Is it true?”
“Yes, isn’t it wonderful?” Stevie said, now almost breathlessly excited. “He’s awake most of the time these days. He doesn’t remember anything from the time he was in the coma, but he’s feeling better. He’s still terribly weak. He can’t even sit up in bed. He has lots oftubes still going places—mostly his arms—and they seem to be doing him good. The doctor has the results of all the blood work and the spinal tap. Did I tell you he’s had
two
spinal taps? Anyway, all the information the doctor gets says that Alex is responding to the medication they’re giving him and he’s getting better. Of course, we don’t know how
much
better he’ll get. The doctor says that a lot of times patients who recover from meningitis don’t recover all the way. I mean, they may have some residual problems. That’s the way he put it. Alex is going to have bad headaches for a long time. Sometimes they find neurological problems—that means things with the brain. Sometimes deafness, though he seems to be able to hear pretty well, at least when he’s awake now.”
Stevie went on, and Carole and Lisa were listening. They were glad to have all the information, though it sounded to them almost like a recording. Stevie was reciting facts and figures about Alex and about meningitis at a rate they couldn’t possibly absorb. They both felt as though they were getting a lot more answer than their question had warranted. Carole was accustomed to being accused of giving twenty-five-cent answers to nickel questions. Stevie was giving them a full dollar’s worth of information!
“Well, I’m awfully glad he’s better,” Lisa said whenStevie finally stopped talking. “And you—how are you doing?”
“Fine. I’m fine,” said Stevie.
“Really?” Carole asked.
“Of course,” Stevie assured her. “Alex is better, so I’m fine. Really.”
“Are you coming over to ride soon?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t think so,” Stevie said. “Not for a while anyway. I want to spend a lot of time with Alex, especially now that he’s awake a little. And I’ve got my homework to do. You know how it is.…”
Lisa did know how it was. She often had trouble finding the time to do her homework. It had never been something that concerned Stevie very much, though, so it hadn’t occurred to her that Stevie would know how it was. Both she and Carole were surprised by that response.
“Listen, I’ve got to go now,” Stevie said. “Dinner’s in a few minutes, and I want to set the table. Then I’m going back over to the hospital.”
“Say hi to Alex,” Carole said.
“Yes, from me, too,” Lisa added.
“I sure will,” Stevie promised them. Then she hung up.
There was a silence between Lisa and Carole. Therewas so much to say, but neither of them knew what to say about it.
“Who was that we were speaking to?” Lisa asked, putting her finger on it right away.
“Great question,” said Carole. “Do you think that maybe the good news is that Alex is getting better, and the bad news is that aliens have come down and occupied Stevie’s body?
Want
to set the table?
Find time
for her homework? I mean, those are noble things to do and all that, but hanging up the phone to go set the table isn’t exactly like the Stevie we know and love.”
“Weird,” said Lisa.
“We’ve got to do something,” said Carole.
“Let’s talk to Phil,” Lisa suggested.
“Hold on,” said Carole. Encouraged by her recent success with making a three-way phone call, she did it again. This time she succeeded on the very first try.
“Hi, Phil. This is Carole—”
“And Lisa.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you called,” he said. “I talked with Stevie last night and I’m worried about her.”
“Us, too,” said Lisa. “In fact, Carole just suggested that maybe her body’s being occupied by aliens!”
Phil didn’t laugh at that, and Lisa wondered if he’d had the same thought.
“What can we do for her?” Carole
“Yes, isn’t it wonderful?” Stevie said, now almost breathlessly excited. “He’s awake most of the time these days. He doesn’t remember anything from the time he was in the coma, but he’s feeling better. He’s still terribly weak. He can’t even sit up in bed. He has lots oftubes still going places—mostly his arms—and they seem to be doing him good. The doctor has the results of all the blood work and the spinal tap. Did I tell you he’s had
two
spinal taps? Anyway, all the information the doctor gets says that Alex is responding to the medication they’re giving him and he’s getting better. Of course, we don’t know how
much
better he’ll get. The doctor says that a lot of times patients who recover from meningitis don’t recover all the way. I mean, they may have some residual problems. That’s the way he put it. Alex is going to have bad headaches for a long time. Sometimes they find neurological problems—that means things with the brain. Sometimes deafness, though he seems to be able to hear pretty well, at least when he’s awake now.”
Stevie went on, and Carole and Lisa were listening. They were glad to have all the information, though it sounded to them almost like a recording. Stevie was reciting facts and figures about Alex and about meningitis at a rate they couldn’t possibly absorb. They both felt as though they were getting a lot more answer than their question had warranted. Carole was accustomed to being accused of giving twenty-five-cent answers to nickel questions. Stevie was giving them a full dollar’s worth of information!
“Well, I’m awfully glad he’s better,” Lisa said whenStevie finally stopped talking. “And you—how are you doing?”
“Fine. I’m fine,” said Stevie.
“Really?” Carole asked.
“Of course,” Stevie assured her. “Alex is better, so I’m fine. Really.”
“Are you coming over to ride soon?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t think so,” Stevie said. “Not for a while anyway. I want to spend a lot of time with Alex, especially now that he’s awake a little. And I’ve got my homework to do. You know how it is.…”
Lisa did know how it was. She often had trouble finding the time to do her homework. It had never been something that concerned Stevie very much, though, so it hadn’t occurred to her that Stevie would know how it was. Both she and Carole were surprised by that response.
“Listen, I’ve got to go now,” Stevie said. “Dinner’s in a few minutes, and I want to set the table. Then I’m going back over to the hospital.”
“Say hi to Alex,” Carole said.
“Yes, from me, too,” Lisa added.
“I sure will,” Stevie promised them. Then she hung up.
There was a silence between Lisa and Carole. Therewas so much to say, but neither of them knew what to say about it.
“Who was that we were speaking to?” Lisa asked, putting her finger on it right away.
“Great question,” said Carole. “Do you think that maybe the good news is that Alex is getting better, and the bad news is that aliens have come down and occupied Stevie’s body?
Want
to set the table?
Find time
for her homework? I mean, those are noble things to do and all that, but hanging up the phone to go set the table isn’t exactly like the Stevie we know and love.”
“Weird,” said Lisa.
“We’ve got to do something,” said Carole.
“Let’s talk to Phil,” Lisa suggested.
“Hold on,” said Carole. Encouraged by her recent success with making a three-way phone call, she did it again. This time she succeeded on the very first try.
“Hi, Phil. This is Carole—”
“And Lisa.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you called,” he said. “I talked with Stevie last night and I’m worried about her.”
“Us, too,” said Lisa. “In fact, Carole just suggested that maybe her body’s being occupied by aliens!”
Phil didn’t laugh at that, and Lisa wondered if he’d had the same thought.
“What can we do for her?” Carole
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