A Five-Minute Life
“What in the hell is happening?” Delia said, rushing forward. Her blazing gaze swept over Rita and me. “What is happening to my sister?”
“Delia,” Thea said, before we could speak. Her voice was a watery croak. “You’re here. How long has it been? Where are Mom and Dad?”
“Jesus,” Delia breathed, then hurried to add, “Two years. They’ll be here soon.”
Thea slipped out of my grip and collapsed in Delia’s arms, sobbing, black paint smearing Delia’s hair and the shoulder of her suit jacket.
Delia held her sister tight, stroking her blond hair. Her glare was both murderous and terrified.
“I told you,” she said, her voice shaking with tears and anger. “I told you painting would be bad for her. But did you listen? No, not to me. Not to her doctor.”
Rita shook her head, tears in her own eyes. “I don’t understand. She was so happy.”
“Help me get her cleaned up,” Delia snapped. She kept an arm around Thea as they walked to the door, Rita following. Delia stopped and stared at Alonzo and me.
“I think it’s time we had a meeting with Dr. Poole and Dr. Stevens.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Alonzo said to the ground.
Pain wracked my chest as if I were having a seizure too. “Alonzo—”
He held up a hand. “Don’t.” His brown eyes were heavy as he looked to the ruined canvas in the corner. “Best go clean that up.”
I put the canvas away. Cleaned up the paint splatters. Stored the brushes in the supply closet. The next day, Thea was back at the table, markers and a sheet of paper in front of her.
I went to get a broom, to do the job I should’ve been doing all along, instead of interfering where I had no business.
I swept the rec room, working around Mr. Webb doing his jigsaw puzzle and Ms. Willis playing dominoes with her nurse. Mr. Perello spoke about the war to his attendant. All the while, I stole glances at Thea, hoping to see her with a pen in her hand and that smile on her lips.
But she sat with her hands folded in her lap, staring at nothing.
Rita met my gaze and shook her head, saddened and helpless too.
I hurried in my tasks to avoid Delia, but she showed up early and strode directly to me.
“Why are you in here?”
“Just cleaning up,” I said. “I haven’t spoken to her, Ms. Hughes. I promise.”
“I would goddamn well hope not. You need to leave. Now. I don’t want you anywhere near my sister. In fact, the next time I see you will be at the meeting I’ve arranged with Drs. Poole and Stevens.”
I nodded. I hurt Thea and would probably lose my job over it. A small price to pay.
“Delia,” Thea called weakly from her table behind us. No energy. Hardly a smile. “You’re here. How long has it been?”
Before Delia could reply, the skin-shivering sound of a rattle filled the rec room. My stomach clenched and my palms went sweaty at the sight of a snake, striated silver with dark gray diamonds, gliding out of the supply closet and across the rec room floor, silent but for its tail.
For a split second, everyone stared, no one moved. Time stopped.
“You gotta watch for pit vipers, Jim,” Grandpa Jack said from the recesses of my memory—a fishing trip to Lake Murray. “’Round here, the Massasauga rattler is the deadliest. Black and silver beauties, they are, but bad news.”
Bad news.
Someone screamed, and time lurched forward. Residents scrambled out of their chairs and backed away. Delia stumbled in her hurry to reach Thea and fell against the table.
And Thea…
My stomach recoiled in horror as