The doctor shook his head slowly. “I am truly sorry. I can’t explain what happened in here, and I see no sign on any of the readouts that anythingdidhappen.”
“But—” Allie began.
“But,” the doctor continued, “you should know that hope can affect what you think you see and hear.”
“We didnot—” Allie began again, taking a step forward. I squeezed her hand, stopping her.
“I understand,” I said. “Thank you, Doctor. Maybe ... I don’t know. Wishful thinking, maybe. And then Allie heard me, and….”
I drifted off, knowing exactly what I heard, but also knowing that there was no way I would convince this doctor.
“Mom, no. He needs to understand. Stuart spoke.” She looked at me, her eyes dark with fear and hope. But I shook my head.
“Thank you,” I said, just wanting this doctor to go.
“I know you want good news, Mrs. Connor. But it’s been almost four months. Your insurance will quit paying soon. I think we need to revisit the idea of a palliative care facility.”
Allie tugged free of my hand, then hurried to Eric, who closed his arms around her. I blinked rapidly, fighting the tears that were pricking my eyes. It took a moment for me to answer, and I had to swallow twice before I could force the words out. “Yes, yes, we’ll ... we’ll let you know by the weekend.”
The doctor held my eyes for a moment, then nodded. He didn’t have the best bedside manner, and it pissed me off that he didn’t believe what I said about Stuart. But I did know that he was a good doctor. And I also understood why he was dubious.
“Again, I’m truly sorry,” he said. “I know how difficult this is.”
I kept my eyes on Stuart as the doctor left the room, but I turned once I heard the snick of the door clicking shut. Eric was leaning against it, his eye closed, his arm around Allie. After a moment he opened his eye and looked at me. I saw the pain there, and I wanted to run to him.
But I couldn’t. I needed to stand beside my husband. I needed to give him everything. And I couldn’t even afford to take comfort from the man who used to be my husband, because I was terrified that if I accepted that gift, I’d never be able to push away from him again.
“He’s wrong,” Allie said. “I know what I heard. And you know what you heard. I know you do.”
I nodded. “Of course I do.”
Allie’s eyes went wide. “Then why did you just let the doctor—”
“Because it’s not a coma thing,” I told her. “It’s a demon thing. And I don’t have a clue what to do now.”
2
“Maybe the doctor’s a demon?”
BANG!
“But this is good, right? Waking up? Does that cryptic comment even count as waking up?”
CRASH!
“What doesbe carefulmean?”
“Momma?”
“Is it about Lilith? Isn’t she gone? She’s gone, right?”
“MOMMY!”
“They’re really pushing hospice? Does that mean they don’t think Stuart will ever—”
“Daddy! When Daddy coming home?”
At the sound of Stuart’s name, Timmy stopped yelling and smashing his Duplo blocks all over the living room. Instead, he came running to me, tears forming in those big brown eyes. “Daddy?”
