DISCLAIMER: I don't own them.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

First and foremost: Thanks to Ms. Eyre and Amanda, who betaed this chapter.

Second: I'm sorry it took me so long to post these last two chapters. Real life and technology (my computer) got in the way. I hope you haven't forgotten the whole story by now. . .

And last but not least: Is anybody out there?????????

* * * * * * *



Susan stopped the car and looked up at the building. There were some massive stairs leading into it. She counted the steps. About twelve. She cursed mentally for not having taken them into account before. The room where the book club meetings took place was in the ground floor, but those stairs would pose quite a challenge to an already reluctant Luka. They would give him yet another excuse not to get out of the car. It had taken her over a week to convince him to get out of his apartment and to attend the book club meeting. She had been there a couple of times, and it had seemed to her that the gatherings were quite friendly. They were held by a German Literature teacher from Chicago University, and the books they were discussing were mostly nineteenth century novels, the kind Luka loved. Susan was convinced he had to find some activities to pursue out of his apartment while he was suspended, otherwise he'd plunge back into the depression he'd been suffering from before getting to work.

"Well, it's here," she said with an encouraging smile.

"Twelve steps," marked Luka, looking at the building's façade.

"Oh, come on. They're nothing. And Jack said..."

"Look, Susan. It's already ten past seven, and it'll take me at least five minutes to climb them. I don't want to be that late."

"Are you always that punctilious? The meetings are very relaxed, you know. It doesn't matter if you're a bit late."

"Can't we leave it like that? I promise I'll come next week. On time." Luka's voice was half pleading, half annoyed.

Susan regarded him with a stern eye, while she inwardly prayed he wouldn't get mad at her. She really didn't have any right to press the book club on Luka.

But instead, he seemed a bit abashed at his evident lie. He wasn't even thinking about coming back next week. He sighed, opened the door of the car and took his crutches out.

"All right..."

Susan flashed him a smile.

"I'll pick you up in an hour."

He nodded. He got out of the car and slammed the door, and then made his way towards the building. She watched him climb the first steps before she started the engine and drove away. She didn't want to hover over him as if she was a mistrustful mother hen.

* * * * * * *



At twenty past eight, she was parked in the same spot, wondering where Luka was. She had been there on time but nobody had come out of the building. She had thought they had maybe been talking about something interesting and had extended the meeting a few minutes. But now it was late. She was considering getting out of the car to check the meeting room when a tap on the car window on her side startled her. It was Luka.

"I was wondering whether I should report you missing," she said, as she rolled down the window. And then she spotted the man standing beside Luka. "Uh, hello, professor..." She blushed. She had forgotten the name.

"Perkins. Daniel Perkins. I'm sorry I kidnapped your friend for a cup of coffee."

"It's all right," she said. She was about to add that he had usually been kidnapped for much more than a cup of coffee in the past, but restrained herself. Bantering about each other's sexual life had long since been a common issue between them, but she didn't need to drag third parties to it.

Professor Perkins shook Luka's hand.

"Nice meeting you, Dr. Kovac. I really enjoyed our little talk. See you tomorrow, then?"

"Yes, professor. Nice meeting you too." Luka shook Professor Perkins's hand and then made his way round the car.

"What was that about?" Asked Susan when he was finally sitting beside her.

Luka looked at her innocently.

"What was what about?"

"Oh, come on, Luka."

He looked down to hide his smile. He seemed embarrassed.

"I... I never made it to the meeting, you know," he started.

She looked at him, shocked.

"What?"

"Huh... Susan," Luka pointed forward, to make her focus on the street. When they came to a red light, she turned towards him.

"So how come you ended up having coffee with Professor Perkins?"

"Well, I was waiting for you and freezing my ass off in the street when I decided I could might as well wait in the hall... I just had to leave little before they finished. But they finished early and the Professor spotted me in the hall. Your description of me must have been pretty accurate."

He signalled the red light which had already turned to green. Susan accelerated.

"So, what did you tell him about you not coming?"

"I told him I'm not fond of crowds."

"Really, Luka, twelve people is hardly a crowd."

"And I told him you had talked me into it, and that I had freaked at the last minute."

Susan closed her mouth when she realised she was gaping. She could listen to Luka's silent chuckle.

"And what did he say?"

"That you had made that same impression on him."

