"Maybe we can have a bake sale and raise enough money to install pool tables and pinball machines. Or at least enough to send that woman on a very long one-way vacation."

"Don't be wise, you crazy Kirk." She smiled at him.

"Yeah, sure. Listen, Amy, I'll see you later. I'm heading on back to the room. I think I'll lie down and count the cracks in the ceiling. Got to keep busy, you know."

"I'll stop by later. Maybe Brent will be feeling better. It looks like he could use a few friends."

"Can't we all?"

"Sure, but he seems kind of lonely right now. You know the first few days in the hospital are always the worst. Maybe we can break him out of his shell."

"See you later," Kirk said and left the room. He wandered down the long corridor looking into all the rooms whose doors were open.

When Kirk got back to the room, Brent was lying on his back with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes when he heard the sound of Kirk's crutches on the tile floor.

"Christ," Kirk said, easing himself onto his bed. "I've got so many pins in my hip I'm going to rust."

He placed his crutches next to his bed and stretched out with his hands behind his neck. He looked over toward Brent.

"How are you doing? All right?"

"Not too bad," Brent said and tried to smile. The pain was still there, raging along the middle of his back.

"Did you have a good walk?" Brent asked.

"Oh, great. Just fine. It's so scenic along these hallways it almost takes your breath away."

"What's wrong with your leg?" Brent asked.

"Oh, it's something to do with the hip socket not growing fast enough to contain the leg joint or something. My leg popped out on me and they pinned it back. I have to take it easy and stay on the crutches or in the wheelchair until the hip catches up with the growth of my leg. I don't know for sure. I don't sweat the medical details. None of the operations were any fun, though, I can tell you that."