JR (125 page)

—Get to start over, right?

—Mister Bast perhaps I, I mean you are Mister Bast aren't you? Edward Bast?

—With an e Edwerd with an e, Ed …

—An, an E of course yes you understand meeting you for the first time under these somewhat extraordinary circumstances it just occurred to me I might have picked up some wandering please your foot! I can't drive with your foot under my, that's better yes of course if I'd left you to that policeman and you really are the Edward Bast I've no no be careful! we almost went off the, a terrible cough yes you're really not well you, you're not going to be sick again are you? Try to, here pull the coat around you you're shivering let me turn up the heat, now. Your cousin Mister Bast, your cousin Stella, Mrs Angel? The shock has shaken her severely as I'm sure you can understand, the initial shock of the, the discovery itself of course and then the ordeal of the

police investigation questioning, taking descriptions photographing the crime search scene as they re …

—Get the whole place boarded up.

—Pardon?

—Dry place to screw where they won't freeze their nuts board the whole place up.

—Mister Bast I'm trying to, I'm talking about Mrs Angel your cousin Stella, when I left she'd gone in for a paraffin test whose results I have no doubt will prove negative, howev…

—Weather like this find a dry place to …

—However since her husband's chance of survival appears extremely slim, and as a matter of course such situations become the province of homicide investigation and are approached as assault with intent to commit murder until any such possib…

—You a lawyer Mister Coen?

—Yes I am a lawyer Mister Bast! and I, this is an extremely grave situation in which I am trying to be of assistance. When I left her, Mrs Angel appeared unable to distinguish between the likelihood of being called as a material witness and the idea of being held on suspicion and I thought, I had hoped that if you would talk to her it might…

—Don't need to go around thanking everybody?

—No I hardly think that would, Mister Bast I meant only that if you were willing to talk sensibly with Mrs Angel I believe we should be able to secure her release. Otherwise even in the absence of sufficient evidence to detain her on suspicion, the probability of her commitment to Bellevue for the standard ten day observation period would be …

—Get to start over right?

—Mister Bast I'm afraid you no sit up! You've, there's simply not room for you to lie down in the front seat here while I'm…

—Not pissed off at me are you Mister Coen?

—Why why, why no but…

—I mean why is everybody always getting mad at me!

—I, I'm sure they're not Mister Bast but I do find it difficult to drive in this wind and sleet, if you could…

—Rain or hail fire or snow rift the hills and roll the, get to roll these here marbles around in this piepan board the place up she tell you that?

—No I, I'm afraid not Mister Bast she, the last time I spoke with your aunts on the telephone I got the impression you were away on a business trip and I have a number of matters I had hoped we…

—Shoe business she tell you that? Place called Trib, Trib, place where the muck runs down to the sea…

—Mister Bast I think, I think under the circumstances…

—Import export place called Burmesquik where they make the crooked…

—I think it might be wise to postpone your seeing Mrs Angel, considering her present condition and of course having met your please! be careful of your foot, had the pleasure of dealing with your aunts of course I should have been aware that stability is perhaps not your family's most promin…

—All got pissed off because their bellies dropped I mean what's so erotic about that.

—I, I'm sure I don't know Mister Bast why don't you just rest for a

few minutes, perhaps we can find some music to …

—Soothe the savage dot dot dot, get to wed some savage woman she will…

—Rest your head back yes I believe we share an interest in your knee Mister Bast if you can move your knee, in fine music…

—She shall rear my dusty race want to say scrotum in Danish Mister Coen?

—Not, not particularly if I can, if I can just find somel music yes if there's one thing I dislike Mister Bast it's disorder I don't like surprises, the caterwauling on most of radio that's why I felt the expense of having this FM here here listen! it's, I think we have Handel that's better isn't it yes Jephtha? Handel's Jephtha I remember this part yes when I was a child, I thought the soprano here was singing get away! get no no stop! stop! we almost what made you do that! We we could have been killed no get your foot down!

—Up yours Mister Coen.

—But you, you put your foot right through the…

—Up mine up mine du haaaassest mich!

