Pet Sematary - Stephen King [44]
The woman came over with the cloth and put it on Normas forehead. She stepped away uncertainly. Jud came back in with Louiss bag.
Louis?
Shes going to be fine, Louis said, looking at Jud but actually speaking to Norma. MedCu coming?
Your wife is calling them, Jud said. I didnt stay around.
No hospital, Norma whispered.
Yes, hospital, Louis said. Five days observation, medication, then home with your feet up, Norma my girl. And if you say anything else, Ill make you eat all these apples. Cores and all.
She smiled wanly, then closed her eyes again.
Louis opened his bag, rummaged, found the Isodil, and shook one of the pills, so tiny it easily would have fit on the moon of one fingernail, into the palm of his hand. He recapped the bottle and pinched the pill between his fingers.
Norma, can you hear me?
Yes.
Want you to open your mouth. You did your trick, now you get your treat. Im going to put a pill under your tongue. Just a
small one. I want you to hold it there until it dissolves. Its going to taste a little bitter but never mind that. All right?
She opened her mouth. Stale denture breath wafted out, and Louis felt a moment of aching sorrow for her, lying here on her kitchen floor in a litter of apples and Halloween candy. It occurred to him that once she had been seventeen, her breasts eyed with great interest by the young men of the neighborhood, all her teeth her own, and the heart under her shirtwaist a tough little pony-engine.
She settled her tongue over the pill and grimaced a little. The pill tasted a little bitter, all right. It always did. But she was no Victor Pascow, beyond help and beyond reach. He thought Norma was going to live to fight another day. Her hand groped in the air, and Jud took it gently.
Louis got up then, found the overturned bowl, and began to pick up the treats. The woman, who introduced herself as Mrs. Buddinger from down the road, helped him and then said she thought she had better go back to the car. Her two boys were frightened.
Thank you for your help, Mrs. Buddinger, Louis said.
I didnt do anything, she said flatly. But Ill go down on my knees tonight and thank God you were here, Dr. Creed.
Louis waved a hand, embarrassed.
That goes for me, too, Jud said. His eyes found Louiss and held them. They were steady. He was in control again. His brief moment of confusion and fear had passed. I owe you one, Louis.
Get off it, Louis said and tipped a finger toward Mrs. Buddinger as she left. She smiled and waved back. Louis found an apple and began to eat it. The Spy was so sweet that Louiss taste buds cramped momentarily but that was not a totally unpleasurable sensation. Won one tonight, Lou, he thought and worked on the apple with relish. He was ravenous.
I do though, Jud said. When you need a favor, Louis, you see me first.
All right, Louis said, Ill do that.
The ambulance from Bangor MedCu arrived twenty minutes later. As Louis stood outside watching the orderlies load Norma
into the back, he saw Rachel looking out the living room window. He waved to her. She lifted a hand in return.
He and Jud stood together and watched the ambulance pull away, lights flashing, siren silent.
Guess Ill go on up to the hospital now, Jud said.
They wont let you see her tonight, Jud. Theyll want to run an EKG on her and then put her in intensive care. No visitors for the first twelve hours.
Is she going to be okay, Louis? Really okay?
Louis shrugged. No one can guarantee that. It was a heart attack. For whatever its worth, I think shes going to be fine. Maybe better than ever, once she gets on some medication.
Ayuh, Jud said, lighting a Chesterfield.
Louis smiled and glanced at his watch. He was amazed to see it was only ten minutes to eight. It seemed that a great deal more time had gone by.
Jud, I want to go get Ellie so she can finish her trick-or-treating.
Yeah, course you do. This came out as Cossydo. Tell her to get all the treats she can, Louis.
I will, Louis promised.
Ellie was still in her witch costume when Louis got home. Rachel had