Last Licks

Elsa nodded. “That can end up jostling things and being more painful for you. Slow and steady, that’s the way.”

Sunny watched as Ollie backed the walker in careful steps. It had only been a week, but he was light-years ahead of where he’d been the last time she’d seen him attempting to walk. He transferred his hands from the handles of the walker to the armrests on the chair and then let himself down in the seat.

“Good,” Elsa pronounced. “Now you can rest for a few minutes. I figure if I let you lie down on our make-believe bed, we might never get you up.”

*

Shadow kept a baleful eye on the Old One. Ever since he’d come back home and stood under the water, Shadow had expected Sunny’s father to leave the house and go to wherever the elusive She might be found.

But the Old One hadn’t done that. He’d gone into the room with the picture box, but he hadn’t put the picture box on. He’d picked up a paper thing with pictures and paged through that. His movements had gotten slower and slower, until at last the Old One had gone to sleep. That wasn’t uncommon. Sometimes the Old One took naps on the couch, and Shadow often joined in. It was one of the few activities they could share without annoying each other.

Today, however, Shadow didn’t want to close his eyes. What if he fell asleep, and the Old One somehow managed to escape? So Shadow lay glaring up at the sleeping two-leg, who snored away, oblivious, while the cat did his best to hide his impatience, except for the occasional flick of his tail.

The phone rang, and the Old One jerked awake. He spoke for a few minutes, then put the phone back down and pulled himself more upright, rubbing his face with his hands. With a groan, he pushed himself off the couch and went to the kitchen, sticking his face in the box that made things cold and coming out with a bottle. The Old One looked at it, shook it, and then drank from the bottle, emptying it. Shadow took advantage of the distraction to get down a bite or two of dry food and a swallow of water.

As Sunny’s father went to toss the bottle away, he stared up at the round thing on the wall. Shadow went on the alert. He wasn’t sure what the thing was, but he’d seen similar ones in other human homes. For some reason, the two-legs would look at it and then start rushing around. Still, he expected the Old One to take time checking for his keys and walking to the front door. Instead, the older human was out with the door shut before Shadow could even make a dart for his legs. Frantically, Shadow began leaping up the stairs. He had one chance . . .

Shadow raced along the upstairs hall, into the Old One’s room. He struggled with the screen, pushing his way out, and began climbing the roof. This was the hard part. He had to get around to the front of the house, where the human kept his vehicle.

It was scary, especially the trip down the roof. Shadow feared his paws were going to slip out from under him. But the sound of the truck’s engine starting brought him scrambling to the edge. The ground seemed a long way down, but Shadow gathered himself for a leap.

After all, it wasn’t so bad when you landed on Sunny, he told himself. Down, down he went, landing with a jarring impact that took his breath away. He crouched nervously in the big open space in the rear of the truck. Nowhere to hide. Had the Old One seen anything? Heard anything? But the go-fast merely rumbled and rolled away. Shadow settled down in a more comfortable position, letting his tail encircle his paws.

Wherever we’re going, we’re on our way.

*

Ollie returned to his room and his bed just in time for the arrival of lunch. Since Mr. Vernon seemed to alternate between carving his chicken cutlet and staring at them, conversation suffered. Finally, Will suggested that he and Sunny go down to the coffee shop and grab a bite to eat.

“Before we go, though, I want to call into headquarters and find out what’s happening—and what they want to do with me.”

He stepped over to the doorway, took out his cell, punched in the number, and had a brief, one-sided conversation, hanging up with a sour look. “Well, at least I’m free for lunch.”

They stepped into the hall, and Sunny said, “Okay, I’ll bite. What did they say?”

“They said the sheriff is coming over here this afternoon to see me, and Ollie, and probably Dr. Reese,” Will replied. “Until then, I’m supposed to stay put.”

Behind him, Sunny saw Camille Thibaud stop dead, her face going chalk white.

“Um, Will, can you give me a couple of minutes? I have to use the restroom. In fact, why don’t you go ahead and get a table? I’ll catch up with you.”

She left Will going around the nurses’ station while she walked farther up the ward, but the visitor’s restroom wasn’t her target. Sunny opened out her stride and caught up with Camille. “What’s going on?” she asked the girl. “You looked as though you were going to jump out of your skin.”