sk.petsematary-第14部分

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　　〃Have　a　good　day；〃　she　said　and　kissed　him　again；　lingeringly。　But　when　she　pulled　away；　she　was　mock…stem。　〃And　for　Christ's　sake　remember　that　you're　an　administrator；　not　an　intern　or　a　second…year　resident！〃
　　〃Yes；　Doctor；〃　Louis　said　humbly；　and　they　both　laughed　again。　For　a　moment　he　thought　of　asking：　Was　it　Zelda；　babe？　is　that　what's　got　under　your　skin？　Is　that　the　zone　of　low　pressure？　Zelda　and　how　she　died？　But　he　wasn't　going　to　ask　her　that；　not　now。　As　a　doctor　he　knew　a　lot　of　things；　and　while　the　fact　that　death　was　just　as　natural　as　childbirth　might　be　the　greatest　of　them；　the　fact　that　you　don't　monkey　with　a　wound　that　has　finally　started　to　heal　was　far　from　the　least　of　them。
　　So　instead　of　asking；　he　only　kissed　her　again　and　went　out。
　　It　was　a　good　start；　a　good　day。　Maine　was　putting　on　a　late…summer　show；　the　sky　was　blue　and　cloudless；　the　temperature　pegged　at　an　utterly　perfect　seventy…two　degrees。　Rolling　to　the　end　of　the　driveway　and　checking　for　traffic；　Louis　mused　that　so　far　he　hadn't　seen　so　much　as　a　trace　of　the　fall　foliage　that　was　supposed　to　be　so　spectacular。　But　he　could　wait。　
　　He　pointed　the　Honda　Civic　they　had　picked　up　as　a　second　car　toward　the　university　and　let　it　roll。　Rachel　would　call　the　vet　this　morning；　they　would　get　Church　fixed；　and　that　would　put　this　whole　nonsense　of　Pet　Semataries　（it　was　funny　how　that　misspelling　got　into　your　head　and　began　to　seem　right）　and　death　fears　behind　them。　There　was　no　need　to　be　thinking　about　death　on　a　beautiful　September　morning　like　this　one。
　　Louis　turned　on　the　radio　and　dialed　until　he　found　the　Ramones　belting　out　〃Rockaway　Beach。〃　He　turned　it　up　and　sang　along…not　well　but　with　lusty　enjoyment。
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　　The　first　thing　he　noticed　turning　into　the　university　grounds　was　how　suddenly　and　spectacularly　the　traffic　swelled。　There　was　car　traffic；　bike　traffic；　there　were　joggers　by　the　score。　He　had　to　stop　quickly　to　avoid　two　of　the　latter　ing　from　the　direction　of　Dunn　Hall。　Louis　braked　hard　enough　to　lock　his　shoulder　belt　and　honked。　He　was　always　annoyed　at　the　way　joggers　（bicyclers　had　the　same　irritating　habit）　seemed　to　automatically　assumed　that　their　responsibility　lapsed　pletely　at　the　moment　they　began　to　run。　They　were；　after　all；　exercising。　One　of　them　gave　Louis　the　finger　without　ever　looking　around。　Louis　sighed　and　drove　on。
　　The　second　thing　was　that　the　ambulance　was　gone　from　its　slot　in　the　small　infirmary　parking　lot；　and　that　gave　him　a　nasty　start。　The　infirmary　was　equipped　to　treat　almost　any　illness　or　accident　on　a　short…term　basis；　there　were　three　well…equipped　examination…and…treatment　rooms　opening　off　the　big　foyer；　and　beyond　this　were　two　wards　with　fifteen　beds　each。　But　there　was　no　operating　theater；　nor　anything　even　resembling　one。　In　case　of　serious　accidents；　there　was　the　ambulance；　which　would　rush　an　injured　or　seriously　ill　person　to　the　Eastern　Maine　Medical　Center。　Steve　Masterton；　the　physician's　assistant　who　had　given　Louis　his　first　tour　of　the　facility；　had　shown　Louis　the　log　from　the　previous　two　academic　years　with　justifiable　pride；　there　had　only　been　thirty…eight　ambulance　runs　in　that　time　。　。　。　not　bad　when　you　considered　that　the　student　population　here　was　over　ten　thousand　and　the　total　university　population　was　almost　seventeen　thousand。
　　And　here　he　was；　on　his　first　real　day　of　work；　with　the　ambulance　gone。
　　He　parked　in　the　slot　headed　with　a　freshly　painted　sign　reading　RESERVED　FOR　DR。　CREED　and　hurried　in。
　　He　found　Charlton；　a　graying　but　lithe　woman　of　about　fifty；　in　the　first　examining　room；　taking　the　temperature　of　a　girl　who　was　wearing　jeans　and　a　halter　top。　The　girl　had　gotten　a　bad　sunburn　not　too　long　ago；　Louis　observed；　the　peeling　was　well　advanced。
　　〃Good　morning；　Joan；〃　he　said。　〃Where's　the　ambulance？〃
　　〃Oh；　we　had　a　real　tragedy；　all　right；〃　Charlton　said；　taking　the　thermometer　out　of　the　student's　mouth　and　reading　it。　〃Steve　Masterton　came　in　this　morning　at　seven　and　saw　a　great　big　puddle　under　the　engine　and　the　front　wheels。　Radiator　let　go。　They　hauled　it　away。〃
