‘Wonderful. I’d be still better for a double whisky on the rocks.’
The girl laughed. ‘Mr Wain did say dandelion tea would be best for you. But I thought a little stimulant might be good, I mean just this once. So I brought the brandy with me. And there’s plenty of ice as I’m going to give you an ice-pack presently. Would you really like some? Wait, I’ll put your dressing-gown over you and then you can see if you can turn over. I’ll look the other way.’
Bond heard the lamps being pulled away. Gingerly, he turned on his side. The dull ache returned, but it was already wearing off. He cautiously slipped his legs over the side of the bed and sat up.
Patricia Fearing stood in front of him, clean, white, comforting, desirable. In one hand was a pair of heavy mink gloves, but with the fur covering the palm instead of the back. In the other was a glass. She held out the glass. As Bond drank and heard the reassuring, real-life tinkle of the ice, he thought: this is a most splendid girl. I will settle down with her. She will give me effleurage all day long and from time to time a good tough drink like this. It will be a life of great beauty. He smiled at her and held out the empty glass and said, ‘More.’
She laughed, mostly with relief that he was completely alive again. She took the glass and said, ‘Well, just one more then. But don’t forget it’s on an empty stomach. It may make you dreadfully tight.’ She paused with the brandy bottle in her hand. Suddenly her gaze was cool, clinical. ‘And now you must try and tell me what happened. Did you accidentally touch the lever or something? You gave us all a dreadful fright. Nothing like that has ever happened before. The Traction table’s really perfectly safe, you know.’
Bond looked candidly into her eyes. He said reassuringly, ‘Of course. I was just trying to get more comfortable. I heaved about and I do remember that my hand hit something rather hard. I suppose it must have been the lever. Then I don’t remember any more. I must have been awfully lucky you came along so quickly.’
She handed him the fresh drink. ‘Well, it’s all over now. And thank heavens nothing’s badly strained. Another two days of treatment and you’ll be right as rain.’ She paused. She looked rather embarrassed. ‘Oh, and Mr Wain asks if you could possibly keep all this, all this trouble, to yourself. He doesn’t want the other patients to get worried.’
I should think not, thought Bond. He could see the headlines. ‘PATIENT TORN NEARLY LIMB FROM LIMB AT NATURE CLINIC. RACK MACHINE GOES BERSERK. MINISTRY OF HEALTH STEPS IN.’ He said, ‘Of course I won’t say anything. It was my fault anyway.’ He finished his drink, handed back the glass, and cautiously lay back on the bed. He said, ‘That was marvellous. Now how about some more of the mink treatment. And by the way. Will you marry me? You’re the only girl I’ve ever met who knows how to treat a man properly.’
She laughed. ‘Don’t be silly. And turn over on your face. It’s your back that needs treatment.’
‘How do you know?’
