sk.petsematary-第42部分

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r。　Cage　began　to　cry　again；　a　solid；　bawling　sound　that　was　music　to　Louis's　ears。　To　cry　like　that　you　had　to　be　getting　an　unlimited　supply　of　oxygen。
　　Rachel's　knees　buckled　and　she　collapsed　onto　the　bed；　head　supported　in　her　hands。　She　was　shaking　violently。　〃He　almost　died；　didn't　he；　Louis？　He　almost　ch…ch…ch…oh　my　God…〃
　　Louis　walked　around　the　room　with　his　son　in　his　arms。　Gage's　cries　were　tapering　off　to　whimperings；　he　was　already　almost　asleep　again。
　　〃The　chances　are　fifty　to　one　he　would　have　cleared　it　himself；　Rachel。　I　just　gave　him　a　hand。〃
　　〃But　he　was　close；〃　she　said。　She　looked　up　at　him；　and　her　white…ringed　eyes　were　stunned　and　unbelieving。　〃Louis；　he　was　so　close。〃
　　Suddenly　he　remembered　her　shouting　at　him　in　the　sunny　kitchen：　He's　not　going　to　die；　no　one　is　going　to　die　around　here。
　　〃Honey；〃　Louis　said；　〃we're　all　close。　All　the　time。〃
　　It　was　milk　that　had　almost　surely　caused　the　fresh　round　of　vomiting。　Gage　had　awakened　around　midnight；　she　said；　an　hour　or　so　after　Louis　had　gone　to　sleep；　with　his　〃hungry　cry；〃　and　Rachel　had　gotten　him　a　bottle。　She　had　drowsed　off　again　herself　while　he　was　still　taking　it。　About　an　hour　later；　the　choking　spell　began。
　　No　more　milk；　Louis　said；　and　Rachel　had　agreed；　almost　humbly。　No　more　milk。
　　Louis　got　back　downstairs　at　around　a　quarter　of　two　and　spent　fifteen　minutes　hunting　up　the　cat。　During　his　search；　he　found　the　door　which　municated　between　the　kitchen　and　basement　standing　ajar；　as　he　suspected　he　would。　He　remembered　his　mother　telling　him　about　a　cat　that　had　gotten　quite　good　at　pawing　open　old…fashioned　latches；　such　as　the　one　on　their　cellar　door。　The　cat　would　just　climb　the　edge　of　the　door；　she'd　said；　and　pat　the　thumb　plate　of　the　latch　with　its　paw　until　the　door　opened。　A　cute　enough　trick；　Louis　thought；　but　not　one　he　intended　to　allow　Church　to　practice　often。　There　was；　after　all；　a　lock　on　the　cellar　door；　too。　He　found　Church　dozing　under　the　stove　and　tossed　it　out　the　front　door　without　ceremony。　On　his　way　back　to　the　hide…a…bed；　he　closed　the　cellar　door　again。
　　And　this　time　shot　the　bolt。
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　　In　the　morning；　Gage's　temperature　was　almost　normal。　His　cheeks　were　chapped；　but　otherwise　he　was　bright…eyed　and　full　of　beans。　All　at　once；　in　the　course　of　a　week　it　seemed；　his　meaningless　gabble　had　turned　into　a　slew　of　words；　he　would　imitate　almost　anything　you　said。　What　Ellie　wanted　him　to　say　was　〃shit。〃
　　〃Say　shit；　Gage；〃　Ellie　said　over　her　oatmeal。
　　〃Shit…Gage；〃　Gage　responded　agreeably　over　his　own　cereal。　Louis　allowed　the　cereal　on　condition　that　Gage　eat　it　with　only　a　little　sugar。　And；　as　usual；　Gage　seemed　to　be　shampooing　with　it　rather　than　actually　eating　it。
　　Ellie　dissolved　into　giggles。
　　〃Say　farts；　Gage；〃　she　said。
　　〃Farz…Gage；〃　Gage　said；　grinning　through　the　oatmeal　spread　across　his　face。　〃Farz…n…shit。〃
　　Ellie　and　Louis　broke　up。　It　was　impossible　not　to。
　　Rachel　was　not　so　amused。　〃That's　enough　vulgar　talk　for　one　morning；　I　think；〃　she　said；　handing　Louis　his　eggs。
　　〃Shit…n…farz…n…farz…n…shit；〃　Gage　sang　cheerily；　and　Ellie　hid　her　giggles　in　her　hands。　Rachel's　mouth　twitched　a　little；　and　Louis　thought　she　was　looking　a　hundred　percent　better　in　spite　of　her　broken　rest。　A　lot　of　it　was　relief；　Louis　supposed。　Gage　was　better　and　she　was　home。
　　〃Don't　say　that；　Gage；〃　Rachel　said。
　　〃Pretty；〃　Gage　said　as　a　change　of　pace　and　threw　up　all　the　cereal　he　had　eaten　into　his　bowl。
　　〃Oh；　gross…OUT！〃　Ellie　screamed　and　fled　the　table。
　　Louis　broke　up　pletely　then。　He　couldn't　help　it。　He　laughed　until　he　was　crying　and　cried　until　he　was　laughing　again。　Rachel　and　Gage　stared　at　him　as　if　he　had　gone　crazy。
　　No；　Louis　could　have　told　them。　I've　been　crazy；　but　I　think　I'm　going　to　be　all　right　now。　I　really　think　I　am。
　　He　didn't　know　if　it　was　over　or　not；　but　it　felt　over；　perhaps　that　would　be　enough。
　　And　for　a　while；　at　least；　it　was。
