books."
"How dare you!" Shelley flushed pink.
The nurse stared at them open mouthed.
"Where is my mother?" Nick said to her.
"She's still in her room, Mister Carter. But I think..."
"I don't care what you think."
Nick pushed his sister out of the way and walked down to his mother's room. Someone had pulled the sheet over her face. He folded it back. Her cheeks had sunken in, all the tension had gone from her face. It wasn't peaceful, it was just the absence of anything. There was no one there. Whatever she had been was gone.
He sat down next to the bed and stared at the body. He wanted to say something. No, that wasn't right. He wanted to feel something, but all he felt was a kind of numbness.
I'm sorry , he thought.
Gently, he folded the sheet back over her. He walked back out to the entrance. Shelley and her husband were standing outside. She had always taken their father's side. She still did. Shelley had been daddy's girl. Carter senior had never gone after her, only Nick and his mom. Shelley had spent the last couple of years trying to get his mother moved into a home so she and her husband could get their hands on her house, but Nick had blocked her.
Rage at his sister welled up inside. He didn't trust himself to speak. He walked past her and got in his rental car and drove off. Arrangements for the funeral had been in place for months. There was nothing he had to do. The hospice would notify the funeral home.
Nick decided to drive up to his property in the foothills. He hadn't been back since the night the cabin burned. He hadn't wanted to come back. For a while the place had been a refuge from the madness of his job. Then the madness had followed him there.
It was past noon by the time he came up the familiar gravel road and pulled in where he'd always parked. The blackened remains of the cabin rose from the weeds. He got out of the car and walked to where the porch had been. He heard something, a low noise. He listened. It came again, a plaintive meow.
A portion of decking had escaped the blaze, raised off the ground. Nick got on his knees and peered underneath the scorched planks. An orange shape lay underneath, just beyond the edge.
"Burps," he said.
He reached under the boards and laid his hand on the cat. The fur felt matted and stiff. Nick worked his hands underneath and gently slid the cat from under the ruined deck. Burps began to purr, a raspy, sputtery sound that was half his normal volume.
The thick orange fur was stiff with dried blood. There was a long gash along his hindquarters, a tear along his side.
Shit , Nick thought. He stroked the cat behind his ears. He felt a wave of affection for the ragged animal.
"It's okay big guy, I've got you," he said. "You need a vet. Come on."
He cradled the cat in his arms and stood. Burps had appeared one day out of the woods and adopted Nick and later, Selena . He'd always showed up when Nick came to the cabin. Nick had called him Burps because he belched like a human, loud. Once it had been loud enough to save his life. In a way, Burps was like a part of the team.
He was a big cat but he'd lost a lot of weight. He kept purring as Nick carried him to the truck. Nick laid him on the seat and pulled a blanket out of the back of the cab. He put Burps on the blanket and folded it part way over him. He closed the door, got in the driver's side and headed back down the hill.
That evening he called Harker and told her he'd be back after the funeral.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Selena held Burps in her lap. His hind leg was wrapped in a bandage. He purred and drooled on her jeans past his one front tooth.
"He's still weak," Nick said. "The vet said he'd probably been lying there for a few days without food or water. Might have been a dog that got him. It took 20 stitches to put him back together. He's full of antibiotics, too."
"He's getting old," she said. "It was only a matter of time before something caught him. What are we going to do with
"How dare you!" Shelley flushed pink.
The nurse stared at them open mouthed.
"Where is my mother?" Nick said to her.
"She's still in her room, Mister Carter. But I think..."
"I don't care what you think."
Nick pushed his sister out of the way and walked down to his mother's room. Someone had pulled the sheet over her face. He folded it back. Her cheeks had sunken in, all the tension had gone from her face. It wasn't peaceful, it was just the absence of anything. There was no one there. Whatever she had been was gone.
He sat down next to the bed and stared at the body. He wanted to say something. No, that wasn't right. He wanted to feel something, but all he felt was a kind of numbness.
I'm sorry , he thought.
Gently, he folded the sheet back over her. He walked back out to the entrance. Shelley and her husband were standing outside. She had always taken their father's side. She still did. Shelley had been daddy's girl. Carter senior had never gone after her, only Nick and his mom. Shelley had spent the last couple of years trying to get his mother moved into a home so she and her husband could get their hands on her house, but Nick had blocked her.
Rage at his sister welled up inside. He didn't trust himself to speak. He walked past her and got in his rental car and drove off. Arrangements for the funeral had been in place for months. There was nothing he had to do. The hospice would notify the funeral home.
Nick decided to drive up to his property in the foothills. He hadn't been back since the night the cabin burned. He hadn't wanted to come back. For a while the place had been a refuge from the madness of his job. Then the madness had followed him there.
It was past noon by the time he came up the familiar gravel road and pulled in where he'd always parked. The blackened remains of the cabin rose from the weeds. He got out of the car and walked to where the porch had been. He heard something, a low noise. He listened. It came again, a plaintive meow.
A portion of decking had escaped the blaze, raised off the ground. Nick got on his knees and peered underneath the scorched planks. An orange shape lay underneath, just beyond the edge.
"Burps," he said.
He reached under the boards and laid his hand on the cat. The fur felt matted and stiff. Nick worked his hands underneath and gently slid the cat from under the ruined deck. Burps began to purr, a raspy, sputtery sound that was half his normal volume.
The thick orange fur was stiff with dried blood. There was a long gash along his hindquarters, a tear along his side.
Shit , Nick thought. He stroked the cat behind his ears. He felt a wave of affection for the ragged animal.
"It's okay big guy, I've got you," he said. "You need a vet. Come on."
He cradled the cat in his arms and stood. Burps had appeared one day out of the woods and adopted Nick and later, Selena . He'd always showed up when Nick came to the cabin. Nick had called him Burps because he belched like a human, loud. Once it had been loud enough to save his life. In a way, Burps was like a part of the team.
He was a big cat but he'd lost a lot of weight. He kept purring as Nick carried him to the truck. Nick laid him on the seat and pulled a blanket out of the back of the cab. He put Burps on the blanket and folded it part way over him. He closed the door, got in the driver's side and headed back down the hill.
That evening he called Harker and told her he'd be back after the funeral.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Selena held Burps in her lap. His hind leg was wrapped in a bandage. He purred and drooled on her jeans past his one front tooth.
"He's still weak," Nick said. "The vet said he'd probably been lying there for a few days without food or water. Might have been a dog that got him. It took 20 stitches to put him back together. He's full of antibiotics, too."
"He's getting old," she said. "It was only a matter of time before something caught him. What are we going to do with
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