I took her hands between mine and rubbed some warmth into them.
“Jake, I feel so... rotten.”
“Titan?s right, that?s pound foolish. Nothing good can come from that kind of thinking.”
But she wasn?t listening. She began to rock back and forth and moan like an injured animal.
“How did Harry sound when he ca1led you?” I pressed on. “Was he angry? Sad? Confused?”
“He just sounded like Harry. He was funny about keeping things from me if he thought they
would be upsetting. My God, listen to me, I?m talking like he?s dead already. Oh, Jake, I?m
so sorry.”
She lowered her head into her lap and started sobbing. A moment later Dr. Hanson and Titan
came in. Sam Donleavy was with them. She jumped up and rushed over to him.
“I?m sorry. I just heard,” Donleavy said. “I?ve been on the phone half the evening. I drove in
from Sea Oat as fast as I could.”
Doe turned quickly to the doctor.
“How is he?” she said, in a voice that was shrill and ragged at the edges.
He looked at me sternly and said, „May I speak with Mrs. Raines privately?”
“He?s a friend,” she said.
He didn?t like that very much but it wasn?t the proper time to argue the point. He said, “Doe,
we?re going to do the very best we can but I„m afraid that?s not very much. Harry was shot in
the forehead. They?ve done a scan and the bullet is lodged in the rear of the frontal lobe. It?s
inoperable.”
She fell against him, her arms limp at her sides.
“I?m going to give you something to relax you,” he said, but she started shaking her head
violently.
“No, I?m not going to sleep through this. I?ve been protected enough in my life. I?m not a
child, George.”
“It won?t put you to sleep, it will just take the edge off things a little.”
“I want the edge. I want to feel it all. Don?t you understand? This isn?t your problem or Mr.
Stoney?s, it?s mine. He?s my husband and I will make whatever decisions are necessary here.
I can?t do that stoned out on a cot.”
“Let her handle it her way,” Donleavy said quietly.
Hanson was uncomfortable. He patted her shoulder. “AS you wish,” he said.
“May I see him?”
“Of course,” Hanson said.