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　　Gage's　virus　hung　on　for　a　week；　then　cleared　up。　A　week　later　he　came　down　with　a　bout　of　bronchitis。　Ellie　also　caught　this　and　then　Rachel；　during　the　period　before　Christmas；　the　three　of　them　went　around　hacking　like　very　old　and　wheezy　hunting　dogs。　Louis　didn't　catch　it；　and　Rachel　seemed　to　hold　this　against　him。
　　The　final　week　of　classes　at　the　university　was　a　hectic　one　for　Louis；　Steve；　Surrendra；　and　Charlton。　There　was　no　flu…at　least　not　yet…but　plenty　of　bronchitis　and　several　cases　of　mononucleosis　and　walking　pneumonia。　Two　days　before　classes　broke　for　Christmas；　six　moaning；　drunken　fraternity　boys　were　brought　in　by　their　concerned　friends。　There　were　a　few　moments　of　confusion　gruesomely　reminiscent　of　the　Pascow　affair。　All　six　of　the　damned　fools　had　crammed　onto　one　medium…length　toboggan　（the　sixth　had　actually　been　sitting　on　the　shoulders　of　the　tail　man；　from　what　Louis　could　piece　together）　and　had　set　off　to　ride　the　toboggan　down　the　hill　above　the　steam　plant。　Hilarious。　Except　that　after　gaining　a　lot　of　speed；　the　toboggan　had　wandered　off　course　and　struck　one　of　the　Civil　War　cannons。　The　score　was　two　broken　arms；　a　broken　wrist；　a　total　of　seven　broken　ribs；　a　concussion；　plus　contusions　far　too　numerous　to　count。　Only　the　boy　riding　on　the　shoulders　of　the　tail…ender　had　escaped　pletely　unscathed；　When　the　toboggan　hit　the　cannon；　this　fortunate　soul　flew　over　it　and　landed　headfirst　in　a　snowbank。　Cleaning　up　the　human　wreckage　hadn't　been　fun；　and　Louis　had　scored　all　of　the　boys　liberally　with　his　tongue　as　he　stitched　and　bandaged　and　stared　into　pupils；　but　telling　Rachel　about　it　later；　he　had　again　laughed　until　he　cried。　Rachel　had　looked　at　him　strangely；　not　understanding　what　was　so　funny；　and　Louis　couldn't　tell　her　that　it　had　been　a　stupid　accident；　and　people　had　been　hurt；　but　they　would　all　walk　away　from　it。　His　laughter　was　partly　relief；　but　it　was　partly　triumph　too…won　one　today；　Louis。
　　The　cases　of　bronchitis　in　his　own　family　began　to　clear　up　around　the　time　that　Ellie's　school　broke　for　the　holidays　on　December　16；　and　the　four　of　them　settled　down　to　spend　a　happy　and　old…fashioned　country　Christmas。　The　house　in　North　Ludlow；　which　had　seemed　so　strange　on　that　day　in　August　when　they　pulled　into　the　driveway　（strange　and　even　hostile；　what　with　Effie　cutting　herself　out　back　and　Gage　getting　stung　by　a　bee　at　almost　the　same　time）；　had　never　seemed　more　like　home。
　　After　the　kids　were　finally　asleep　on　Christmas　Eve；　Louis　and　Rachel　stole　downstairs　from　the　attic　like　thieves；　their　arms　full　of　brightly　colored　boxes…a　set　of　Matchbox　racers　for　Gage；　who　had　recently　discovered　the　joys　of　toy　cars；　Barbie　and　Ken　dolls　for　Ellie；　a　Turn　'n'　Go；　an　oversized　trike；　doll　clothes；　a　play　oven　with　a　light　bulb　inside；　other　stuff。
　　The　two　of　them　sat　side　by　side　in　the　glow　of　lights　from　the　tree；　fussing　the　stuff　together；　Rachel　in　a　pair　of　silk　lounging　pajamas；　Louis　in　his　robe。　He　could　not　remember　a　more　pleasant　evening。　There　was　a　fire　in　the　fireplace；　and　every　now　and　then　one　or　the　other　of　them　would　rise　and　throw　in　another　chunk　of　split　birch。
　　Winston　Churchill　brushed　by　Louis　once；　and　he　pushed　the　cat　away　with　an　almost　absent　feeling　of　distaste…that　smell。　Later　he　saw　Church　try　to　settle　down　next　to　Rachel's　leg；　and　Rachel　also　gave　it　a　push　and　an　impatient　〃Scat！〃　A　moment　later　Louis　saw　his　wife　rubbing　her　palm　on　one　silk…clad　thigh；　the　way　you　sometimes　do　when　you　feel　you　might　have　touched　something　nasty　or　germy。　He　didn't　think　Rachel　was　even　aware　she　was　doing　it。
　　Church　ambled　over　to　the　brick　hearth　and　collapsed　in　front　of　the　fire　gracelessly。　The　cat　had　no　grace　at　all　now；　it　seemed；　it　had　lost　it　all　on　that　night　Louis　rarely　allowed　himself　to　think　about。　And　Church　had　lost　something　else　as　well。　Louis　had　been　aware　of　it；　but　it　had　taken　him　a　full　month　to　pinpoint　it　exactly。　The　cat　never　purred　anymore；　and　it　used　to　have　one　of　the　loudest　motors　going；　particularly　when　Church　was　sleeping。　There　had　been　nights　when　Louis　had　had　to　get　up　and　close　Ellie's　door　so　he　co