she maintained a vigil. She was gray with fatigue and worry. He decided his own news could bloody well wait.
"When did it happen?" he asked, once they were downstairs again.
"Saturday evening. I was working at my desk and she was on the exercise bike.
When I came down I found her huddled on the patio floor."
He didn't ask what had brought it about. They rarely found out. Eve could never tell them. She would have complete amnesia of the episode from before, during and for a day or two after; she always did. "Why didn't you call me? Where's Reggie?"
"She took a long weekend. She'll be back tonight sometime. And I thought maybe it was like the last time it happened. Eve slept sixteen hours and came out of it. I thought... It's been two years! We thought it was over. She's been so well."
Stephanie turned away. When she spoke again her voice was strained with the effort it was taking not to cry. "I called Dr. Mohrbeck this morning. He'll get in touch with Cedar View and they'll be expecting us. You'll have to drive. I have her overnight bag in the car."
Eric nodded. "I'll bring her down." He hesitated. "Is she dressed?"
"Just her gown. I changed her. She should be dry." Her voice quavered and she stopped.
Eric had seen the corner of the rubber sheet they used when Eve had a relapse.
"Okay. I'll put her slippers on her, and wrap her in the cover. Wait here."
Eric knew Eve would be easy enough to manage, but she would not move of her own volition, and she would not open her eyes, not until it was over. Looking at her, drawn up like a baby, he felt only tenderness toward his sick little sister. Six feet tall, finally after years of being lanky, all legs and arms, he was starting to fill out the long framework of his body. He felt massive next to Eve. His hair was thick, dark, like his mother's, Eve's was golden. A changeling in their midst, he sometimes thought, unlike mother, unlike father, altogether her own self.
"Evie," he said softly, "it's time to go see Dr. Mohrbeck." He put her slippers on her, drew her to her feet and wrapped a thin blanket around her. He didn't try to pick her up, although he could have easily. She struggled if anyone tried to pick her up.
Supporting her firmly around her waist, he led her down the stairs and out to the car where Stephanie was waiting.
Stephanie sat in the backseat holding her daughter, and Eric drove the twenty miles to Cedar View. They did not talk on the way. They never spoke in front of Eve when she was having an episode. They didn't know how much she heard or what it meant to her. And at the hospital, it would be routine, Stephanie thought dully. They would wheel Eve away and she would watch her out of sight. Paperwork, the comforting words, a nurse who would manage to be both cheerful and sympathetic. They would not want Stephanie to linger, they never did on the first day Blood tests, an intravenous drip installed... She closed her own eyes and stroked Eve's fine hair.
Later, returning to Eugene, Stephanie sat in the passenger seat and leaned back with her eyes closed. Eric glanced at her, starting to say something, changed his mind. It could wait.
Back in the house, he went to the kitchen with his mother. "Sit down. I'm going to scramble some eggs. Did you eat anything yesterday or this morning?"
"A sandwich? Probably a sandwich. I don't remember. I don't think I was hungry."
Stephanie smiled faintly; she had a crooked little twist of her lip when she smiled.
She sat at the table while he prepared scrambled eggs and made toast. When the food was ready, she found, to her surprise, that she was hungry Eric poured orange juice for himself and sat opposite her.
He waited until she had finished, then said, "Mother, I have to tell you something, the reason I came over. I didn't get your message, that wasn't it. This morning a police officer came to the office to tell me that Dad was dead. She intended to come over here to notify you and Eve and I told her I'd do
"When did it happen?" he asked, once they were downstairs again.
"Saturday evening. I was working at my desk and she was on the exercise bike.
When I came down I found her huddled on the patio floor."
He didn't ask what had brought it about. They rarely found out. Eve could never tell them. She would have complete amnesia of the episode from before, during and for a day or two after; she always did. "Why didn't you call me? Where's Reggie?"
"She took a long weekend. She'll be back tonight sometime. And I thought maybe it was like the last time it happened. Eve slept sixteen hours and came out of it. I thought... It's been two years! We thought it was over. She's been so well."
Stephanie turned away. When she spoke again her voice was strained with the effort it was taking not to cry. "I called Dr. Mohrbeck this morning. He'll get in touch with Cedar View and they'll be expecting us. You'll have to drive. I have her overnight bag in the car."
Eric nodded. "I'll bring her down." He hesitated. "Is she dressed?"
"Just her gown. I changed her. She should be dry." Her voice quavered and she stopped.
Eric had seen the corner of the rubber sheet they used when Eve had a relapse.
"Okay. I'll put her slippers on her, and wrap her in the cover. Wait here."
Eric knew Eve would be easy enough to manage, but she would not move of her own volition, and she would not open her eyes, not until it was over. Looking at her, drawn up like a baby, he felt only tenderness toward his sick little sister. Six feet tall, finally after years of being lanky, all legs and arms, he was starting to fill out the long framework of his body. He felt massive next to Eve. His hair was thick, dark, like his mother's, Eve's was golden. A changeling in their midst, he sometimes thought, unlike mother, unlike father, altogether her own self.
"Evie," he said softly, "it's time to go see Dr. Mohrbeck." He put her slippers on her, drew her to her feet and wrapped a thin blanket around her. He didn't try to pick her up, although he could have easily. She struggled if anyone tried to pick her up.
Supporting her firmly around her waist, he led her down the stairs and out to the car where Stephanie was waiting.
Stephanie sat in the backseat holding her daughter, and Eric drove the twenty miles to Cedar View. They did not talk on the way. They never spoke in front of Eve when she was having an episode. They didn't know how much she heard or what it meant to her. And at the hospital, it would be routine, Stephanie thought dully. They would wheel Eve away and she would watch her out of sight. Paperwork, the comforting words, a nurse who would manage to be both cheerful and sympathetic. They would not want Stephanie to linger, they never did on the first day Blood tests, an intravenous drip installed... She closed her own eyes and stroked Eve's fine hair.
Later, returning to Eugene, Stephanie sat in the passenger seat and leaned back with her eyes closed. Eric glanced at her, starting to say something, changed his mind. It could wait.
Back in the house, he went to the kitchen with his mother. "Sit down. I'm going to scramble some eggs. Did you eat anything yesterday or this morning?"
"A sandwich? Probably a sandwich. I don't remember. I don't think I was hungry."
Stephanie smiled faintly; she had a crooked little twist of her lip when she smiled.
She sat at the table while he prepared scrambled eggs and made toast. When the food was ready, she found, to her surprise, that she was hungry Eric poured orange juice for himself and sat opposite her.
He waited until she had finished, then said, "Mother, I have to tell you something, the reason I came over. I didn't get your message, that wasn't it. This morning a police officer came to the office to tell me that Dad was dead. She intended to come over here to notify you and Eve and I told her I'd do