Part 57 (1/2)

looked up into a sea of faces, a blur of color, all unrecognizable. His

stomach clenched, then tried to heave itself Into his throat.

”Call an ambulance,” he managed, then bent over her again.

”Don't move her.” Bev's face was chalk-white as she knelt beside him. ”I

don't think you're supposed to move her. We need a blanket.”

Some quick-witted soul was already thrusting a daisy afghan into her

hands. ”She'll be all right, Bri.” Carefully, Bev smoothed the blanket

over her. ”She'll be just fine.”

He closed his eyes, shook his head to clear it. But when he opened them

again, Emma was still lying, dead-white, on the floor. There was too

much noise. The music echoing off the ceilings, the voices murmuring,

muttering all around. He felt a hand on his shoulder. A quick,

rea.s.suring squeeze.

”Ambulance is on the way,” P.M. told hilooks. ”Your wife, Mr. McAvoy,

she found your son?”

”Yes. She went upstairs after we heard the ambulance. She wanted to

check on ... She wanted to be sure, you see, that he hadn't woke

up. I heard her screaming, screaming, screaming. And I ran. When I

got into Darren's room, she was sitting on the floor with him, holding

him. And screaming. They had to give her something to put her out.”

”Mr. McAvoy, have there been any threats against you, your wife, or

your children?”

”No.”

”Nothing?”

”No. Well, there's some hate mail from time to time. Political stuff

mostly. Pete has it screened.”