sk.petsematary-第12部分

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e；　rot；　deposition；　dust：
　　She　is；　my　darling。　I'm　sorry；　but　she　is。　Ruthie　is　gone。
　　Louis　shuddered；　thinking；　Dead　is　dead…what　else　do　you　need？
　　Suddenly　Louis　knew　what　it　was　he　had　forgotten　to　do；　why　he　was　still　awake　on　this　night　before　the　first　day　of　his　new　job；　hashing　over　old　griefs。
　　He　got　up；　headed　for　the　stairs；　and　suddenly　detoured　down　the　hall　to　Ellie's　room。　She　was　sleeping　peacefully；　mouth　open；　wearing　her　blue　baby…doll　pajamas　that　she　had　really　outgrown。　My　God；　Ellie；　he　thought；　you're　sprouting　like　corn。　Church　lay　between　her　splayed　ankles；　also　dead　to　the　world。　You　should　pardon　the　pun。
　　Downstairs　there　was　a　bulletin　board　on　the　wall　by　the　phone　with　various　messages；　memos；　and　bills　tacked　to　it。　Written　across　the　top　in　Rachel's　neat　caps　was　THINGS　TO　PUT　OFF　AS　LONG　AS　POSSIBLE。　Louis　got　the　telephone　book；　looked　up　a　number；　and　jotted　it　on　a　blank　memo　sheet。　Below　the　number　he　wrote：　Quentin　L。　Jolander；　D。V。M。…call　for　appointment　re　Church…if　Jolander　doesn't　neuter　animals；　he　will　refer。
　　He　looked　at　the　note；　wondering　if　it　was　time；　knowing　that　it　was。　Something　concrete　had　to　e　out　of　all　this　bad　feeling；　and　he　had　decided　sometime　between　this　morning　and　tonight…without　even　knowing　he　was　deciding…　that　he　didn't　want　Church　crossing　the　road　anymore　if　he　could　help　it。
　　His　old　feelings　on　the　subject　rose　up　in　him；　the　idea　that　neutering　would　lessen　the　cat；　would　turn　him　into　a　fat　old　torn　before　his　time；　content　to　just　sleep　on　the　radiator　until　someone　put　something　into　his　dish。　He　didn't　want　Church　like　that。　He　liked　Church　the　way　he　was；　lean　and　mean。
　　Outside　in　the　dark；　a　big　semi　droned　by　on　Route　15；　and　that　decided　him。　He　tacked　the　memo　up　and　went　to　bed。
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　　The　next　morning　at　breakfast；　Ellie　saw　the　new　memo　on　the　bulletin　board　and　asked　him　what　it　meant。
　　〃It　means　he's　going　to　have　a　very　small　operation；〃　Louis　said。　〃He'll　probably　have　to　stay　over　at　the　vet's　for　one　night　afterward。　And　when　he　es　home；　he'll　stay　in　our　yard　and　not　want　to　roam　around　so　much。〃
　　〃Or　cross　the　road？〃　Ellie　asked。
　　She　may　be　only　five；　Louis　thought；　but　she's　sure　no　slouch。　〃Or　cross　the　road；〃　he　agreed。
　　〃Yay！〃　Ellie　said；　and　that　was　the　end　of　the　subject。
　　Louis；　who　had　been　prepared　for　a　bitter　and　perhaps　hysterical　argument　about　Church　being　out　of　the　house　for　even　one　night；　was　mildly　stunned　by　the　ease　with　which　she　had　acquiesced。　And　he　realized　how　worried　she　must　have　been。　Perhaps　Rachel　had　not　been　entirely　wrong　about　the　effect　the　Pet　Sematary　had　had　on　her。
　　Rachel　herself；　who　was　feeding　Gage　his　breakfast　egg；　shot　him　a　grateful　approving　look；　and　Louis　felt　something　loosen　in　his　chest。　The　look　told　him　that　the　chill　was　over；　this　particular　hatchet　had　been　buried。　Forever；　he　hoped。