"What impression?"

"Of being persistent... Susan, you can close your mouth now."

"Well... eh... huh..."

"It was a joke, Susan."

Susan tried a smile, but it wasn't very convincing.

"He's a nice man, though," continued Luka. "He tried to sell the book club to me himself, but wasn't annoyed when I didn't give in."

"So, what's the story about tomorrow?"

"He's coming over for coffee."

"Coming over for WHAT?"

Luka grinned.

"I told him I had a copy of the first German edition of 'The Magic Mountain'."

Susan watched him with a naughty smile. That sounded like one more of Luka's jokes. He'd burst out with the strangest of things in the most serious tone, so you'd believe anything he said.

"And do you? Or are you trying to cheat the poor man?"

"Susan, I'm hurt. Do you believe I would..."

Luka stopped in the middle of his mock complaint, when he saw Susan's expression.

"No, really, I do. It was one of Milan's treasures. He sent it with my father."

Susan raised his brows. That was a great present. According to Luka, his father's friend didn't own many things. Nobody in Luka's circle of acquaintances back home did, he'd told her.

"Wow, what a present."

Luka nodded, silently. She pulled the car over in front of Luka's building. Luka turned towards her.

"Would you like to have some coffee?"

"I'd love to. But I have an early shift tomorrow..."

She regretted having said that instantly. Luka had been having a bad case of cabin fever ever since he'd been suspended. He couldn't make himself get out of the apartment, and yet he hated being there. Going to work had been the only thing that had kept him going for so many years that it seemed to be a hard habit to break for him. When his sick leave had been about to end, he had even called Romano to get back to work. Not that Luka had ever told her, but Susan had figured it out in one of her bantering rounds with Romano some weeks ago. The little tyrant surely had known how to get to Luka by suspending him.

"All right."

He opened the door and started getting out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride," he said, turning towards her.

"How about a movie tomorrow evening?"

"As long as it is NOT Star Wars..."

"Well, we could go to the movies instead of renting something," she suggested, hoping, although she found it highly unlikely, he'd accept.

He considered it for a minute.

"All right," he said in the end. "If you can find a theatre with no stairs..."

"I can," she assured him.

He got out of the car and was about to close the door when she called him back.

"Yes?"

"What about Professor Perkins?"

"Ah, he's not a problem. He'll be here at three. I don't think he'll be staying that long. What time are you coming?"

"How about seven?"

"Great. Good night, Susan."

This time she waited until he climbed the few stairs to the entrance and opened the front door.

* * * * * * *



Luka was sitting on one of the stools in curtain one. He looked up briefly from the chart and had a bite of a donut from a pack on the suture cart beside him. He wasn't supposed to go over his charts there, and least of all with a cup of coffee and donuts, but he'd found it was more comfortable for his leg to sit on the high stools they used for examining patients than in the sofa in the lounge. He could prop the chart between his lap and the side of the bed and it was just the right height. Besides, things in the ER were really slow that morning, and he wanted to avoid running into Romano at all costs.

He'd got back to work three days before, after a brief message left in his answering machine, and he'd been lucky enough to get different shifts from those of the chief of the ER. He'd run the board with Carter or Susan, and had been simply delighted to be able to do his job without having to see the little tyrant. A voice in the back of his mind had whispered that since Romano fixed the shifts of all the people in the ER he'd probably done that on purpose, giving him respite from his nagging for some days, but he'd always dismissed the thought as utter nonsense. And yes, the period of relief had been all too short. That day Romano was due to start his shift a couple of hours after Luka came in, so they'd coincide at least part of the day. Luka restrained a sigh and went back to his chart, after having a sip of coffee.

"Please, change into this gown and sit on the bed. A doctor will see you right away."

Malik's voice, together with the squeak of the tires of a wheelchair against the polished floor was suddenly heard.

"Am I supposed to change clothes in HERE? Haven't you got any sense of decency, young man?"

"I'll draw the curtains for you."

"But this is the middle of the hall!"

"I'll ensure your privacy, ma'am."

"This is an outrage!"

The clinking of the rings of the curtain followed. Apparently Malik had chosen to end the argument there. Luka laughed under his breath. He wondered who would be the poor wretch that would get to see the old lady. Five minutes later, a voice boomed out from behind the curtain. Luka's grin widened.

