Read Online Devine Intervention by Martha Brockenbrough - Free Book Online Page B

Jerome had with her.
    She tried saying their names again. “Mom? Dad?” Her voice wavered. If she let in the grief through any of the cracks, it would drown her all over again.
    Heidi’s mom adjusted her reading glasses and flipped a page in her magazine. “Rory, it’s cold in here. Did you leave your window open again?”
    â€œNo,” Rory said, clicking buttons on his controller. “I don’t think so.”
    Her dad mumbled “carry the three” under his breath. He tucked a pen behind his ear and scratched his head. Why couldn’t they hear her?
    â€œMOM! DAD! I’VE HAD AN ACCIDENT. IT WAS BAD.”
    No reaction. She turned to her brother. The television screen carved a blue halo around his head, and the light shone through the tips of his hair. Even standing behind him, she could smell his cinnamon gum.
    â€œDie, bastard, die!” he said. He was playing some sort of war game.
    â€œRory, your language,” Mom said.
    Heidi stepped in front of him and reached for his controller. Her hand went straight through. “Rory!”
    â€œAw, crud,” he said. “My game crashed.”
    It was true. The image had frozen on the screen. An alien with a space helmet was caught in the moment of its death, its green exoskeleton split open, revealing a pomegranate splash of guts.
    â€œThat sucks! I was about to get a bonus life.” He rebooted his game.
    â€œRory,” her mom said. “Language!”
    Heidi understood why they couldn’t see her. But why couldn’t they hear her? She cursed and reflexively covered her mouth, expecting her mom to scold her as she had Rory. She would’ve welcomed it, or any kind of reaction, but she got nothing. She lowered herself onto the couch next to her mom, who shivered and reached for a quilt.
    The telephone rang.
    â€œAnswer it, Rory,” Dad said.
    â€œJust a minute.” The video game blipped.
    â€œRory,” Mom said.
    The phone rang again.
    â€œI can’t pause my game right here! I have to get it to the next level before I can save my status.”
    The phone rang a third time. Once more, and the call would go to voice mail.
    Heidi’s mother stood. She placed her magazine down on the couch, marking her spot with a coaster from the coffee table. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and strode to the telephone.
    On the fourth ring, she picked it up.
    â€œHello?” she said. “Hello?” Then she placed it back in the cradle, sighed, and said, “Let’s see if they left a message.”
    â€œThe phone isn’t your boss,” her father said. “You don’t have to listen to the messages right away.”
    â€œI know, but it might be important.” She dialed and put the receiver to her ear. “The caller ID says it’s the hospital. Do we know anyone sick?”
    Heidi moved next to her mother and whispered in her ear, taking care to pronounce each word clearly. “It’s me, Mom. It’s me. I had an accident at the pond.”
    Her mother’s lips tightened, and the knuckles on the hand that held the phone turned white.
    â€œSweet!” Rory said. “Die! Die!” Digital explosions scuffed the air.
    â€œTurn it down, Rory. I can’t hear the message.” Her mom stuck a finger in her ear. “Oh my God.” She scratched down a telephone number on a notepad.
    â€œThe hospital,” she said. “They want us to call right away. They said it’s an emergency.” She hung up. For a long moment, she seemed to move in slow motion. “Where’s Heidi?”
    Heidi had never seen her mother’s face look that way.
    â€œShe’s not in her room?” Her father set his pen on the coffee table.
    â€œHeidi? Heidi?” Her mother ran down the hall, and Heidi followed on silent feet. “Heidi, are you in here?” She spun around once in the center of the room.
    â€œYes,”