—No no listen Mister Bast stop it stop singing! I can't no, no you'll have to sit still I can't drive if you…

—Help each other out Mister Coen make seventy-five dollars?

—Why why what…

—Ever handle a bankrup?

—Mister Bast I …

—Believing and shitting are two very different things Mister Coen.

—I see yes I, I'm sure they are Mis…

—Two very different things.

—I'm sure yes I, I'd never really thought in precisely those terms now please…

—Better think in precisely those terms Mister Coen drive in walk out, two very different things.

—I will yes Mister Bast now sit back or we'll have to …

—What's that what's that! that, that white thing that round white thing…

—It's simply the knob to control the ventilator, now please…

—Bet her ass if there's this here millionaire for that like to win that bet wouldn't you Mister Coen? Once just get a good look at it winked at you just this once get a divorce just like everybody wouldn't you?

—I'm sure I would Mister Bast that's better yes, settle back…

—Win the Finders Keepers award get to go to that banquet, where you shipping them all there in American bottoms?

—I think we'll go directly to the hospital where they've taken Mister Angel, I'm sure his physician will have you admitted you're here get the coat over you you're shivering where's the, that cloth you're perspiring heavily yes, yes I had thought if Mrs Angel should go to Bellevue I could certainly have you admitted there too but getting you out again might prove somewhat more diff…

—Open a bank there wouldn't you? Shrewd downstate interest lead the parade open the bank there first national bank of Burmesquik no deposit no return, wouldn't you?

—I'm sure I would Mister Bast yes, yes we won't be long now… and his hand dropped from wiping the inside of the glass before him to lift away the foot renewing its errant threat to join his on the accelerator, rose to wipe again where the bursts of passing lights became more frequent, gave way finally to the sheltered glare of the tunnel, the open glows of green's consent and red alerts in bar, dry cleaning, eat, EMERGENCY —yes here we oh … ! where the glass doors hung still behind his haste through them as though content to reflect the novelty of the fender crumpled in his fervor of arrival until they were swept wide on the pursuit of a wheelchair —wait yes I think he's still asleep, here let me…

—No I can lift him he don't weigh nothing, just get the blanket… and the doors outside returned to their diversion, inside deflected —he go to admissions?

—Where the trees…

—He wha'd he say?

—He, no no I think that won't be necessary I just arranged his admission with Miss, Miss… ?

—Is this the new boy? He'll have to tell me all about it …

—I don't think he can he's quite feverish, he became incoherent on the way in he's been using language I'm sure he never…

—Don't worry he can't shock me I just came here from working at a public school, oh this man in intensive care you just asked about, this Mister Angel? They said his condition's unchanged, this bullet entered beside the eye it's lodged in the brain if you want to stay awhile maybe they…

—No I can't no I have to get over to the nineteenth precinct if he should, if his condition should change they should be notified immediately and, Mister Bast? Goodnight I have to leave, I'll look in tomorrow perhaps we'll have a clearer picture of things…

—Off we go, Mister Bast is it? We're going for a little ride…

—Walk out drive in.

—Yes we'll get those wet things off and something to help us sleep won't we, Joe? Tell the doctor room three nineteen you better see about an oxygen tent too just in case… and the wheels spun through bull's eye doors for the lull of an elevator, down corridors of greens unknown in nature. —Here we are…

—Where the trees.

—Silly there aren't any trees … only the flurry of hands and sheets, the rattle of carts and trays and finally of a shade coming down on the glow at a wall socket indifferently exchanging day for night, night for day.

—I'm telling you this place is a dream after where I was at, did I ever tell you what was…

—Wait, hello… ? He's in three nineteen yes wait here's Miss Waddams she can…

—Hello … ? Oh hi… last night yeah but I just went on days this morning, he's coming along fine he didn't even wake up since you … now? with him? No we got him in a tent he's not even… no an oxygen tent Mister Coen he's got enough trouble breathing already without trying to talk on the tele … I know yeah he really hit the jackpot double pneumonia nervous exhaus… what? Malnutrition yeah I don't know a couple of days maybe, they always worry about complications with this you know? So how's your other patient… No I mean your friend they got here in the intensive care… You really got your hands full haven't you Mister Coen … I sure will Mis… you bet Mister Coen goodbye, anyway this place is a dream after where I was at …

—No lunch for three nineteen either?

