Chapter 7 seven

In the next two weeks, the family was busy, and Louis gradually became familiar with the new job.He was dealing with many of the tens of thousands of college students, some of whom were addicted to drugs.Alcoholics, some with STDs, others with anxiety about leaving home for the first time or studying grades, and a dozen more, mostly girls, with anorexia.What kind of situation should these students flood the school all of a sudden?Louis was starting to handle the work as head of the school's medical services, and Rachel was starting to keep the house in order. Gage was also struggling to adapt to the new environment. For a few days, his sleep time was abnormal, but after about ten days in Luther Town, he was able to sleep well again.Only Ellie seems to be a little emotional and on the verge of breaking out, probably because she is going to a kindergarten in a new place.She would suddenly giggle for a while, or be depressed for a while, or lose her temper because of a word.Rachel said it would be all right when Ellie saw that school wasn't as scary as the red-haired devil she'd imagined it to be.Louis thought so too.Elle is pretty cute most of the time.

It had become a habit for Louis to go and have a beer or two with Crandall in the evening.Every two or three days, after Gage fell asleep, he would take a case of 6 cans of beer to the old man's house.He met Norma, a genial woman with rheumatoid arthritis.This disease has a great impact on the health of the elderly, but her attitude is optimistic, she did not wave the white flag to the disease, let it go, she said.Louis thought she might live another five or seven years, albeit less comfortably. Louis violated the rules and asked to check the old lady's body, and checked the prescription Norma's personal doctor gave her.The prescription was impeccable, and the personal doctor Weberley treated everything properly, focusing on control to prevent sudden attacks.He was a little disappointed that he couldn't do anything else for her or give her any other advice.People have to learn to accept the fact.

Rachel liked Norma very much, and they told each other recipes like children exchanging baseball cards. From Norma's deep-dish apple pie to Rachel's beef tenderloin, the two gradually deepened their friendship.Norma is very fond of the two children, especially Elle, who, according to her, will come out like a classic beauty.Louis told his wife that night in bed that at least Norma didn't say Ellie was going to grow into a cute little alkanes.Rachel laughed so loudly that she farted so loudly that they both laughed loudly and for so long that they woke up the son next door. It's time for Ellie's first day at kindergarten.Louis took the day off.He has been able to handle the work of the infirmary very skillfully, and there are no patients in the infirmary now.He held Gage in his arms, and standing on the lawn with Rachel, they watched the big yellow school bus turn around the street and pull up slowly in front of their house.The front door of the car opened, and the noise of children chattering and chattering came from the car.Ellie looked back at her parents weakly and strangely, as if asking if they might not go to school, but the determined look on her parents' faces told her that her formerly free-spirited days were over.She turned around helplessly, got on the school bus, the door closed, and then with a low roar, the car drove away.Rachel began to cry. "Don't cry, for God's sake," Louis said.He wasn't crying, just a little numb. "It's only half a day." "Half a day is bad enough," replied Rachel reproachfully, and cried even harder.Louis had her arms around her, and Gage had one arm comfortably around his dad and his other around his mom.Usually when Rachel cried, Gage cried too, but this time he didn't cry.Gage, thought Louis, had a mom and a dad on his own now, and he knew that.

Louis fiddled with his books and newspapers in the study, unable to do anything.Rachel started making lunch early.The two waited in terror for Ellie to come home, drinking coffee non-stop while thinking about how their daughter was doing.The phone rang at a quarter past ten, and Rachel hurried to answer it. Before the second ring, she was panting, "Hello?" Louis stood on the porch between the study and the kitchen, thinking I thought, it must be Ellie's teacher telling his wife that Ellie is not used to school life and wants her to come back.It was Norma, and she called to ask if they wanted some fresh-picked corn.Louis fetched a shopping bag and blamed Chad for not letting him help with the corn. "That's kind of shit," said Chad.

"I'm here, watch your mouth." Norma said as she came to the porch with a tray of iced tea. "I'm sorry, dear." "He doesn't feel sorry at all," Norma told Louis, sitting down shaking with joint pain. "Saw Allie on the school bus this morning," said Chad, lighting a cigarette. "She'll get used to it," Norma said. "Kids almost always do." Almost all... Louis thought gloomily. Ellie is fine though.She arrived home at noon, all smiles on her face.The blue flared skirt showed a scabbed knee and a fresh scrape.One shoe was unlaced and a headband was missing.Ellie ran and called, "Papa, Mama, we're singing 'Old MacDonald', just like the school in Castel Street!"

Louis was holding Gage, sitting by the window, his son almost asleep. Rachel glanced at Louis sadly, then looked away quickly. For a moment Louis felt terribly panicked.We're really getting old, he thought, really.We are no exception, Ellie is growing up day by day, and we are getting older day by day. Ellie ran to him, showing him the pictures she had drawn and the bruises on her legs, and kept telling him about the song they sang and Mrs. Briman, the teacher.Church ran in and out between her legs, whining.Allie didn't trip over it. "Shh—" Louis said, kissing his daughter.

Gage was already asleep, and Ellie's voice didn't wake him up. "Let Dad put my brother on the bed, and then listen to you carefully." He walked upstairs with Gage in his arms.The hot September sun was shining on him, and when he reached the stairs, a sudden wave of fear and darkness seized him. He felt cold all over, and goose bumps appeared on his arms and back.He hugged his son tightly, almost clutching him, and Gage moved uncomfortably.what happened?He thought in surprise and fear, what happened to him?His heart was beating wildly, his scalp was tense, and he felt the adrenaline rushing.He knew that the human eye protrudes in times of extreme fear, and not only dilates, but literally protrudes due to increased blood pressure and intracranial fluid pressure.How is this going?Is it a ghost?God, it's as if something passed me in the hallway, something I could almost see.

The screen door downstairs creaked. Louis startled, almost screamed, and then he laughed.It's just the kind of psychological fear that people experience sometimes.Just a moment of fugue.This happened, that's all.There are no ghosts, at least not in his experience.Louis has seen more than 20 people die in his medical career, but he has never felt the existence of human souls. He carried Gage into his son's bedroom and placed him in his crib.But as he was covering his son with a blanket, he felt a chill in his back and a chill because he suddenly thought of Uncle Carl's "showroom."There are no new cars in the showroom, no televisions with modern features, and no dishwashers with glass panels that allow one to see the suds.There were only coffins with their lids lifted, each with carefully concealed spotlights.His uncle was an undertaker.

God, what makes you so scared?Let those thoughts go! He kissed his son and went downstairs to listen to his daughter's account of her first day at school.