she had been potty-trained. It was a fast rule since Sarah was a little girl that she put on clean underwear every day.

Since Jake was sleeping again, Amy decided to take Sarah and go to the gift shop to see if there was anything to keep them entertained other than the television that was in the room. They didn't spend much time watching television at home, and Amy didn't think it was all that great of an idea to get Sarah hooked on watching it here. There were far better things to do than to sit in front of a television like a zombie. Although she had to admit there were some good programs on occasionally, most of the shows were pointless to watch. Chocked full of sex and violence, it was certainly a waste of time. It was far better to read.

Before they left the room, this time Amy called the nurse by pushing the button. She was surprised that the nurse's voice could be heard.

"What is the trouble?" the nurse asked.

"Uh, I just wanted to let someone know that my daughter and I are leaving for a few minutes."

"Thank you for letting me know. I will adjust the monitoring system appropriately."

"While I have you, could you possibly tell me how to find the gift shop?"

"Sure, just take the elevator to the lobby. Go around the elevators and you'll see a whole courtyard there with several different shops."

"Thank you."

Amy checked to make sure Jake was still sleeping, which he was. She and Sarah then left the room. Amy took note of the number on the door so she knew which room to come back to. She walked to the nurse's station just around the corner and asked which room was reserved for her and Sarah. The nurse, who was the same one that had bumped into her earlier, said that she was in 314. Jake's room was 308, which was four doors away as far as she could calculate.

Amy thanked the nurse again and together she and Sarah found their way to the elevator. They took it to the lobby and found the courtyard. She was really surprised to see all of the different shops. There was a newsstand, a clothing store, a flower shop, two different restaurants and even a barbershop. She couldn't imagine why all these things were located in a hospital, but she was very grateful. She knew that she wouldn't have to worry about what to wear in the morning. They could buy all new clothes right here.

They went first to the newsstand. Amy collected a few magazines and Sarah found a book that interested her. They also purchased a deck of cards so they could play card games when they were tired of reading. Amy wasn't sure if Jake would be able to play with them, but it didn't matter. There were plenty of games that just the two of them could play.

The next stop was the clothing store. They bought a full set of clothes for both of them and then Amy inquired where she would be able to find toiletries such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a hairbrush. The cashier had no idea which store would have them, but suggested that the gift shop may have such things. She said it was not common that people needed such things, as the nurses either washed most patients or they had their own supplies brought from home. Nevertheless, it was not out of the question that she could find them here in the hospital.

The gift shop did indeed have toothbrushes and toothpaste, but did not have hairbrushes. Amy supposed it wouldn't hurt to go a few days without brushing her hair, but she really didn't like the idea of appearing in public with her hair out of place. Sarah of course could care less.

They took their purchases back to the room that they were assigned. It was a Spartan room to be sure, but there were two beds and two televisions. It was obviously designed as a double room. There was even a divider in between the two beds. That explained why there were two televisions. How could they both be on at the same time and not have the sound conflict with each other, Amy couldn't quite grasp. It didn't matter though as it was not likely that they would be watching television much, and if they did, they could watch the same programs.

Once they dropped off their shopping, they went back into Jake's room bringing the deck of cards with them. Of course, Amy notified the nurse so another embarrassing incident with the alarm wouldn't happen. Jake was still sleeping. They sat down on the floor and played a game of spades while Jake slept.

It was getting late, and Sarah was clearly tired. Jake had continued sleeping the entire time while they were playing cards. Amy suggested Sarah go to bed, but Sarah was being stubborn. She claimed that she was not at all sleepy, and argued to stay awake until Amy went to bed. Under normal circumstances Amy would have held her ground and forced Sarah to go to bed, but in this case she relented and joined Sarah in a game of gin rummy.

Sarah played quite well and actually managed to display her cards and call gin before Amy. Amy didn't like losing, but she liked the look on her daughters face when she won. It was worth the sacrifice to let her daughter win on occasion, although she hadn't played poorly on purpose. She knew better than to let Sarah win without trying. Sarah would be able to tell the difference and the thrill of victory would be diluted.

When the game was finished, and Jake showed no signs of waking, Amy decided that she and Sarah would go to bed. They would see Jake in the morning.

Jake woke up with a start in the middle of the night. It took him a few minutes to remember where he was and what had happened to him. He had no idea what time it was, but it was dark, so he assumed it was night. He found the remote control for the television and turned it on. He was wide-awake and not in the mood to sleep anymore. He started channel flipping and found a decent documentary about the birth and death of stars. He doubted if the documentary would teach him anything he didn't know, but it was still interesting.

