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Another dust cloud。 Several hundred yards away and down the hill slightly。 Something had impacted there。 Rita？ But there was no chute visible。
Mother of God！
He began to run。
23
〃You still here？〃 the doctor asked when he saw Toad leaning against the counter at the nurses' station。 The doctor was about forty and clad in a loose green hospital garment with tennis shoes on his feet
〃How is she？〃
〃Unconscious。〃 The doctor swabbed the perspiration from his forehead with his sleeve。 〃I don't know when she'll e around。 I don't know if she ever will。〃
〃What's wrong with her？〃 Toad demanded； grasping the doctor by the arm。
〃Everything。〃 He patiently pried Toad's hand loose。 〃Her spleen exploded。 Fractured skull with severe concussion。 Blood in her urine…kidney damage。 Broken ribs； busted collarbone； two fractured vertebrae。 That's just the stuff we know about。 We're still looking。〃
〃She hit the ground before her parachute opened；〃 Toad explained。 〃The drag chute was out and the main chute must have been partially deployed。 She just needed another hundred feet or so。〃
〃Her status is extremely unstable。〃 The doctor took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one。 〃I don't know how she's made it this long。〃 He flipped the ash on the floor； right in front of the No Smoking sign。 〃The average person wouldn't have made it to the hospital。 But she's young and she's in great shape； good strong heart。 Perhaps； just perhaps。。。〃 He took a deep drag and exhaled the smoke through his nose； savoring it。
〃Is she gonna be able to fly again？〃 Toad wanted to know。
The doctor took a small portable ashtray from his pocket and stubbed out the cigarette in it after a couple more deep drags。 He looked Toad over carefully before he spoke。 〃I don't think you heard what I said。 She'll be lucky if she lives。 Walking out of this hospital will be a miracle。 There's nothing you can do for her。 Now why don't you go back to the Q and take one of those sleeping pills the nurse gave you。 You need to get some rest。〃
The doctor turned away from Toad and leaned his elbows on the counter of the nurses' station。 〃When you get Lieutenant Moravia's emergency data sheet from the navy； let me know。 We'll have to notify her next of kin。 They may want to fly out here to be with her。〃
Toad smacked the waist…high counter with his band。 〃I am her next of kin。 She's my wife。〃
〃Oh；〃 he said； looking Toad over again； then rubbing the back of his neck。 〃Sorry。 I didn't know that〃
〃I want to be in the room with her。 I'll sit in the chair。〃
The doctor opened his mouth； closed it and glanced at the nurses； then shrugged。 〃Sure； Lieutenant。 Okay。 Why not？〃
Thirty minutes later Jake Grafton stuck his head into the room。 He looked at Rita； the two nurses； the doctor； the IV drips and the heart monitor； then motioned to Toad； who followed him out into the hall。
〃How is she？〃
〃She's in a deep a。 She may die。〃 Tarkington repeated what the doctor had told him。
Jake Grafton listened carefully； his face expressionless。 When Toad finally ran down； he said； 〃C'mon。 Let's go find a place to sit。〃 They ended up in the staff lounge in plastic chairs at the only table； between a microwave oven and a pop machine。 〃What happened out there today？〃
Toad's recapitulation of the flight took thirty minutes。 After he bad heard it all； from takeoff to loading Rita into the meat wagon； Jake had questions； lots of them。
They had been talking for over an hour when a young enlisted man opened the door and stuck his head in。 〃Captain Grafton？ There's an Admiral Dunedin on the phone for you。〃
〃Tell him I'll be right there。〃
On the way down the hall he told Toad； 〃You go check on Rita。 I'll see you in a bit。〃
The phone was in the duty officer's office。 Jake held it to his ear as the air force officer； a woman； closed the door on her way out。 〃This is Captain Grafton； sir。〃
〃Admiral Dunedin； Jake。 We got your message about the crash。 How's Moravia？〃
〃In a a。 It's an open question whether she'll pull through。 She ejected too low and her chute didn't fully open before she hit the ground。 She's got a fractured skull； damaged spleen and a variety of other problems。 Five or six bones broken。〃
〃And Tarkington？〃
〃Not a scratch。〃
〃So what happened？〃
〃Well； sir； the way it looks right now； the fly…by…wire system is suspect。 We were having troubles with the control inputs…they were too much at low speeds…so we went with new E…PROMs。 Now； all those parameters are supposed to be trouble…shot and double…checked on the bench test equipment and all that； but something went wrong somewhere。 The plane got away from Rita in a high…G maneuver and went into an inverted spin。 She recovered； then it departed again when she pulled G on the pullout。 ing out of the second spin； she just ran out of sky。 It flipped on the pullout and Toad punched。
