abruptly. She became as rigid as dry sticks, her eyes staring at me with glassy enormity, her bloodless lips sucked in. I took her sandals off and covered her with the spread. I fixed the blinds to darken the room, as those helpless eyes followed me. I brought a stool over and put it beside her bed and sat down and took her long frail cold hand and said, 'I meant it. What's your name?
"Lois."
"All right, Lois. Cry. Cry the hell out of it. Rip it all open. Let it go."
"I can't,' she whispered. And suddenly she began to cry again. She yanked her hand free, rolled over, rolled her face into the pillow and began the harsh sobbing.
I had to make a guess about what would be right and what would be wrong for her. I had to take a risk. I based the risk on what I know of loneliness, of the need of closeness in loneliness. I stroked her, totally impersonal, the way you soothe a terrified animal. At first she would leap and buck at the slightest touch. After a while there was only a tremor when I touched her, and finally that too was gone. She hiccuped and at last fell down into sleep, curled and spent.
I searched the house until I found her keys.
I locked up and left her in the darkened room.
I checked the bus schedules and went and got Cathy and took her to where she could catch the Page 27
bus which would get her home in time. I told her a little of it. There was no question in her mind about my obligation to stay.
THE DOCTOR's name was Ramirez. He looked like a Swede. He spent a long time with her.
Then he came out and sat at the breakfast bar to drink some of the bad coffee I'd made.
"How is she?"
"Where do you fit in this, McGee?*
"I just stopped to ask her some questions and she fell apart." He stirred his coffee. "Samaritan, eh?"
"I suppose so."
"Her family should be notified."
"Suppose there isn't any?"
"Then she should be institutionalized.
What's the financial situation?"
"I haven't any idea."
"Nice house. Nice car."
"Doctor, what's her condition?"
"Several things. Malnutrition. That plus a degree of saturation with alcohol so she's been having auditory hallucinations. But severe emotional shock is the background for both the other manifestations."
"Prognosis?"
He gave me a shrewd glance. "Fair. A little bit of nerve, a tiny bit of pride, that's all she has left.
Keep her tranquilized. Build her up with foods as rich as she can take. Lots of sleep.
And keep her away from whomever got her into such a condition."
"A man could do that to a woman?"
"Given a certain type of man and that type of woman, yes. A man like the man who was living with her."
"Did you know him?"
"No. I heard about him. First he was with Catherine Kerr, then with this one. A different social level, eh?"
Page 28
"Should she talk about Allen?"
"If she's willing to. If she can trust anybody enough, it might be good for her."
"I wonder what happened."
"Things she could not accept. Things she could not live with."
"Not live with?"
"McGee, I do not think it is too dramatic to say you saved her life."
"But she might not trust me."
"Or anyone, ever. That too is a mental disorder. I don't think it's good for her to stay here."
"When can she leave?"
"I will stop by the same time tomorrow. I can tell you then. Give her one of these every four hours. You can stay here?"
"Yes.")
"Eggnogs, rich soups, a little at a time, as much as she can hold down. if she gets very agitated, give her one of these. Encourage her to sleep. And talk. Tomorrow we will talk about a nurse. I think she has been physically abused, but I think she has a good constitution."
"Will anybody make any trouble about my staying here?"
"You are adults. You don't look like a fool, McGee. You don't have the look of the kind of murderous fool who'd try to make love to her in her condition. I take you on faith. it saves time.
And if anybody does not like this temporary arrangement, I recommended it."
"I'll be too busy with the housework."
"She is exhausted. I
"Lois."
"All right, Lois. Cry. Cry the hell out of it. Rip it all open. Let it go."
"I can't,' she whispered. And suddenly she began to cry again. She yanked her hand free, rolled over, rolled her face into the pillow and began the harsh sobbing.
I had to make a guess about what would be right and what would be wrong for her. I had to take a risk. I based the risk on what I know of loneliness, of the need of closeness in loneliness. I stroked her, totally impersonal, the way you soothe a terrified animal. At first she would leap and buck at the slightest touch. After a while there was only a tremor when I touched her, and finally that too was gone. She hiccuped and at last fell down into sleep, curled and spent.
I searched the house until I found her keys.
I locked up and left her in the darkened room.
I checked the bus schedules and went and got Cathy and took her to where she could catch the Page 27
bus which would get her home in time. I told her a little of it. There was no question in her mind about my obligation to stay.
THE DOCTOR's name was Ramirez. He looked like a Swede. He spent a long time with her.
Then he came out and sat at the breakfast bar to drink some of the bad coffee I'd made.
"How is she?"
"Where do you fit in this, McGee?*
"I just stopped to ask her some questions and she fell apart." He stirred his coffee. "Samaritan, eh?"
"I suppose so."
"Her family should be notified."
"Suppose there isn't any?"
"Then she should be institutionalized.
What's the financial situation?"
"I haven't any idea."
"Nice house. Nice car."
"Doctor, what's her condition?"
"Several things. Malnutrition. That plus a degree of saturation with alcohol so she's been having auditory hallucinations. But severe emotional shock is the background for both the other manifestations."
"Prognosis?"
He gave me a shrewd glance. "Fair. A little bit of nerve, a tiny bit of pride, that's all she has left.
Keep her tranquilized. Build her up with foods as rich as she can take. Lots of sleep.
And keep her away from whomever got her into such a condition."
"A man could do that to a woman?"
"Given a certain type of man and that type of woman, yes. A man like the man who was living with her."
"Did you know him?"
"No. I heard about him. First he was with Catherine Kerr, then with this one. A different social level, eh?"
Page 28
"Should she talk about Allen?"
"If she's willing to. If she can trust anybody enough, it might be good for her."
"I wonder what happened."
"Things she could not accept. Things she could not live with."
"Not live with?"
"McGee, I do not think it is too dramatic to say you saved her life."
"But she might not trust me."
"Or anyone, ever. That too is a mental disorder. I don't think it's good for her to stay here."
"When can she leave?"
"I will stop by the same time tomorrow. I can tell you then. Give her one of these every four hours. You can stay here?"
"Yes.")
"Eggnogs, rich soups, a little at a time, as much as she can hold down. if she gets very agitated, give her one of these. Encourage her to sleep. And talk. Tomorrow we will talk about a nurse. I think she has been physically abused, but I think she has a good constitution."
"Will anybody make any trouble about my staying here?"
"You are adults. You don't look like a fool, McGee. You don't have the look of the kind of murderous fool who'd try to make love to her in her condition. I take you on faith. it saves time.
And if anybody does not like this temporary arrangement, I recommended it."
"I'll be too busy with the housework."
"She is exhausted. I
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