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er with。 But deadoc did not bite。
I took a nap and woke up a little past four。 For a moment； I lay very still； forgetting where I was； then it came back to me with depressing alacrity。 I sat up； cramped beneath my tray； the puter still open on top of it。 I logged onto AOL again and went back into the chat room。 This time I was joined by someone who called himself MEDEX； and we talked about the type of puter database I used in Virginia for capturing case information and doing statistical retrievals。
At exactly five minutes past five； a bell sounded off…key inside my puter； and the Instant Message window suddenly dominated my screen。 I stared in disbelief as a munication from deadoc appeared； words that I knew no one else in the chat room could see。
DEADOC： you think you re so smart
SCARPETTA： Who are you？
DEADOC： you know who I am I am what you do
SCARPETTA： What do I do？
DEADOC： death doctor death you are me
SCARPETTA： I am not you。
DEADOC： you think you re so smart
He abruptly got quiet； and when I clicked on the Available button； it showed that he had logged off。 My heart was racing as I sent another message to MEDEX； saying I had been tied up with a visitor。 I got no response； finding myself alone in the chat room again。
'Damn；' I exclaimed； under my breath。
I tried again as late as ten P。M。； but no one appeared except QUINCY again； to tell me we should try another meeting in the morning。 All of the other docs； he said； had gone home。 The same nurse checked on me； and she was sweet。 I felt sorry for her long hours； and her inconvenience of having to wear a blue suit every time she came into my room。
'Where is the new shift？' I asked； as she took my temperature。
'I'm it。 We're all just doing the best we can。'
I nodded as she alluded to the furlough yet one more time this day。
'There's hardly a lab worker here；' she went on。 'You could wake up tomorrow； the only person in the building。'
'Now I'm sure to have nightmares；' I said as she wrapped the BP cuff around my arm。
'Well； you're feeling okay； and that's the important thing。 Ever since I started ing down here； I started imagining I was getting one thing or another。 The slightest ache or pain or sniffle； and it's； oh my God。 So what kind of doctor are you？'
I told her。
'I was going to be a pediatrician。 Then I got married。'
'We'd be in a lot of trouble were it not for good nurses like you；' I smiled and said。
'Most doctors never bother to notice that。 They have these attitudes。'
'Some of them certainly do；' I agreed。
I tried to go to sleep； and was restless throughout the night。 Street lights from the parking lot beyond my window seeped through the blinds； and no matter which way I turned； I could not relax。 It was hard to breathe and my heart would not slow down。 At five A。M。； I finally sat up and turned on my light。 Within minutes； the nurse was back inside my room。
'You all right？' She looked exhausted。
'Can't sleep。'
'Want something？'
I turned on the puter as I shook my head。 I logged onto AOL and went back to the chat room； which was empty。 Clicking on the Available button； I checked to see if deadoc was on line； and if so； where he might be。 There was no sign of him； and I began scrolling through the various chat rooms available to subscribers and their families。
There was truly something for everyone； places for flirts； singles； gays； lesbians； Native Americans； African Americans； and for evil。 People who preferred bondage； sadomasochism； group sex； bestiality； incest； were wele to find each other and exchange pornographic art。 The FBI could do nothing about it。 All of it was legal。
Dejected； I sat up； propped against my pillows and； without intending to； dozed off。 When I opened my eyes again an hour later； I was in a chat room called ARTLOVE。 A message was quietly waiting for me on my screen。 Deadoc had found me。
DEADOC： a picture s worth a thousand words
I hastily checked to see if he was still logged on； and found him quietly coiled in cyberspace； waiting for me。 I typed my response。
SCARPETTA： What are you trading？
He didn't respond right away。 I sat staring at the screen for three or four minutes。 Then he was back。
DEADOC： I don t trade with traitors I give freely what do you think happens to people like that
SCARPETTA： Why don't you tell me？
Silence； and I watched as he left the room； and a minute later was back。 He was breaking the trace。 He knew exactly what we were doing。
DEADOC： I think you know
SCARPETTA： I don't。
DEADOC： you will
SCARPETTA： I saw the photos you sent。 They weren't very clear。 What was your point？
But he did not answer and I felt slow and dull…witted。 I had him and could not engage him。 I could not keep him on。 I was feeling frustrated and discouraged when another instant message appeared on my screen； this one from the squad again。
QUINCY： A。K。A。； Scarpetta。 Still need to go over that case with you。 The self…immolation。
That's when I realized that Quincy was Lucy。 A。K。A。 was Aunt Kay Always； her code for me。 She was watching over me； as I had watched over her all these years； and she was telling me not to go up in flames。 I typed a message back。
SCARPETTA： I agree。 Your case is very troublesome。 How are you handling it？
QUINCY： Just watch me in court。 More later。
I smiled as I signed off and leaned back in the pillows。 I did not feel quite so alone or crazed。
'Good morning。' The first nurse was back。
'Same to you。' My spirits dipped lower。
'Let's check those vitals。 How are we feeling today？'
'We're fine。'
'You've got a choice of eggs or cereal。'
'Fruit；' I said。
'That wasn't a choice。 But we can probably scrape up a banana。'
The thermometer went into my mouth； the cuff around my arm。 All the while she kept talking。
'It's so cold out it could snow；' she was saying。 'Thirty…three degrees。 You believe that？ I had frost on my windshield。 The acorns are big this year。 That always means a severe winter。 You're still not even up to ninety…eight degrees yet。 What's wrong with you？'
'Why wasn't the phone left in here？' I asked。
'I'll ask about it。' She took the cuff off。 'Blood pressure's low； too。'
'Please ask Colonel Fujitsubo to stop by this morning。' She stood back and scrutinized me。 'You going to plain about me？'
'Good heavens； no；' I said。 'I just need to leave。'
'Well； I hate to tell you； but that's not up to me。 Some people stay in here as long as two weeks。'
I would lose my mind； I thought。
The colonel did not appear before lunch； which was a broiled chicken breast； carrots and rice。 I hardly ate as my tension mounted； and the TV flashed silently in the background because I had turned off the sound。 The nurse came back at two P。M。 and announced I had another visitor。 So I put on the HEPA filter mask again and followed her back down the hall into the clinic。
This time I was in Booth A； and Wesley was waiting for me on the other side。 He smiled when our eyes met； and both of us picked up our phones。 I was so relieved and surprised to see him that I stammered at first。
'I hope you've