With no warning, someone walked into his room. It was the night nurse. She had noticed that he was awake and had come to check on him. "So, how are you feeling, Mr. Stafford?" she asked.

Jake looked over at her. She was hard to see in the dim light that the television was casting, but from what he could see, she looked quite attractive. She was tall and slim. Jake noticed that she had a uniform on, but that didn't distract from her figure. "I feel fine. Call me Jake."

"Good Jake. No discomfort in your chest at all?"

"No."

"I have discomfort in mine."

"Excuse me?"

"Perhaps my bra is just a little too tight."

Jake couldn't think of anything to say.

She unzipped her uniform and turned around. Looking at him over her shoulder she said, "Would you mind unhooking it for me?"

"Uh, do you think that is a good idea?"

"Well," she giggled, "I figure if it's too tight the best thing to do would be to take it off."

"And you need help for that?"

"Of course not, but since you're here...."

Jake couldn't believe it. She was trying to seduce him. That had to be what she was doing. "Listen, I am a happily married man."

"So? It's not like anyone will find out."

"Um, you're quite attractive, but I don't think this is a good idea. Couldn't you find someone else?"

"Really! It's not like I do this every day."

"I didn't suggest that you did. It's just that I promised to be faithful to my wife and I intend to keep that promise."

"I didn't say anything about having sex, I just want you to undo my bra."

"Sure, but what will that lead to?"

"I don't know, perhaps a little fun?"

"That's what I am trying to tell you. I am married and although you're certainly desirable, I cannot have that sort of fun with you."

She decided that if she were going to do this, she would have to be a little more forceful. Imagine the stories she could tell about how she was with Jake Stafford! She unhooked her bra herself. She let the bra fall slowly to the floor, and then she stepped out of her dress. She moved closer to the bed and pulled the sheet down.

Jake was wearing a hospital gown, and nothing else. She reached out and grabbed the bottom of his gown and began pulling it up.

The nerve of her! Jake began protesting, but she ignored the protests and once she had is gown above his waist, she began fondling him. Jake had no idea of how to stop her. She was determined, and when she leaned over and took him into her mouth, his mind was telling him how wrong this was at the same time his body was telling him how good it felt. Despite his wishes, he became aroused, but maintained his protests. Then it occurred to him. He could push the button that would sound at the nurse's station. It wasn't likely that anyone was there, but at least he could make it clear that this woman was in the process of raping him.

He pushed the button. It made no noise, and as far as he could tell, it didn't do anything. However, pushing the button activated a communication link and started a recording device. The recording noted all of the events that followed from the moment he pressed the button to the moment the nurse pressed the button to turn it off.

The nurse was quite busy at the moment, and did not notice what he had done. She continued to work on him while he constantly was pleading with her to stop. She ignored his pleas. When she deemed him ready, she stopped what she was doing and stood up to remove her underwear. Jake tried to roll over, but she pulled him back. She was strong. She climbed onto the bed and started to straddle him. He grabbed her hair and pulled as hard as he could.

"Ouch!" she screamed.

"Haven't you been listening to me? This is wrong! You cannot do this to me."

"From what I see, you like it."

"I most certainly do not. You have no right to do this."

"Oh, come on. You obviously want it, and so do I. What harm can it do?"

"No! I will not."

"Sure you will. All you have to do is lie there. I can do the rest."

"No! I don't want to. I want you to go away. Go find a dildo or something."

She slapped him. "That was a terrible thing to say."

"I don't care. I don't care what you do as long as you stay away from me."

"You know you like it."

"No I don't."

She sat on his hips and guided him into her. Jake used all of the strength that he had to try to get her off of him, but his struggling just seemed to make it better for her. As he was trying to get her off of him, a wave a pain shot through his upper body and he started feeling dizzy. There was no way he could summon the strength required to force her off of the bed.

Suddenly the door opened and another nurse came in. "Oh my god, Kate, what are you doing?"

"Oh, hi Alice. Want to join us?"

"I most certainly do not. Get off of him right now."

"We're not done yet."

"Please Alice, help me!" Jake cried. "Get her off of me!" He was finding it difficult to breathe.

Alice grabbed Kate by the hair and dragged her off of the bed. She then slapped her across the face and was just hoping that Kate would be foolish enough to try to hit her back.

"I will report this as soon as the morning shift shows up. I will do my best to make sure that not only you'll be fired, but you'll never work in a hospital again."

"You can't be serious."

"I am dead serious. Now get your clothes on and get back to your station before I kick your scrawny little ass." Kate did as she was told.

"I am really sorry about this Mr. Stafford. She will be dealt with."

Jake was really glad she was gone. His body was covered in sweat and he was shaking like a leaf. He felt like he would throw up at any moment.