　　Later；　after　the　big　yellow　school　bus　had　gobbled　Ellie　up　for　the　morning；　Rachel　came　to　him；　put　her　arms　around　his　neck；　and　kissed　his　mouth　gently。　〃You　were　very　sweet　to　do　that；〃　she　said；　〃and　I'm　sorry　I　was　such　a　bitch。〃
　　Louis　returned　her　kiss；　feeling　a　little　unfortable　nonetheless。　It　occurred　to　him　that　the　I'm　sorry！　was　such　a　bitch　statement；　while　by　no　means　a　standard；　was　not　exactly　something　he'd　never　heard　before　either。　It　usually　came　after　Rachel　had　gotten　her　way。
　　Gage；　meanwhile；　had　toddled　unsteadily　over　to　the　front　door　and　was　looking　out　the　lowest　pane　of　glass　at　the　empty　road。　〃Bus；〃　he　said；　hitching　nonchalantly　at　his　sagging　diapers。　〃Ellie…bus。〃
　　〃He's　growing　up　fast；〃　Louis　said。
　　Rachel　nodded。　〃Too　fast　to　suit　me；　I　think。〃
　　〃Wait　until　he's　out　of　diapers；〃　Louis　said。　〃Then　he　can　stop。'；
　　She　laughed；　and　it　was　all　right　between　them　again…　pletely　all　right。　She　stood　back；　made　a　minute　adjustment　to　his　tie；　and　looked　him　up　and　down　critically。
　　〃Do　I　pass　muster；　Sarge？〃　he　asked。
　　〃You　look　very　nice。〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　know。　But　do　I　look　like　a　heart　surgeon？　A　two…hundred…thousand…dollar…a…year　man？〃
　　〃No；　just　old　Lou　Creed；〃　she　said　and　giggled。　〃The　rock…and…roll　animal。〃
　　Louis　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃The　rock…and…roll　animal　has　got　to　put　on　his　boogie　shoes　and　go；〃　he　said。
　　〃Are　you　nervous？〃
　　〃Yeah；　a　little。〃
　　〃Don't　be；〃　she　said。　〃It's　sixty…seven　thousand　dollars　a　year　for　putting　on　Ace　bandages；　prescribing　for　the　flu　and　for　hangovers；　giving　girls　the　pill…〃
　　〃Don't　forget　the　crab…and…louse　lotion；〃　Louis　said；　smiling　again。　One　of　the　things　that　had　surprised　him　on　his　first　tour　of　the　infirmary　had　been　the　supplies　of　Quell；　which　seemed　to　him　enormous…more　fitted　to　an　army　base　infirmary　than　to　one　on　a　middle…sized　university　campus。
　　Miss　Charlton；　the　head　nurse；　had　smiled　cynically。　〃Off　campus　apartments　in　the　area　are　pretty　tacky。　You'll　see。　〃
　　He　supposed　he　would。　
　　〃Have　a　good　day；〃　she　said　and　kissed　him　again；　lingeringly。　But　when　she　pulled　away；　she　was　mock…stem。　〃And　for　Christ's　sake　remember　that　you're　an　administrator；　not　an　intern　or　a　second…year　resident！〃
　　〃Yes；　Doctor；〃　Louis　said　humbly；　and　they　both　laughed　again。　For　a　moment　he　thought　of　asking：　Was　it　Zelda；　babe？　is　that　what's　got　under　your　skin？　Is　that　the　zone　of　low　pressure？　Zelda　and　how　she　died？　But　he　wasn't　going　to　ask　her　that；　not　now。　As　a　doctor　he　knew　a　lot　of　things；　and　while　the　fact　that　death　was　just　as　natural　as　childbirth　might　be　the　greatest　of　them；　the　fact　that　you　don't　monkey　with　a　wound　that　has　finally　started　to　heal　was　far　from　the　least　of　them。
　　So　instead　of　asking；　he　only　kissed　her　again　and　went　out。
　　It　was　a　good　start；　a　good　day。　Maine　was　putting　on　a　late…summer　show；　the　sky　was　blue　and　cloudless；　the　temperature　pegged　at　an　utterly　perfect　seventy…two　degrees。　Rolling　to　the　end　of　the　driveway　and　checking　for　traffic；　Louis　mused　that　so　far　he　hadn't　seen　so　much　as　a　trace　of　the　fall　foliage　that　was　supposed　to　be　so　spectacular。　But　he　could　wait。　