"So, Mrs... Hansen, what seems to be the problem today?"

Silence. And then:

"Are YOU a doctor?"

"Yes, ma'am. Dr. Romano at your service. Now, if you'd only tell me..."

"But you can surely not examine me with..."

"I assure you, ma'am, I can. What's the problem, then?"

Romano's voice held a bit of sharpness, but otherwise it was extremely calm. Unusually calm. Luka's smile had frozen on his lips.

"Listen, young man, You..."

There was a clatter on the floor and then the lady's voice:

"You can't even hold the chart!"

Luka let his own chart down and grabbed his crutches. He had heard enough. No one deserved this. Not even Romano. He stood up. But then, he thought, Romano had the quickest mouth he'd ever known. He could surely get through this by himself. He heard how the doctor picked up the chart, and wondered why he hadn't said anything yet.

"I don't want you to examine me," continued the lady.

There was a silence. Why hadn't Romano snapped on the old lady yet?

"Haven't you got a healthy doctor around?"

Another brief silence. And then:

"No, we haven't." Romano lifted his eyes at the sound of the thick accented voice and the curtains being cast to one side. "It's either the solo armed doctor or the one on crutches."

Luka was facing the lady squarely. The woman's jaw dropped. She didn't manage a word.

"Would you like me to take over, Dr. Romano?"

"Sure, be my guest."

Romano handed him the chart. Luka looked at it.

"Huh, Dr..." Luka cringed, expecting the next name Romano's prejudiced and seemingly inexhaustible imagination would draw out.

"Dr. Kovac..."

Luka looked up, unable to hide his surprise. There was a big grin pasted on Romano's face.

"Yeah?"

"There's... huh... chocolate on your chin."

Romano's grin had got even wider, if possible. He was glaring at him not with his usual withering stare, but with an open, amused look.

"Well, thank you Dr. Romano," he said, wiping his chin with his fingertips.

Was the gurgling sound that came from where Romano was standing a quiet chuckle? Well, his shoulders were shaking slightly. Luka rubbed his chin more than necessary, desperately trying not to burst into laughter himself.

He looked down at the chart again.

"So, Mrs. Hansen. You were complaining of a stomach ache..."

When he lifted his gaze, the woman was still staring at him and Romano was nowhere to be seen.

* * * * * * *



"Call Kovac," Romano's command resounded like a bang against the walls of the trauma room.

"Dr. Romano I'm sure I can..." Neela tried to reply. Romano hovered over the little girl on the table, her sats quickly dropping. Romano chose to ignore his medical student.

"We're not taking any risks here. Run!" he replied, glaring at Chuny.

Chuny cast a glance at Susan, who was still sitting with her head between her knees and started her way out.

She heard the rest of the sentence as she the doors of the trauma room slammed behind her, so loud was the voice of the Chief of the ER: "Tell him to fly!"

Luka hurried down the hall, with Chuny in tow. She rushed past him and held the doors of the trauma room open for him. There was a little girl on the table, her chest cracked open. The monitor was giving out a loud, steady beep.

An expression of relief washed over Romano's face when he spotted Luka, but he immediately hid it behind a wicked grin.

"Geez, Kovac. Next time I'll send you a scooter."

"What is it?"

"There's a leak in her hylum," explained Romano briefly, as Luka put his gloves on.

Luka glanced over to the chief of staff and the student on the other side of the table. He spotted Susan, sitting by the wall behind them. She seemed at the verge of fainting. What was wrong with her? Then his attention turned to the two doctors opposite him. Neela seemed frustrated. Luka was sure she'd been able to perform the procedure with Romano's guidance, though it was a delicate one. He was, after all, a brilliant surgeon, and despite his snapping temper had got really good at teaching. He was tough and demanding and held no pity for mistakes, but his explanations of procedures were always clear and to the point. And he wasn't exactly noted for his willingness to recur to other doctors. Why on earth had he called him? It took less than a second for the thoughts to reel in Luka's mind, but Romano was already glaring at him.

"Come on!" He barked. "We haven't got all day!"

Luka got closer to the table. He hadn't handled a trauma since he'd started working again. He got the instruments and started repairing the leak, trying, at the same time, to hold his crutches under his armpits and to get the right angle over the board. It wasn't easy. The trauma boards had always been a bit low for him and he'd always been forced to lean over them. One of his crutches slipped and fell to the floor. Romano gave out a coloured four letter word.

