didn’t know what to do about the change. He had spent a lifetime gauging the moods of other people, but getting a read on this particular woman was beyond his abilities.
The door opened and Mrs. Levy peered at them from behind her thick glasses. She was wearing a yellow housedress that was frayed at the collar. A white apron with baby geese waddling around the hem was wrapped around her thin waist. Her heels hung out of the back of her matching yellow bedroom slippers. She was somewhere northof eighty, but her mind was sharp and she clearly cared for Faith. “Is this the doctor? I was told to only let a doctor in.”
Sara answered, “Yes, ma’am. I’m the doctor.”
“Well, aren’t you pretty? Come on in. What a crazy day this has been.” Mrs. Levy stepped aside, throwing wide the door so they could come into the foyer. Her breath whistled through her false teeth. “I’ve had more visitors this afternoon than I’ve had all year.”
The living room was sunken a few steps and furnished much as it probably had been when Mrs. Levy first bought the house. Harvest gold wall-to-wall shag carpet was flattened to the floor. The couch was a tightly cushioned, mustard-colored sectional. The only update to the décor was a recliner that looked like the kind that had a mechanical lift to make it easier to get in and out of. The only light in the room came from the flickering console television set. Faith was slumped on the couch with Emma held to her shoulder. All of the talk had drained out of her. Her spirit seemed to have gone with it. This was more what Will had been expecting when he’d heard that Faith was involved in a shooting. She tended to go quiet when she was really upset. But this wasn’t quite right, either.
She was too quiet.
“Faith?” he said. “Dr. Linton is here.”
She stared at the muted television, not answering. In some ways, Faith looked worse than she had before. Her lips were as white as her skin. Sweat gave her face a luminescence. Her blonde hair was matted to her head. Her breathing was shallow. Emma made a cooing sound, but Faith didn’t seem to notice.
Sara turned on the overhead light before kneeling in front of her. “Faith? Can you look at me?”
Faith’s eyes were still on the set. Will took the moment to slip on his jeans over his shorts. He felt a lump in his back pocket and pulled out his watch and wallet.
“Faith?” Sara’s voice became louder, firmer. “Look at me.”
Slowly, she looked at Sara.
“Why don’t you give me Emma?”
Her words slurred. “Sh’sleeping.”
Sara wrapped her hands around Emma’s waist. Gently, she lifted the baby from Faith’s shoulder. “Look at her. She’s gotten so big.” Sara did a cursory exam, looking into Emma’s eyes, checking her fingers and toes, then her gums. “I think she’s a little dehydrated.”
Mrs. Levy offered, “I’ve got a bottle ready, but she wouldn’t let me give it to her.”
“Why don’t you go get it now?” Sara motioned for Will to come over. He took Emma. She was surprisingly heavy. He put her on his shoulder. Her head fell against his neck like a moist sack of flour.
“Faith?” Sara spoke succinctly, as if she was trying to get an old person’s attention. “How are you feeling?”
“Took her to the doctor.”
“You took Emma?” Sara cupped Faith’s face in her hand. “What did the doctor say?”
“Dunno.”
“Can you look at me?”
Faith’s mouth moved like she was chewing gum.
“What’s today, sweetie? Can you tell me what day of the week it is?”
She pulled away her head. “No.”
“That’s all right.” Sara pressed open Faith’s eyelid. “When’s the last time you had something to eat?”
She didn’t answer. Mrs. Levy came back with the bottle. She handed it to Will, and he cradled Emma in his arm so that she could drink.
“Faith? When is the last time you had something to eat?”
Faith tried to push Sara away. When that didn’t work, she pushed
The door opened and Mrs. Levy peered at them from behind her thick glasses. She was wearing a yellow housedress that was frayed at the collar. A white apron with baby geese waddling around the hem was wrapped around her thin waist. Her heels hung out of the back of her matching yellow bedroom slippers. She was somewhere northof eighty, but her mind was sharp and she clearly cared for Faith. “Is this the doctor? I was told to only let a doctor in.”
Sara answered, “Yes, ma’am. I’m the doctor.”
“Well, aren’t you pretty? Come on in. What a crazy day this has been.” Mrs. Levy stepped aside, throwing wide the door so they could come into the foyer. Her breath whistled through her false teeth. “I’ve had more visitors this afternoon than I’ve had all year.”
The living room was sunken a few steps and furnished much as it probably had been when Mrs. Levy first bought the house. Harvest gold wall-to-wall shag carpet was flattened to the floor. The couch was a tightly cushioned, mustard-colored sectional. The only update to the décor was a recliner that looked like the kind that had a mechanical lift to make it easier to get in and out of. The only light in the room came from the flickering console television set. Faith was slumped on the couch with Emma held to her shoulder. All of the talk had drained out of her. Her spirit seemed to have gone with it. This was more what Will had been expecting when he’d heard that Faith was involved in a shooting. She tended to go quiet when she was really upset. But this wasn’t quite right, either.
She was too quiet.
“Faith?” he said. “Dr. Linton is here.”
She stared at the muted television, not answering. In some ways, Faith looked worse than she had before. Her lips were as white as her skin. Sweat gave her face a luminescence. Her blonde hair was matted to her head. Her breathing was shallow. Emma made a cooing sound, but Faith didn’t seem to notice.
Sara turned on the overhead light before kneeling in front of her. “Faith? Can you look at me?”
Faith’s eyes were still on the set. Will took the moment to slip on his jeans over his shorts. He felt a lump in his back pocket and pulled out his watch and wallet.
“Faith?” Sara’s voice became louder, firmer. “Look at me.”
Slowly, she looked at Sara.
“Why don’t you give me Emma?”
Her words slurred. “Sh’sleeping.”
Sara wrapped her hands around Emma’s waist. Gently, she lifted the baby from Faith’s shoulder. “Look at her. She’s gotten so big.” Sara did a cursory exam, looking into Emma’s eyes, checking her fingers and toes, then her gums. “I think she’s a little dehydrated.”
Mrs. Levy offered, “I’ve got a bottle ready, but she wouldn’t let me give it to her.”
“Why don’t you go get it now?” Sara motioned for Will to come over. He took Emma. She was surprisingly heavy. He put her on his shoulder. Her head fell against his neck like a moist sack of flour.
“Faith?” Sara spoke succinctly, as if she was trying to get an old person’s attention. “How are you feeling?”
“Took her to the doctor.”
“You took Emma?” Sara cupped Faith’s face in her hand. “What did the doctor say?”
“Dunno.”
“Can you look at me?”
Faith’s mouth moved like she was chewing gum.
“What’s today, sweetie? Can you tell me what day of the week it is?”
She pulled away her head. “No.”
“That’s all right.” Sara pressed open Faith’s eyelid. “When’s the last time you had something to eat?”
She didn’t answer. Mrs. Levy came back with the bottle. She handed it to Will, and he cradled Emma in his arm so that she could drink.
“Faith? When is the last time you had something to eat?”
Faith tried to push Sara away. When that didn’t work, she pushed
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