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ain’t no fun.”
    “I don’t think it’s supposed to be fun,” Johnny remarked.
    They both laughed.
    “Susie was asking about ya’ll the other day,” said El. “She ain’t seen Gale in about a week.”
    “Yeah,” said Johnny. “Sorry about that.  We’ve just been busy dealing with a few things, I guess.”
    “Yeah, she was just wondering was all.”
    “How is Susie, anyway?”
    “She’s up in a roar about this new shed I’m building.” El chuckled.  “Says I do things like this just to get her going. Hell, maybe I do.”
    “If that were me, I think I’d cave. I’d feel bad about it.”
    “Shucks, you feeling bad?  You still ain’t confessed about when you said you were going to work, and really you went with me and Phil to Atlanta.”
    “Hey, I almost told her last night.”
    “And?”
    Johnny grinned. “We got a bit sidetracked.”
    “Figures. Ain’t you two something else?  Been married over ten years and still acting like kids.”
    “ Any way,” El went on, pretending to be disgusted,  “‘about what you called me for—what is it?  If it was just to talk about the wives, I’m gonna smack you.”
    “Oh, sorry,” he said seriously.  “I almost forgot.”
    “Well get to it already,” El said.  “What’s up?”
    Johnny paused a moment, then took another look at the fading sun.  “It’s like this...”
     
    Emergency Room
    His eyes opened. The room was bright. There were curtains all around him with people both coming and going, and everyone was wearing green and white.
    “Doctor, the patient is awake,” said one of the women suddenly. She towered over his limp body, her face covered in some kind of protective green mask.
    “Sedate him and let’s begin,” the man answered. “And someone see what’s taking Doctor Shen so long. We need him for this operation.”
    Johnny moaned, trying to speak. He wanted answers: where he was, who they were, where Gale was, why he couldn’t feel anything. But he couldn’t ask her what was going on. He couldn’t ask her what she was doing. He couldn’t do a thing but lay there, helpless. She placed a plastic device over his mouth and nose, and said, gently, “Count back from 100, please.”
    But he didn’t count. In fact, he tried his best to stay awake, but it was no use. The drugs would have their way, and before he knew it, the light began to fade.
     
    Abram Farm
    “I don’t understand, Johnny,” said his wife as she poured a glass of iced tea. “You didn’t have to tell him.”
    “He’s my best friend, Gale.”
    “Well, I’m your wife,” she said.
    He didn’t answer.  Instead, he just looked her.  Her beautiful red hair flowed over her neck—just the way he liked—and her face seemed more alive today than it had in months. If he didn’t know any better, he’d never know she was sick.
    “Look, John, this is a big deal. We can’t let it get out. If people knew—”             
    “If people knew, they’d freak out. I know. You’ve told me a thousand times.  But, so what? Who cares what they say?”
    “ I do!  It’s my life. It’s my decision to make, whether or not I want the whole town coming around asking if I feel alright, asking if everything’s okay. I don’t want their charity or their pity. I just want to be me , okay?” Her voice started to crack.
    Johnny put his hand gently on the back of her neck and brought her closer to him. Their foreheads touched. “It’s alright,” he said in a low voice. “Gale, I’m sorry. I won’t say anything to anyone else, I promise. I already told El not mention it to anyone, and he said he wouldn’t. I made him swear. He’s good on his word. You know that.”
    “What if he tells Susie?”
    “He won’t. I made sure of it.”
    “How?”
    “I told him if he said anything I’d tell everyone about Colorado.” He smiled.
    She paused a moment. “Oh! Is that when he got arrested for being naked or something?”
    “Close. He was drunk,