Chapter 29 Twenty-nine

The next morning, Gage's temperature was almost normal.His cheeks were a little chapped, but his eyes were bright and cheerful.His meaningless babbling of the week seemed to pop up again, as if he had learned to imitate almost anything people said.Ellie was going to teach him to say "shit."Ellie said over her oatmeal, "Say shit, Gage." Gage obediently ate his porridge and said, "Smelly shit, Gage." Ellie giggled. When Louis made Gage drink his porridge, it contained only a little sugar.As usual, Gage seemed to be smearing porridge instead of eating it. Ally said again, "Say fart, Gage."

"Fart, Gage," Gage said, smiling with his mouth open, with steamed wheat porridge all over his face, and he continued, "Fart, shit." Allie and Louis both burst out laughing, and it's hard not to laugh. Rachel didn't think it was funny. She handed Louis the egg and said, "I think the morning swearing is over." Gage sang, "Shit, fart, fart, shit." Ellie put her hands over her mouth and giggled furtively, and Rachel grinned back.His wife looked better, Louis thought, but she wasn't rested enough, she was more relaxed, and Gage was better, so she was more relaxed.

Rachel said, "Don't say that, Gage." "It's nice." Gage said in a different way.Then, he spit all the porridge he just ate into the bowl. "Oh, what a--heart!" Allie screamed, running away. Louis burst into laughter, which he couldn't help himself.First he laughed, then wept, then laughed again. Rachel and Gage stared at him like he was crazy. No, Louis thought, he could have told them he had gone mad, but he was fine now, really fine. He didn't know if it was over, but he felt it was over, maybe it was over. At least, end it for a while.