"For heaven's sake, let them drop, Kovac!"

Luka let go the other one and leant all his weight on his right leg. He finished repairing the injury. He was about to ask for the syringe when it popped up in front of him. Romano was holding it. Luka took it with a nod of acknowledgment and inserted it in the girl's heart carefully while he heard Romano's steady voice giving an un-asked-for explanation to Neela.

She wouldn't have dared to ask what Luka was doing, but still she'd profit from the description. And then a memory came as a flash to Luka. The same problem, the same procedure, Kerry and Harkins hovering over him while he repaired the injury. When he had drawn the air, he retrieved the needle. The girl's heart started to beat again and Neela and the nurses took a deep breath. Luka looked up.

"Let's get her to the OR," said Romano. "Bag her."

Neela complied and held the bag while Haleh and Romano pushed the gurney out of the trauma room. Chuny picked up the crutches for Luka, while he took off his gloves.

Dr. Romano lingered briefly on the threshold.

"It seems you've just got another patient, Dr. Kovac. Take care of her, will you?" He said, thrusting his chin rudely at Susan.

Luka nodded, and Romano gave a step out.

"Dr. Romano..." Luka called after him. The little doctor stopped, still holding the door open with his shoulder.

"Why did you call me?"

"We needed a steady pair of hands, Kovac," answered Romano glancing down the hall and made a pause.

He faced Luka again. "And rumours DO spread in the leper colony. I'd heard of your skills with a needle."

And then he disappeared through the doors of the trauma room. Luka stared at the doors for a moment. This was not the arrogant, self-centered surgeon he'd worked with in the past few years. It wasn't the frustrated, bitter man that had started his career as ER chief nagging and flouting his staff. Luka came to think that back then Romano hadn't known much about emergency medicine, but now he was deft and expedient in handling most of the cases. He must have been trying to catch up with the latest advancements in the area. He'd also developed a better relationship with most of the staff. He was still regarded as an outsider, but the former tense relationship had eased down a lot. Sometimes he'd even tried some light hearted teasing among his sarcastic remarks. It seemed as if Romano had managed to carry on with his life. Luka sighed, pulled himself out of his reverie, and got closer to Susan.

"Hey," he whispered. Susan looked up at him. She was very pale.

"You'd think I was a first year medical student," she commented. "Fainting in the middle of a trauma. What a shame..."

Luka watched her sternly.

"When did you last eat?"

Susan gave him a sheepish smile.

"Gee, Luka. You sound just like..." she made a pause, but then she finished her sentence.

"Like Mark when he was patronising."

* * * * * * *



Luka didn't feel any pain. He didn't notice anything until it was too late. He just felt the pull on his left leg and suddenly lost his balance, his right knee and wrist taking the full blow of his weight against the floor. He was shocked into stillness for a minute.

"Dr. Kovac! What happened?"

Yosh had stopped pushing the gurney and was hovering over him. The patient he had started to roll out of curtain three on his way up radiology was staring at Luka.

"Nothing," he said. "I must have lost my balance. Help me up."

He grabbed Yosh's hand and dragged himself to his feet. He tried not to grimace when the pull caused a sharp pain on his right wrist. Yosh spotted it, however.

"Why don't you sit there a little?" he asked, pointing at the other bed. "I'll come back with Mr. Stevens in a minute."

Luka nodded. His right knee throbbed painfully when he leant his weight on it. He cursed mentally. He really didn't need a sprained wrist or an injured knee right now. Yosh was about to go out of the room when Luka called him.

"Yes?"

"Just don't... Just don't tell anybody. I'm fine, Okay?"

"Okay, Dr. Kovac."

He went out of the room while Luka sat on the other bed. He rubbed his right wrist and turned his hand a little, probing the level of pain. It didn't look all that bad. It was maybe not sprained. After all, he'd had a few falls during the last weeks and none had had grave consequences.

He pushed himself a bit higher on the bed and then he noticed some moisture on his left hand. He looked down and swore, this time out loud. Blood was oozing from one of the pins on his left leg. He opened up the Velcro seam on his pants to have a look at it. Suddenly, the door to the exam room slammed open.

"So, what kind of trouble have you got yourself into this time, Kovac?"

