While I was in the exam room, she'd called Mitch to see if my apartment was accessible and to tell him she'd be a bit late for work. Though I wanted to head straight to The Garden Gate, on the way out of the parking lot Lisa convinced me I was an embarrassment in her short sweat pants, and I should go home and change into clothes that fit. Since I'd already showered, I dressed in my work outfit, favoring my elbow and pretty much every body part that moved as I did so. In the bathroom, I stared at the purple and red mass taking over the right side of my face. No amount of makeup would hide the bruise. The x-rays revealed nothing was broken, but I sure looked bad. The doctor prescribed an anti-inflammatory, some pain meds and rest. I'd comply with the first two orders and ignore the third, as I needed to be on my game to out one Nathan Jacob's at Gary's killer. It took me longer than normal to walk to the shop, as I had to step gingerly to favor a sore ankle. I'd gladly have driven today, but Perry had arranged to have my truck dropped off at the shop not my house while we were in the ER.
