Claire and Herald stood in the hallway. They
looked at each other but didn’t say a word. After a few
awkward moments, Claire turned and stepped gently
toward Dylan’s bedroom door. Exasperated, Herald leaned
against the opposite wall and stared at his wife. Her ear
pressed against the door, she strained to hear what the
good doctor was doing.
voice.
“What’s he doing?” he finally inquired in a hushed
“Nothing… at least I can’t hear anything.” Claire
pressed her ear harder into the wood.
“Do you think he’s a real doctor?”
Claire squinted her eyes tightly shut and plugged
her outside ear with her middle finger. She strained to hear
the slightest sound.
Clicking his tongue and sighing hard, Herald
pushed himself off the wall and, with a single stride,
hovered over his wife. He reached his hand to her
shoulder and tapped. “What are you doing?”
“I was trying to listen,” Claire began, her eyes and
ears open. “But it’s like no one’s there. How can he be so
quiet?”
“Do you think he’s a real doctor? I mean, do you
know of anyone who just shows up without being called –
or any doctor that still makes house calls?”
“And how did he know that Dyl was sick?”
“Exactly. We haven’t told anyone about Dyl. Let
alone what happened to him.”
99