I was vaguely aware of strange sounds and weird smells. Muffled footsteps echoing through corridors and chemical smells. I opened my eyes and saw white sheets and white walls. I was lying on my stomach in a strange bed and for a few moments I couldn't figure out where I was or how I got there. Then memory came back like a light switch.

I rolled over and gasped, as much from the pain that shot through my backside as my last memory from the mall. Tubes popped out of my arm and I felt hands on my wrist, pulling me back down on to my stomach.

"It's okay, Cupcake," I heard a familiar voice in my ear. "Just relax."

I looked over and saw Joe crouching by my bedside. He looked like hell. I collapsed back onto the bed.

"You okay?" My voice sounded raspy.

He gave me a half smile. "I'm fine." And then, to answer the question that he knew I was going to ask, "Ranger and the princess are fine as well. They're back in the hotel and Ranger will be taking her down to DC tomorrow."

"The Merry Men?" Morelli smiled at my question. "Not bad, besides Cal busted ribs from the hotel, Tank got clipped again in the arm and Lester took a couple of rounds to his Kevlar, but nothing broken, just bruised. Bobby and Hal are fine." Morelli paused to smile at me. "Tank says that Hal almost got clipped from behind at one point but his assailant was plowed over by a pretzel cart before he could get out a round."

I was exhausted and I felt sleep coming down on me again. "Damn, those pretzel carts are dangerous. They ought to require some kind of license for those things."

"Almost as dangerous as Buicks."

I was sinking fast. "Yeah, gotta watch out for Buicks and pretzel carts."

I closed my eyes and heard a nurse come in and reattach my tubes. I cracked my eyes open a bit and saw her adjust a valve on something dripping into the tube. Morelli settled himself back on to a chair.

"What's with my ass?" I saw Morelli glance at my butt and smirk. "I mean, why does it hurt so much?"

"They pulled out over fifty glass shards that had stabbed your backside and legs. There were a couple in your head as well. That leather jacket may have saved both your lives."

I was fighting the sleep. I suspected that whatever was dripping into that tube was sending me off to lala land. "Something hit me in the head."

"It was a large scented candle."

"Probably hazelnut. Never did like hazelnut candles." I muttered.

Morelli's snort was the last thing I heard before I faded out.