—No he's on iv maybe I better go check him now, don't go away wait till I tell you what they found stopping up the junior high plumbing … and she came hedged by that despair of color down the corridor to weigh in green's arrest OXYGEN NO SMOKING with a shoulder and search a pulse among whites left sallow with her steps away in the wall socket glow's indifference day to night, night to day.

—Anyway like what I was telling you yesterday can you imagine that back when you were in junior high? I'm telling you this place is wait, hello… ? Oh hi Mister Coen? It's me yeah he's coming along fine he still didn't really wake up since you … no I mean just for tests and all but he's still on the … no but even if you have these important matters to discuss with him he couldn't even … I sure will Mister Coen so how's your other patients you really got your hands full haven't you you must be … you bet Mister Coen goodbye. I better go check him don't go away I didn't even tell you where we had this kid that was always sticking people up with a cap pistol… and she was down the corridor shouldering in OXYGEN NO SMOKING, —how we feeling today Mister Bast… ? flashing a light, searching a pulse —just take one day at a time… and leaving that one behind, undistinguished by the steady glow from the one that followed.

—I'm telling you after where I was at only don't you get bored here? Hello… ? for Mister who … ? No it can't be three twelve three twelve's a hysterectomy… seven till eight yes goodbye, anyway did I tell you where we had these junior high girls leaving their samples for wait, hello… ? Oh hi there Mis… much better yeah he's out of the tent I bet he'd like to see you Mister Coen, he seems sort of lone … no he's talking sure but… sure but he's saying things like a dollar is e, fifty cents is d, a quarter is… yeah then he tells me if corn is this god we don't even have electricity and he's only fit for public life then he tells me some poetry about some ancient founts, what he said about this place where he said he's been what they do there I wouldn't even… I sure will Mister Coen so how's your other pa… you really got your hands full I'll… you bet Mister Coen, goodbye. What's this…

it.

—A postoperative for three nineteen.

—Good he'll be glad for some company in there.

—Yeah… ? they swung the bed down the corridor, —wait till he sees

—Mister Bast? you awake? We brought you a roommate see… ? but

all that emerged from the heap on the rolling bed once in place was a rude sound which set its pattern of response for the night.

The shade clattered up on a gray that seemed to draw light from the room itself. —And how are my boys this morning? Mister Bast? are you awake?

—He went back to sleep, what's your name.

—I'm Miss Waddams, did you boys both wash?

—Get me some newspapers I haven't seen one for a week, what are you doing there.

—I have to take your pulse, would you get your arm out of the covers?

—You try to find it.

—Now now let's act our age, did you and Mister Bast get acquainted last night?

—Thinks I'm his father, he says let's improve this orange place by chopping everything down like the olden times.

—He doesn't mean anything by it, he tells me somebody broke in his house and I say who and he says you did! Then he tells me some creepy poetry about the dreary moorland and wants to see the scar around my neck he said he heard I'm a witch, he heard I screw my head off at night.

—I'll bet you do too Waddles, come around tonight and we'll…

—Now now let's act our age…

—Just want to get fixed up and…

—We'll fix you up don't worry, I'll get your newspapers…

—Bast? you awake … ? and he subsided till the rustle of sheets gave way to the ruffle of newspaper, the clatter of trays —don't think he even wants to wake up for lunch. What's this, fisheye?

—It's tapioca.

—It's fisheye … a clatter that gave way finally to a variety of solitary expressions of relief, and a silence broken eventually by the ruffle of newspapers. —Bast? you awake? Read you the paper and cheer you up, so full of other people's misery it's enough to cheer anybody up listen to this one. She told investigators she had not seen her husband since one evening last week, when she hid herself in a closet and watched him carefully make up his face and dress in an elaborate array of woman's clothing before slipping out. Answering a knock minutes