Look, Duke didn't get it, either. But he was pretty sure if he was in denial about something someone would have been stitched up by now, so. . . .

"I don't remember," he said. "I -- Jennifer fell. And I felt like I was -- choking or exploding or something. And then. I was on the beach and I was fine."

The pain had gone away. Like it had just now.

. . . And the stitching had started.

"Shit!" Duke flung himself back, out of Lucifer's hands, coming up short against the gunwale. "Shit shit shit I must have let out a trouble!"