Chapter Twenty-Six

...tired….gotta keep running...running...it's gonna be alright, Sal...we're almost there...hang on, Man...God help me...help me, God...almost there...hang on, Sal...we're almost there…

Bo awoke with a start, his heart pounding within his chest. Turning to sit at the edge of the bed, he wiped sweat from his brow and rubbed a hand across his face. He heard Nora turn and felt her gentle hand on his back.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

His answer was a silent nod. He stood and walked to the window, then peered out at the street below. The wind was blowing the branches of the trees and the drizzle of rain was now changing to a pelting snow.

"Come back to bed, sweetheart," Nora encouraged, "You were dreaming again."

Bo turned. "No…" he answered quietly, "I won't be able to sleep, and I don't want to keep you awake." He pulled on his robe and returned to the bed to kiss her. "Don't worry about me...you and Junior need your sleep. I'll be back in a little while."

"Bo…"

"Go to sleep, honey. I'm fine," he said kissing her lightly again.

She rolled to her side and watched as he quietly left their room.

Mick groggily opened his eyes. He felt the stinging of pelting snow against his cheek as he lay on the cold, hard ground. For a moment he was disoriented...didn't know where he was. As he lifted his head, the instant throbbing was an immediate reminder. Someone had jumped him...had struck him on the back of the head with something…

He slowly rolled to his back. He was shaking from the cold. How long have I been lying here? he wondered. His tried to sit up, but his head was throbbing. He lay back down...

After some time, his body was shivering uncontrollably. I've got to get up… Mick told himself. I'm going to freeze to death out here... Once again, he attempted to sit up. Mmmph, he grimaced in pain...my head... He put a hand to the back of his head...it was wet, he noticed, and as he looked at his hand, it was dark. I'm bleeding...I need to get up…

Mick slowly staggered to his feet. He looked around to get his bearings. Now he recalled where he was...by Bo's garage. He made his way along the edge of the garage until he could see the house. A light was on...he followed the light til he reached the back door. It was unlocked. Mick stumbled in.

Bo looked up from the bourbon he was drinking, a bit startled by Mick's sudden appearance. Mick shuffled across the room and sagged into the nearest chair he found. Bo, thinking Mick was drunk, was a little surprised at his behavior. He had always known Mick to handle his booze quite well. It wasn't until Mick let his head drop to the table in front of him that Bo realized he was hurt.

"Mick?" Bo jumped up from his chair and approached him. "Mick! You alright? What happened?!"

"Not sure really...somebody jumped me...threw me to the ground...tried to choke me. I fought back, but he... cracked me in the head with something...how bad is it?" he asked Bo referring to his head injury.

As Bo bent over to investigate the head wound, Nora walked into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Mick?" Then noticing the blood on Mick's hands and in his hair she asked again, "Mick! What happened?!"

"He was jumped on his way home," Bo explained quickly. "Honey...will you please get me some washcloths? We need to see how bad this is."

Nora hurried to the bathroom and returned with several washcloths as well as peroxide, cotton balls, and bandages.

As Bo began cleaning the wound, it soon became evident that Mick would need stitches. The gouge was deep, and the bleeding wouldn't stop.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Bo told Mick.

"No...no, you're not...that's NOT necessary…" Mick began.

"It IS necessary. I can't get this bleeding to stop…" Bo continued.

"I'll be fine!" Mick argued. "I'm NOT going!"

"You ARE going!" Bo began again.

"Nope...no…" retorted Mick, shaking his head weakly.

Nora had heard enough. "STOP! BOTH OF YOU!" she blurted, pointing her finger at the two men. They looked at her as she took control.

"Now... you ARE going!" she vehemently told Mick pointing her finger at him, "and YOU are taking him!" she declared pointing the same finger at Bo, "and I don't want to hear any more arguing out of either one of you!"

She shoved a clean, wet washcloth into Mick's hand. "Now...hold this on the back of your head with firm pressure."

Then she looked at Bo. "Well? Are you going to change clothes and take him, or do I have to do this?!"

"I'm going," Bo said turning to climb the stairs. Women are definitely more dangerous when they're pregnant, Bo thought to himself.

Dr. Wolek put an ointment and dressing on Mick's head injury which required twelve stitches. He also gave him a strong pain reliever for headaches, and told him to come back to his office in ten days to get the stitches removed.

"Now, I want you to take it easy for a few days," Dr. Wolek told him, "and have Bo check the wound daily to make sure no infection sets in since you don't know what you were struck with." He finished writing on Mick's chart. "I'll see you in ten days...sooner if you have any problems."

"Thanks, Doc. What do I owe you?" Mick asked him getting up from the table.

"You can settle with the nurse out at the hospital's main desk," Dr. Wolek answered.

Mick shook Larry Wolek's hand before heading to the nurse's desk. He reached for his wallet in his back pocket, but his wallet wasn't there. He tried the other pocket...nothing. Not in his coat pockets either...Great, Mick thought to himself. Can it get any worse?

He excused himself from the nurse and approached Bo.

"I hate to ask, but can you cover this?" he whispered. "I just realized my wallet is missing. I've checked all my pockets...it must have fallen out somewhere," Mick said.

Bo gladly paid the bill and they left the hospital, Mick carefully looking for his wallet as they retraced their steps to the car.

"When did you have it last?" Bo asked.

"Last night," Mick answered. "After your party, I took your neighbor downtown for some dancing at a club…"

"Did you have it after that?" Bo asked.

"I can't remember," Mick said. "Let's swing passed the Blue Danube and ask if anyone found a wallet."

A few moments later Mick slipped back into Bo's car. "No luck."

"Did you go anywhere after that?" Bo asked.

"Just back to her place. Maybe I left it there."

Bo shook his head. "Please tell me you did not sleep with Caroline Talbott."

"Okay...I won't tell you then," Mick answered.

Bo sighed. "Mick…"

"Hey," Mick interrupted, "I'm looking for a wallet, not a lecture!"

"No lecture," Bo answered, "but, I need to tell you a few things about Caroline Talbott…"

"Ohhh...and I could tell you a few things about Caroline Talbott…" Mick grinned, "but not now...I need to find my money. Hey! That's it!" Mick exclaimed. "I was followed and was robbed! I had quite a wad in that wallet! Someone from the club probably saw my money when I paid for our drinks. He followed me home, waited for me outside Caroline's place, and jumped me for the wallet! That has to be it!"

"Maybe…" Bo responded quietly.

"What else could it be?" Mick asked. "It's the only explanation. I have no enemies in this town. Why would anyone set out to hurt me? They were after my money. I guess I'll have to borrow a little, if I can, to get by. I'll reimburse you when I get back home…"

"That's fine," Bo answered, pulling into their driveway. "One last place to look. Why don't you retrace your steps from Caroline's back door to where you were attacked?"

"Good idea," Mick agreed.

Moments later, Mick joined Bo and Nora in their kitchen.

"I found it," he said, holding up the wallet. "and I was right...it was a robbery. The money is missing."

To be continued...