Part 4 (2/2)
”Okay,” I said
”Come here,”
I kneeled down next to her ”What should I do?”
”The patient uard in her mouth”
”Okay, where's that?”
”Just use a pencil,” Natalie said, looking up
”Shhhhh,” Vickie scolded ”You can't talk”
Natalie closed her eyes again and opened her rabbed a pen ”Will this work?”
”Yeah,” Vickie said
I placed it in Natalie's mouth and she clamped down on it
”Okay, Nurse Are we ready?”
”Yes, Doctor,” I said
Vickie turned the dial on theyou one million volts”
Natalie convulsed, her whole body tre She opened her eyes and rolled them back in her head She screaood” The wire under Natalie's neck slipped out and Vickie tucked it back in ”Nurse, increase the voltage,” she said
I reached over and turned the dial ”Okay, it's all the way up,” I said
Natalie shook violently
”She's repressing a o deep into her subconscious mind”
Natalie screa with such force that I orried she'd really hurt herself shaking with such force that I orried she'd really hurt herself
Poo Bear burst into tears and ran frohed
Poo Bear disappeared down the hall, his cries of terror growing fainter as he ran deeper into the house
”Woops,” Natalie said She eating and red-faced
”We better get hi after Poo
I glanced at the TV, a commercial for Herbal Essence And then I ran after therand piano in the living roo
I froze
Vickie and Natalie sat on the sofa across from the piano They sat side by side, hands in their laps, like they atching him do scales
”Oh,” I said ”Sorry”
Poo Bear pinched a turd out on the bright blue wall-to-wall carpeting and Vickie and Natalie clapped
”Way to go, Poo,” Vickie cheered
Natalie giggled She slapped her knees
Poo Bear opened his eyes and looked at rape jelly mouth ”Poo can poo,” he said
I looked at Vickie and Natalie ”Have you seen my mother?”
”She's in the kitchen,” Natalie said I started to leave, but she added warningly, ”With , really quick”
She watched as Poo brought his finger to his nose and sniffed
I backed out of the room and walked down the hall The old Victorian had many rooms and many hallways; two stairways and so et lost But the kitchen was easy-just straight back at the end of the house
My h with dirty dishes caked with food She was sarette
”Mousten”
I hugged her I loved her sonna stay? I wanna go hoed me closer and stroked the back of o soon?”
She picked her cigarette from the ris When she spoke, her words causten It's important that we be here now”
In the distance, I heard Poo Bear laugh
She took another drag frolass ofBut this is a safe place This is where we need to be Right here in the doctor's own home, with his family”
Her eyes looked different Wider, somehow Not her own They scaredacross the table, over the dishes, up the arm of a spatula