　　〃Great；〃　Louis　said；　but　he　felt　relieved　nonetheless。　At　least　it　wasn't　out　on　a　run；　which　was　what　he　had　first　feared；　〃When　do　we　get　it　back？〃
　　Joan　Chariton　laughed。　〃Knowing　the　University　Motor　Pool；〃　she　said；　〃it'll　e　back　around　December　fifteenth　wrapped　in　Christmas　ribbon。〃　She　glanced　at　the　student。　〃You've　got　half　a　degree　of　fever；〃　she　said。　〃Take　two　aspirins　and　stay　out　of　bars　and　dark　alleys。〃
　　The　girl　got　down。　She　gave　Louis　a　quick　appraising　glance　and　then　went　out。
　　〃Our　first　customer　of　the　new　semester；〃　Charlton　said　sourly。　She　began　to　shake　the　thermometer　down　with　brisk　snaps。
　　〃You　don't　seem　too　pleased　about　it。〃
　　〃I　know　the　type；〃　she　said。　〃Oh；　we　get　the　other　type　too…athletes　who　go　on　playing　with　bone　chips　and　tendonitis　and　everything　else　because　they　don't　want　to　be　benched；　they　got　to　be　macho　men；　not　let　the　ream　down；　even　if　they're　jeopardizing　pro　careers　later　on。　Then　you've　got　little　Miss　Half…Degree　of　Fever…〃　She　jerked　her　head　toward　the　window；　where　Louis　could　see　the　girl　with　the　peeling　sunburn　walking　in　the　direction　of　the　Gannett　Cumberland…Androscoggin　plex　of　dorms。　In　the　examining　room　the　girl　had　given　the　impression　of　being　someone　who　did　not　feel　well　at　all　but　was　trying　not　to　let　on。　Now　she　was　walking　briskly；　her　hips　swinging　prettily；　noticing　and　being　noticed。
　　〃Your　basic　college　hypochondriac。〃　Charlton　dropped　the　thermometer　into　a　sterilizer。　〃We'll　see　her　two　dozen　times　this　year。　Her　visits　will　be　more　frequent　before　each　round　of　prelims。　A　week　or　so　before　finals；　she'll　be　convinced　she　has　either　mono　or　pneumonia。　Bronchitis　is　the　fall…back　position。　She'll　get　out　of　four　or　five　tests…the　ones　where　the　instructors　are　wimps；　to　use　the　word　they　use…and　get　easier　makeups。　They　always　get　sicker　if　they　know　the　prelim　or　final　is　going　to　be　an　objective　test　rather　than　an　essay　exam。〃
　　〃My；　aren't　we　cynical　this　morning；〃　Louis　said。　He　was；　in　fact；　a　little　nonplussed。
　　She　tipped　him　a　wink　that　made　him　grin。　'I　don't　take　it　to　heart。　Doctor。　Neither　should　you〃
　　〃Where's　Stephen　now？〃
　　〃In　your　office；　answering　mail　and　trying　to　figure　out　the　latest　ton　of　bureaucratic　bullshit　from　Blue　Cross…Blue　Shield；〃　she　said。
　　Louis　went　in。　Charlton's　cynicism　notwithstanding；　he　felt　fortably　in　harness。
　　Looking　back　on　it；　Louis　would　think…when　he　could　bear　to　think　about　it　at　all…that　the　nightmare　really　began　when　they　brought　the　dying　boy；　Victor　Pascow；　into　the　infirmary　around　ten　that　morning。
　　Until　then；　things　were　very　quiet。　At　nine；　half　an　hour　after　Louis　arrived；　the　two　candy…stripers　who　would　be　working　the　nine…to…three　shift　came　in。　Louis　gave　them　each　a　doughnut　and　a　cup　of　coffee　and　talked　to　them　for　about　fifteen　minutes；　outlining　their　duties；　and　what　was　perhaps　more　important；　what　was　beyond　the　scope　of　their　duties。　Then　Charlton　took　over。　As　she　led　them　out　of　Louis's　office；　Louis　heard　her　ask：　〃Either　of　you　allergic　to　shit　or　puke？　You'll　see　a　lot　of　both　here。〃
　　〃Oh　God；〃　Louis　murmured　and　covered　his　eyes。　But　he　was　smiling。　A　tough　old　babe　like　Charlton　was　not　always　a　liability。
　　Louis　began　filling　out　the　long　Blue　Cross…Blue　Shield　forms；　which　amounted　to　a　plete　inventory　of　drug　stock　and　medical　equipment　（〃Every　year；〃　Steve　Masterton　said　in　an　aggrieved　voice。　〃Every　goddam　year　the　same　thing。　Why　don't　you　write　down　plete　heart　transplant　facility；　approx。　value　eight　million　dollars。　Louis？　That'II　foozle　em！〃）；　and　he　was　totally　engrossed；　thinking　only　marginally　that　a　cup　of　coffee　would　go　down　well；　when　Masterton　screamed　from　the　direction　of　the　foyer…waiting　room：　〃Louis！　Hey；　Louis；　get　out　here！　We　got　a　mess！〃
　　The　near…panic　in　Masterton's　voice　got　Louis　going　in　a　hurry。　He　bolted　out　of　his　chair　almost　as　if　he　had；　in　some　subconscious　way；　been　expecting　this。　A　shriek；　as　thin　and　sharp　as　a　shard　of　broken　glass；　arose　fro