“Mr. Thompson, I have your X-rays posted. As you can see you have a broken eye socket, two bruised ribs and a lacerated cornea. Where did the attack occur?”
Clay was fading in and out of consciousness. He was punch-drunk from the morphine drip.
“In my bedroom,” he slurred.
“Did you get a good look at the perpetrator?”
Clay tried to laugh, but it hurt.
“He’s about four feet eleven, around ninety pounds and has red hair. Oh yeah, and he reeks of sour milk. If I see that little shit again, I’ll bite the other leg. Damn second graders.”
Clay planned to hide his injuries from Claire as best he could while she was in Cornwall for the week on business.
At one point, Clay believed he had cheated death with pharmacology. The Zovirax lessened the frequency of attacks, but the flare ups left his skin looking like flesh-colored bubble wrap.
But Clay was faced a more sinister threat. There was no pill to take or drug to ingest to remedy the paranormal.
Claire returned from her trip and arranged a dinner date at Clay’s. She surprised Clay with a bag of groceries in one hand and a romantic card in the other. Clay was engaged in a call.
“Okay, Emily. I hear what you’re saying. I would give you three chapters if I had three chapters. I got nothing. I have to be inspired, ya know. I promise you when I finally come up with a storyline it will hit the mark. Just need some time.”
As Clay was concluding his call with his publisher, he heard a loud scream from Claire coming from the study.
“Clay! Clay! Come upstairs!”
Clay bolted like a track star to see what the problem was.
Claire was absolutely furious. She stood by the computer and pointed to the screen.
“Clay, I was trying to get on the computer, but the screen is locked. It says you have visited an illegal website and the Metropolitan Police are slapping you with a fine. You’re watching porn, aren’t you?”
Claire dropped to her knees and broke down in tears.
Clay tried to comfort Claire but she did not want to be touched. She forcefully pushed him away.
“Don’t touch me until you explain,” she demanded.
Clay had never seen Claire so upset and angry.
“Let me explain. This is a hoax to rip people off. Ukash is a cyberextortionist scam. Ever since I let my antivirus software expire, I’ve been infected with malware. I already called Andy, the IT guy, to clean my computer and update my Norton Antivirus. Don’t worry; I have you, I don’t need porn,” Clay assured her.
Claire wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Clay, I feel like such a fool for not trusting you. I’m so sorry. Come here, baby.”
Clay held Claire tight. He breathed a sigh of relief.