〃Hindsight and all； they should have ejected on the second departure； but。。。 They were trying to save the plane。 Now it looks like Toad may have punched too late for Rita。〃
〃How's Tarkington taking it？〃
〃Blaming himself。 I might as well tell you； if you didn't know； they're married。〃
There was a pregnant silence。 〃I didn't know。〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃Did that have any bearing on this accident？〃
〃Not that I can see。 They stayed with the plane because it was a prototype and they were trying to save it。 Rita thought she could save it all the way down。 The last departure at five thousand feet above the ground made it a lost cause； so Toad punched them both out while they still had a little room left in the seat performance envelope。 Apparently they were closer to the edge of the envelope than he thought。〃
〃TRX doesn't have another prototype。〃
〃I know。 We're going to have to go with the data we have。 I'll get started on the report as soon as I get back to Washington。 But I would appreciate it if you would get a team of experts from the pany that made that fly…by…wire system out here； like tomorrow。 Have them bring their test equipment。 We need some instant answers。〃
〃You have the box？〃
〃One of them； anyway。 It's a little mashed up； but all the circuitry and boards appear intact。 I'm hoping they can test it。〃
〃Why not just put it on a plane to the factory？〃
〃I want to be there when they check it out。 And just now I can't leave here。〃
〃I understand。〃
They talked for several more minutes； then hung up。 Both men had a lot to do。
Toad wandered the corridors； looking in on Rita from time to time。 A nurse was with her every minute。 The evening nurse was a woman in her thirties； and she never gave him more than a glance。 Rita was in good hands； he told himself。 But she didn't move。 She just lay there in the ICU cubicle with her eyes closed； her chest slowly rising and falling in time with the mechanical hissing and clicking of the respirator。 The IVs dripped and the heart monitor made its little green lines on the cathode…ray tube。 What be could see of her face was swollen； mottled。
So after looking yet again at Rita and her bandages and all the equipment； he would wander off down the hall； lost in his own thoughts。
Hospitals in the evening are dismal places； especially when there aren't many visitors。 The staffers rush on unknown errands along the waxed linoleum of the corridors。 In the rooms lay the sick people with their maladjusted televisions blaring out the networks' mixture of violence and edy and ads for the consumer trash of a too wealthy society。 The canned laughter and inprehensible dialogue float through open doors and down the dean； sterile corridors； sounding exactly like the insane cackling of a band of whacked…out dopers。 No one in the captive audience laughs or even chuckles at the drivel of the screens。 It's just noise to help survive a miserable experience。 Or background noise while you die。
Toad hated hospitals。 He hated all of it…the pathetic potted plants and cut flowers； the carts loaded with dirty dinner trays； the waiting bedpans and urine bottles； the gleaming aluminum IV frames； the distant buzzer of someone trying to summon a nurse； the moans of some poor devil out of his head； the smell of disinfectant； the whispering…he loathed it all。
He relived the final minutes of the flight yet again。 It didn't matter that he was in a hospital corridor with the TV noise and the nurses talking in the background： he was back in the plane with the negative Gs and the spurning and Rita's voice in his ears。 In his private world the events of seconds expanded into minutes； and every sensation and emotion racked him more powerfully than before。
He found himself in the staff lounge。 He hadn't eaten since breakfast； but he wasn't hungry。 He got a pop from the machine and sipped it while he inspected the bulletin board。 Apparently management was having the usual trouble keeping the staff lounge dean。 And the bowling league still needed more people。 e on； people！ Sign up and roll a few lines on Thursday nights and forget all these bastards here in the hospital for a little while。 They'll still be here on Friday。
He thought about calling Rita's parents； and finally decided to do it。 He tried for three minutes to persuade the long…distance operator to bill the call to his n