　　He　pointed　the　Honda　Civic　they　had　picked　up　as　a　second　car　toward　the　university　and　let　it　roll。　Rachel　would　call　the　vet　this　morning；　they　would　get　Church　fixed；　and　that　would　put　this　whole　nonsense　of　Pet　Semataries　（it　was　funny　how　that　misspelling　got　into　your　head　and　began　to　seem　right）　and　death　fears　behind　them。　There　was　no　need　to　be　thinking　about　death　on　a　beautiful　September　morning　like　this　one。
　　Louis　turned　on　the　radio　and　dialed　until　he　found　the　Ramones　belting　out　〃Rockaway　Beach。〃　He　turned　it　up　and　sang　along…not　well　but　with　lusty　enjoyment。
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　　The　first　thing　he　noticed　turning　into　the　university　grounds　was　how　suddenly　and　spectacularly　the　traffic　swelled。　There　was　car　traffic；　bike　traffic；　there　were　joggers　by　the　score。　He　had　to　stop　quickly　to　avoid　two　of　the　latter　ing　from　the　direction　of　Dunn　Hall。　Louis　braked　hard　enough　to　lock　his　shoulder　belt　and　honked。　He　was　always　annoyed　at　the　way　joggers　（bicyclers　had　the　same　irritating　habit）　seemed　to　automatically　assumed　that　their　responsibility　lapsed　pletely　at　the　moment　they　began　to　run。　They　were；　after　all；　exercising。　One　of　them　gave　Louis　the　finger　without　ever　looking　around。　Louis　sighed　and　drove　on。
　　The　second　thing　was　that　the　ambulance　was　gone　from　its　slot　in　the　small　infirmary　parking　lot；　and　that　gave　him　a　nasty　start。　The　infirmary　was　equipped　to　treat　almost　any　illness　or　accident　on　a　short…term　basis；　there　were　three　well…equipped　examination…and…treatment　rooms　opening　off　the　big　foyer；　and　beyond　this　were　two　wards　with　fifteen　beds　each。　But　there　was　no　operating　theater；　nor　anything　even　resembling　one。　In　case　of　serious　accidents；　there　was　the　ambulance；　which　would　rush　an　injured　or　seriously　ill　person　to　the　Eastern　Maine　Medical　Center。　Steve　Masterton；　the　physician's　assistant　who　had　given　Louis　his　first　tour　of　the　facility；　had　shown　Louis　the　log　from　the　previous　two　academic　years　with　justifiable　pride；　there　had　only　been　thirty…eight　ambulance　runs　in　that　time　。　。　。　not　bad　when　you　considered　that　the　student　population　here　was　over　ten　thousand　and　the　total　university　population　was　almost　seventeen　thousand。
　　And　here　he　was；　on　his　first　real　day　of　work；　with　the　ambulance　gone。
　　He　parked　in　the　slot　headed　with　a　freshly　painted　sign　reading　RESERVED　FOR　DR。　CREED　and　hurried　in。
　　He　found　Charlton；　a　graying　but　lithe　woman　of　about　fifty；　in　the　first　examining　room；　taking　the　temperature　of　a　girl　who　was　wearing　jeans　and　a　halter　top。　The　girl　had　gotten　a　bad　sunburn　not　too　long　ago；　Louis　observed；　the　peeling　was　well　advanced。
　　〃Good　morning；　Joan；〃　he　said。　〃Where's　the　ambulance？〃
　　〃Oh；　we　had　a　real　tragedy；　all　right；〃　Charlton　said；　taking　the　thermometer　out　of　the　student's　mouth　and　reading　it。　〃Steve　Masterton　came　in　this　morning　at　seven　and　saw　a　great　big　puddle　under　the　engine　and　the　front　wheels。　Radiator　let　go。　They　hauled　it　away。〃
　　〃Great；〃　Louis　said；　but　he　felt　relieved　nonetheless。　At　least　it　wa