Luka cursed Yosh's mother and every one of his ancestors up to the tenth generation when he saw Doctor Romano coming in. He threw his lab coat over his left leg.

"Nothing," he replied gruffly.

Romano regarded him with a critical eye.

"Come on, Kovac. I thought you could do better than that."

Luka looked at him squarely.

"And you should have already found out by now that your stares do not reduce anything to ashes. Where did you hit yourself?"

Luka sighed. It didn't matter how much he protested or cursed, Romano wasn't going to give up on examining him. And then the rumour would spread all over the ER like wildfire and there would be a crowd fussing all over him. He cringed at the thought. Well, maybe if he accepted having hurt his knee, Romano would send him up to radiology without making too much noise. . .

"My knee."

"Roll up your pants."

Luka complied and Romano examined the knee. He examined it and made Luka move his leg a bit.

"It doesn't seem too sore. Do you think we should take an X-ray, or just ice it?"

Luka repressed a sigh of relief.

"Ice it," and then he added under his breath: "We don't want to misuse the budget."

Romano accepted the irony with a curt grin.

"I thought you had gotten over that. But you're an embittered chap. No wonder..." he stopped short.

"What?" Snapped Luka.

"Never mind."

"WHAT?"

"Oh, f*** you, Kovac!" Exclaimed Romano while he cast a quick glance at the window. He went towards it and shut the blinds. He turned around and gave Luka a stern look.

"I'm not giving you the pleasure of starting up a fight. Especially not when you're bleeding," he hissed between his teeth.

Luka cast a look at his lab coat. There was a spot on it and it was slowly widening. He cursed under his breath.

"As I see it, Kovac, you only have two options. Either you let me examine you and we can take care of it quietly or I call an Attending to take care of you and Orthopaedics for a consult."

Luka closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. He was trapped. Jesus. Just when he'd been about to get the damn frame off. . .

"So, what's it going to be?"

Luka shoved his lab coat away and opened the rest of the Velcro seam on his pants. He glanced around the room as Romano examined him.

"Does this hurt?"

Luka looked down. Romano was fidgeting with the troublesome pin.

"Kind of."

"Now, THAT'S what I call a precise answer," grunted Romano. But he didn't wait for another one: "Well, Kovac. The pin's off. You need an orthopaedic consult. When were they going to remove the whole thing?"

"The day after tomorrow."

Romano nodded pensively.

"Tell you what. I can stop the bleeding. Then you can drag yourself down the corridor and upstairs. Make a decorous retreat, if you're up to it. I'll get you admitted for the next two days."

"What about the rest of my shift?"

"We'll manage without you. We have done it before, you know..."

"And my shift tomorrow?"

Luka knew his questions bordered on stupidity, but it was the only kind of resistance he could put up at the moment.

Romano looked daggers at him.

"Have you gone daft or what, Kovac?"

Luka sighed and shook his head.

"Glad to know that," growled Romano, and took a box of gloves. He tossed it to Luka, and he rolled a suturing tray towards the bed. Luka took one glove out of the box and Romano held his hand up so Luka could put the glove on.

"Put on a pair yourself. You'll have to give me a hand with this."

Luka complied.

Fifteen minutes later, they were done with it. Luka closed the Velcro over the bandage and was thankful that the blood on his black pants was not too visible. He took his lab coat and folded it so he hid the stain on it, and tossed it over his shoulder. Romano handed him the crutches and Luka stood up. He tried not to wince when he leant on his wrist. It hurt like hell now. Romano watched him inquisitively.

"I think we should go upstairs together," he said. "You can wait in chairs while I get you admitted."

He opened the door and held it while Luka went through it. As soon as they were out, he started bickering. Luka looked at him surprised, and tried not to gape when he caught Romano's wink as he ranted on about a non existent patient whose history Luka was supposed to have been reviewing. Luka did his best not to smile as they walked past the nurse's station. No one would have dared to stop Romano's rant, and the body of the little doctor hid Luka's leg from view. Romano kept on and on until they came to the elevators and Luka struck the button. When the doors opened, Luka came in, but Romano gave a step back, instead, as he finished off his bantering with something about Luka not getting his Green Card renewed if he didn't comply with normal procedures. Luka caught the wink of the chief of the ER as the doors slowly closed, and marvelled again at the slyness of the little tyrant. He'd take the stairs to draw curious looks away.

