missing
a collision with Dr. Garnett.
“I have some good news for you,” the doctor said to
Jim as both men proceeded down the hall and out of
hearing range.
Judith turned to Addison. “I’m sorry I had to bring
that up about Margie being a vessel. Did you know that
your wife had two Italian sodas the morning that she
passed away?”
“No.” Addison’s voice was hushed. “Are you sure?
They were her favorites, but no one told me about it.”
“No one tells anyone about anything around here,
right?”
214
Mary Daheim
“Right.” Addison looked sour. “How did she get
them?”
“I have no idea,” Judith admitted, “other than that
apparently Margie Randall took them to her. I just happened to hear a chance remark from one of the nurses.”
Addison nodded. “Otherwise, a wall of silence. Do
you know what happened today? Dr. Van Boeck informed the front desk I wasn’t to have any visitors.
That’s because they must be afraid one of my colleagues in the media will try to see me. I can’t call out
on my phone, either. That’s why I couldn’t call in the
obit myself.” He gestured toward the floor on the
other side of the bed. “You probably can’t see it from
your wheelchair, but at least four people have tried to
visit me today, including my editor. All they could do
was leave me their get-well gifts and go home. Imagine, after going to the trouble of coming out in this
snow.”
Judith made an extra effort to steer the wheelchair
around the end of Addison’s bed without bumping him.
His position in traction temporarily made her stop feeling sorry for herself.
“Oh,” she said, making the final maneuver without
mishap, “I see. That’s all very nice. Lovely chocolates,
a crossword puzzle magazine, a couple of other books
I can’t make out, and a bag of black jelly beans.”
“I love black jelly beans,” Addison declared. “I
won’t eat any of the other kinds. Do you think you
could reach them? I’m not much of a chocolate fan,
though. I’d give that box to the nurses, but the whole
damned staff makes me angry. Do you want them?”
Judith tried to edge closer to the stack of presents.
“I’ll take the chocolates, but are you sure you want to
eat those jelly beans?”
SUTURE SELF
215
Addison gave a small shrug, which was all his posture permitted. “Why not?”
Judith didn’t dare bend down far enough to pick up
the cellophane bag with its bright blue and yellow ribbons. “Well . . . what if they’ve been . . . interfered
