As Jayne, Mavis, Katie, and Sarah discussed refinements of Jayne's basic strategy and laid out the necessary wardrobe, they also learned some information via the televised coverage of the game and telephone calls to the hospital, Lieutenant Christopho, and Rick. Gary Boffman remained unconscious although preliminary x-rays revealed no damage to the cranium or spine. Dr. Kinghoffer had not left his patient's side for a moment. Without their star player, the Redcats were not faring well and might even experience their first loss of the season.

Sportscasters were already drawing parallels with what had happened to Cyrus Boffman forty-six years before, voicing the hope that Gary's football career would not also be prematurely ended by an injury.

By the time Rick and Jimmy walked in the door, not only were Jayne and Katie in costume, but there had been reports of some further developments that concurred with Jayne's expectations.. Boffman had regained consciousness but seemed to be paralyzed from the neck down and a CAT scan was being analyzed by two neurologists to determine if the condition might be correctable by surgery. Dr. Klinghoffer was reported to be unenthusiastic about the prospect of surgery, advocating a wait-and-see position. The Redcats had barely managed to pull off a two-point victory which was far, far below the expected point spread.

Katie looked very proper in her costume which had been obtained from Jayne's closet and shortened with safety pins to accommodate the difference in height between the two women.

However, when Rick saw what Jayne was planning to wear for her voluntary shift of extra weekend duty, he did not entirely approve.

"Honey," Rick suggested, "why don't you just strip naked and we can go out in the garage and I will spray-paint you white from your neck down to your knees?"

Jayne seemed to be seriously considering Rick's offer as she evaluated herself in a full-length mirror. "I don't know," she said, "I think is probably sexier. Besides, Mavis has already gone to the trouble of stitching over the zipper so that it won't pop open and embarrass me."

"You mean that uniform DOESN'T already embarrass you?" Rick asked.

"No, darling. I'm very proud of my body." Jayne turned and patted Rick's cheek. "I know that you are, too."

"Of course, I am, honey," Rick assured her. "It's just that...well, as long as Mavis was securing the zipper, couldn't she have stitched it shut all the way up to, say, your collar bones?"

"Oh, Rick, that would have taken probably half again as much thread," Jayne exaggerated slightly. "Don't worry, I'll wear an overcoat on our way to the hospital."

"Yeah. Either that or a 'For Sale' sign," Rick muttered.

"How about 'This Space for Rent' or 'Your Name Here'?" With her finger, Jayne traced a line across the tops of her more than slightly exposed breasts then gave herself a final look-over in the mirror. "You know, I'm glad I didn't send this back to the mail order place. I knew it would come in handy for something, even if is two sizes too small for me. Okay. I guess I'm already to report for weekend duty."

Fully aware of Jayne's plan, Dwight and Lieutenant Christopho had persuaded the hospital's Chief of Staff to allow Jayne to have 20 minutes alone - or almost alone - with the hospital's most famous patient. Weighing heavily in the Chief's decision was Dwight's suggestion that the hospital could be guilty of assisting in the perpetration of a fraud if every suspicion proved to be justified.

Jayne, Rick, Mavis, Katie, Sarah, and Jimmy waited in a nurse's lounge for Lieutenant Christopho or Dwight to tell them that Jayne's plan had been given clearance by authorities and that Boffman was alone in his room.

Rick was a bit skeptical that Jayne's plan would work. "I don't really see how something can be considered a deathbed confession if the person who makes it really isn't dying."

Jayne gave him a kiss on his cheek and told him, "Darling, one thing a necrobabe learns is that death can be all in the mind. Don't worry."

Presently, Christopho appeared in the doorway of the lounge to announce, "All right. The dedicated Dr. Klinghoffer has been persuaded to leave his patient's side for long enough to go grab some dinner. He gave Mr. Boffman one final shot before leaving him, but I understand he told the nurse that it would not make him sleepy. I think we all have ideas about what that shot was really for. Boffman knows that there are microphones in his room so that he can summon help orally because he obviously can't press a buzzer or ring a bell in his condition. Therefore, nobody can claim later that Boffman didn't know that the room was bugged and that anything he said could be overheard by somebody else. I would say that the coast is clear and the stage is set. I don't know if that's what they call a mixed metaphor, but the meaning is: Miss Harrison, you're on!"

"Yes," said Jayne, rising to her feet, stripping off her overcoat and handing it to Rick. "Showtime!"