Chapter 2 two

There was one moment in Louis's memory that was tinged with magic—in part, perhaps, because it was magic, but mostly because of the flurry of the entire evening.For the next three hours they were restless and powerless. Louis had put the keys to the house in a small Luzon envelope (he was a very methodical man) and on the envelope he had marked "House Keys in Luther House, Received June 29th."He had put the envelope and the key in the little locker in the car, of which he was sure, but couldn't find it. While looking for it, he got a little annoyed.Rachel carried Gage on her back and followed Allie to a tree in the field.When he was looking under the car seat for the third time, he suddenly heard his daughter screaming, followed by her crying.

"Louis!" Rachel called to him. "Ellie's hurt!" Ally fell at a bend in a driveway and hit her knee on a rock.The wound was superficial, but she was screaming like someone with a broken leg, and it was kind of callous for Louis to think that.He glanced at the house across the road, where the light went on in the living room. "Okay, Ally," he said, "that's enough, people over there will think someone got killed." "But I hurt—" Louis suppressed his anger and walked back to the car in silence.The key still hasn't been found, but the first aid kit is still in the small locker.He came back with a first aid kit.Ellie screamed louder than before when she saw him.

"No! I don't want that sting! Dad, I don't want that sting! No—" "Ellie, it's just red potion, and it doesn't sting—" "Good boy, be good," Rachel said, "it's just—" "No-no-no-" "Stop barking or I'll spank you," Louis said. "She's a little tired, Lou," Rachel said quietly. "Yes, I know how she feels. Show her legs." Rachel put Gage down, rolled up Ellie's pant legs, and pressed Ellie's legs.Louis put red medicine on her, even though she kept screaming hysterically.

"Someone's come out of that house across the street, out on the porch," Rachel said, picking up Gage.He was just about to crawl away from the grass. "That's great," Louis said vaguely. "Lu, Ellie, she—" "Tired, I know." He capped the red vial, looked at his daughter sternly and said, "It's all right. The wound is not serious. Don't make a fuss, Allie." "But I hurt! I really hurt, I hurt—" Louis was itching to punch her, and he gripped his leg tightly, controlling himself. "Did you find the key?" Rachel asked.

"Not yet," Louis replied, snapping off the emergency kit and standing up. "I'll—" Gage started screaming.He wasn't messing around, he wasn't crying, he was screaming, writhing in Rachel's arms. "What's wrong with him?" Rachel yelled, shoving the baby to Louis in a panic.That, Louis thought, was one of the advantages of being married to a doctor, that whenever the child seemed to be in an emergency, the child could be pushed to his husband. "Louis! How did he—" The child was scratching his neck frantically, screaming wildly.Louis quickly picked up his son and rolled over him to see a white bump on the side of the boy's neck.Something furry was squirming in the belt of his jumpsuit.

Ellie, who had calmed down a bit, started screaming again: "Bee! Bee! Bee-bee!" She jumped back, tripping over the protruding rock that had tripped her just now. , fell heavily to the ground, with pain, surprise and fear, she began to cry again. Louis wondered: Oh, what's the matter?I'm going crazy. "Something, Louis! Can't you do something?" "The stinger has to be taken out," said a voice behind them slowly, "and the right thing to do: get the stinger out and put some soda on. The pimple will go down." The voice filled the Eastern seaboard With an accent, it took Louis' tired, confused mind a moment to register what he was saying.

Louis turned and saw an old man standing on the grass, maybe 70 years old, but still in good spirits and in good health.The old man was wearing a blue thin striped shirt, showing a wrinkled neck, his face was tanned by the sun, and he had an unfiltered cigarette in his mouth.Louis watched as he stubbed out the cigarette with his thumb and forefinger, put it carefully in his pocket, then held out his hands, smiling slyly at them.Louis liked the smile immediately, he was not an easy man to get close to. "Doctor, my class is messed with." The old man said.That's how Louis met Chad Crandall, a man who should have been old enough to be his father.