* * * * * * *



Luka sighed in relief when he finally sat down on the hospital bed, on the fourth floor. Romano apparently still had some sort of influence in the hospital, for he had got Luka a bed in the OR floor in fifteen minutes. He had also got a consult with someone from orthopaedics. Luka put his crutches aside and felt his wrist with his left hand. It was a little bit swollen. Damn. If it was sprained, Luka would be facing at least a couple of weeks in a wheelchair, because he wouldn't be able to support himself on crutches. He flinched at the prospect.

The door opened and in came the chief of the ER. Romano tossed a hospital gown at Luka.

"Put this on, Kovac. I also brought these for your knee... and wrist," he said, putting two ice packs on the bed. "I know I shouldn't be wasting hospital budget on you, but I ordered a set of X-rays for them, anyway."

Romano made a pause and when he didn't get a reply, he added:

"Well, I guess that's all. Somebody from radiology will pick you up in a while."

He strode out of the room. He put his hand on the doorknob, but then he turned around and faced the gaping Croatian. Romano tried not to smile.

"Uhm... I'm sure somebody will have to bring you some personal stuff. Who would you like me to tell about your little accident: Carter or Lewis?"

It took Luka a couple of minutes to find his voice.

"Eh... huh... Carter's not on."

Romano nodded.

"Lewis it is, then."

And with that, the chief of the ER opened the door and walked away.

* * * * * * *



"Good morning, Dr. Kovac."

Luka winced at the overtly cheerful voice and the sound of the curtains being opened. Oh God. Was he having a bad dream? Was he in the middle of some kind of episode of Post Traumatic Stress? Was he drastically confusing past memories and the present again? He shut his eyes tighter. Whatever was happening, whether it was a dream or an episode of PTSD, he didn't want to be in it.

A hand touched his forearm lightly.

"Come on, I know you're awake. It's a little bit early but your surgery's been rescheduled for 9:00 a.m. today. We'll have to prepare you for it."

THAT was new. Completely new. Luka opened his eyes and carefully surveyed his surroundings. He was in a hospital room, but none he recognised. He looked up at the nurse hovering over him. Those features were familiar. He strained to remember her. Shirley. That was it. She was a nurse from the OR. Then what had happened last night came back to him: the cursed fall; Romano stopping the bleeding; his trip to the fourth floor and Romano getting him admitted; the X-rays and the consult from orthopaedics where it had been established that, fortunately, he hadn't sprained his wrist and that nothing had happened to his legs; Susan stopping by and promising she'd get him some clothes and toiletries from his apartment; Carter's call half an hour later; him lying in bed and wondering what he'd do in hospital for that long, dreading the pity and platitudes his co-workers would shed on him during the next two days; then slowly falling asleep. But what had Shirley just said about surgery?

"Surgery?" he asked in a raspy voice.

Shirley smiled. It certainly took Dr. Kovac long to come to his senses.

"For the removal of your frame, Dr. Kovac. It's been rescheduled. Dr. Gunn will perform it today at 9:00 a.m. We'll have to run some tests before that," she explained, slowly.

Luka cleared his throat, astounded.

"Who rescheduled it?"

Shirley tilted her head to one side. She was sure Dr. Kovac wouldn't believe her, but hell, her former boss had the right to have some credit.

"Dr. Romano talked to Dr. Gunn this morning and found an empty OR."

Luka stared at her.

"Yes, I know, it sounds unbelievable," she said with a chuckle. "But he did. He's got his ways, you know... How's your wrist, by the way?"

Luka looked at it. It was a little bit swollen, and it was sore. He tried drawing a circle with his hand.

"All right, I guess."

"Well, it's just good luck you can give it a short rest. If everything goes as it should, you'll be home this evening. Do you want an ice pack for it? I'll have to get a kit for the exams, so I can get it on my way back."

"Yes, thank you," whispered Luka.

"I'll be right back."

Luka stared at the closed door for a while and then he reached out for the telephone on the nightstand. He dialed the extension of the ER.

"Jerry? This is Dr. Kovac. Is Dr. Carter around?"

He waited by the line.

"Carter? Would you mind giving me a lift home this evening?" Luka smiled when he heard Carter's answer. "Well, yeah, you'll never believe me..."