The Edge of Sleep by Jake Emanuel

Author:Jake Emanuel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

4

Linda takes a deep breath, then straps on a smile and enters 217. “Mrs. Nelson,” she says brightly. “How are we feeling now?”

“I’m getting irascible,” Ruth complains. “Gene used to tell me that when I forgot to eat. ‘You’re a little irascible, Ruthie.’ I’d bitch at him that nobody used that word anymore.” She frowns at herself. “As if words expire.” With a bitter chuckle she says, “This is what getting old is. One by one you watch the people you care about kick off. You’re the last one standing, and all you remember is all the ways you hurt them while they were still around.”

“I’m sorry about your husband,” Linda says.

“I have a daughter still,” Ruth says. “She’s a handful in about a thousand ways. She and Katie, they’re the same. Doing the hardest job anyone can do. Trying to put their demons to rest. Oh, I’m grateful for her. Lilly, I mean. But Katie, too. Without her today I might have gone over the edge.”

“She’s a good girl,” Linda agrees. “I maybe didn’t realize that until just now.”

Ruth’s face goes serious. “I worked here a long time. This place was always hopping, even at night. But it’s a ghost town now. Something bad’s happened, I know it. And it isn’t on the TV. All I get are old reruns and infomercial loops.”

“Mrs. Nelson, I think—”

“No. Listen, Linda. One medical professional to another. The shit hit the fan. Something awful happened.” Linda doesn’t say a word, but Ruth can see confirmation in her averted eyes. “My daughter hasn’t called all day. Is she involved?”

Linda draws a deep breath. “Mrs. Nelson…”

“Ruth. Call me Ruth if you’re about to kill me with bad news.”

“Ruth,” Linda says, folding. “As far as we can tell, it started sometime between three and four a.m.…”

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