sk.everythingseventual-第24部分

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。　The　smell　was　just　too　bad　otherwise。　Jack　was　rotting　from　the　inside　out；　but　he　wouldn't　die。　I've　heard　it　said　that　life　is　fragile　and　fleeting；　but　I　don't　believe　it。　It　would　be　better　if　it　was。
　　'That　Dr。　Moran　was　a　crybaby；'　Johnnie　said。　We　were　in　the　woods　by　then；　the　city　behind　us。　'I　decided　I　didn't　want　no　crybaby　like　him　working　on　my　partner。　But　I　wasn't　going　to　leave　without　something。'　Johnnie　always　travelled　with　a　。38　pistol　tucked　into　his　belt。　Now　he　pulled　it　out　and　showed　it　to　me；　the　way　he　must　have　shown　it　to　Dr。　Moran。　'I　says；　'If　I　can't　take　away　nothing　else；　Doc；　I'll　just　have　to　take　your　life。'　He　seen　I　meant　business；　and　he　called　someone　up　there。　Volney　Davis。'
　　I　nodded　as　if　that　name　meant　something　to　me。　I　found　out　later　that　Volney　was　another　member　of　Ma　Barker's　gang。　He　was　a　pretty　nice　fella。　So　was　Dock　Barker。　And　Volney's　girlfriend；　the　one　they　called　Rabbits。　They　called　her　Rabbits　because　she　dug　herself　out　of　prison　a　few　times。　She　was　the　best　of　the　lot。　Aces。　Rabbits；　at　least；　tried　to　help　poor　old　troublesome　Jack。　None　of　the　others　would…not　the　pill…rollers；　the　scrapers；　the　face　artists；　and　certainly　not　Dr。　Joseph　（Crybaby）　Moran。
　　The　Barkers　were　on　the　run　after　a　botched　kidnapping；　Dock's　Ma　had　already　left…gone　all　the　way　to　Florida。　The　hideout　in　Aurora　wasn't　much…four　rooms；　no　electricity；　a　privy　out　back…but　it　was　better　than　Murphy's　saloon。　And；　like　I　say；　Volney's　girlfriend　at　least　tried　to　do　something。　That　was　on　our　second　night　there。
　　She　set　up　kerosene　lamps　all　around　the　bed；　then　sterilized　a　paring　knife　in　a　pot　of　boiling　water。　'If　you　boys　feel　pukey；'　she　said；　'you　just　choke　it　back　until　I'm　done。'
　　'We'll　be　okay；'　Johnnie　said。　'Won't　we；　Homer？'
　　I　nodded；　but　I　was　queasy　even　before　she　got　going。　Jack　was　laying　on　his　stomach；　head　turned　to　the　side；　muttering。　It　seemed　he　never　stopped。　Whatever　room　he　happened　to　be　in　was　filled　with　people　only　he　could　see。
　　'I　hope　so；'　she　says；　'because　once　I　start　in；　there's　no　going　back。'　She　looked　up　and　seen　Dock　standing　in　the　doorway。　Volney　Davis；　too。　'Go　on；　baldy；'　she　says　to　Dock；　'and　take…um　heap　big　chief　with　you。'　Volney　Davis　was　no　more　a　Indian　than　I　was；　but　they　used　to　rib　him　because　he　was　born　in　the　Cherokee　Nation。　Some　judge　had　given　him　three　years　for　stealing　a　pair　of　shoes；　which　was　how　he　got　into　a　life　of　crime。
　　Volney　and　Dock　went　out。　When　they　were　gone；　Rabbits　turned　Jack　over　and　then　cut　him　open　in　a　X；　bearing　down　in　a　way　I　could　barely　stand　to　look　at。　I　held　Jack's　feet。　Johnnie　sat　beside　his　head；　trying　to　soothe　him；　but　it　didn't　do　no　good。　When　Jack　started　to　scream；　Johnnie　put　a　dishtowel　over　his　head　and　nodded　for　Rabbits　to　go　on；　all　the　time　stroking　Jack's　head　and　telling　him　not　to　worry；　everything　would　be　just　fine。
　　That　Rabbits。　They　call　them　frails；　but　there　was　nothing　frail　about　her。　Her　hands　never　even　shook。　Blood；　some　of　it　black　and　clotted；　e　pouring　out　of　the　sunken　place　when　she　cut　it。　She　cut　deeper　and　then　out　came　the　pus。　Some　was　white；　but　there　was　big　green　chunks　which　looked　like　boogers。　That　was　bad。　But　when　she　got　to　the　lung　the　smell　was　a　thousand　times　worse。　It　couldn't　have　been　worse　in　France　during　the　gas　attacks。
　　Jack　was　gasping　in　these　big　whistling　breaths。　You　could　hear　it　in　his　throat；　and　from　the　hole　in　his　back；　too。
　　'You　better　hurry　up；'　Johnnie　says。　'He's　sprung　a　leak　in　his　air　hose。'
　　'You're　telling　me；'　she　says。　'The　bullet's　in　his　lung。　You　just　hold　him　down；　handsome。'
　　In　fact；　Jack　wasn't　thrashing　much。　He　was　too　weak。　The　sound　of　the　air　shrieking　in　and　out　of　him　kept　getting　thinner　and　thinner。　It　was　hotter　than　hell　with　those　lamps　set　up　all　around　the　bed；　and　the　stink　of　the　hot　oil　was　almost　as　strong　as　the　gangrene。　I　wish　we'd　thought　to　open　a　window　before　we　got　started；　but　it　was　too　late　by　then。
　　Rabbits　had　a　set　of　tongs；　but　she　couldn't　get　them　in　the　hole。　'Fuck　this！'　she　cried；　and　tossed　them　to　one　side；　and　then　stuck　her　fingers　into　the　bloody　hole；　reached　around　until　she　found　the　slug　that　was　in　there；　pulled　it　out；　and　threw　it　to　the　floor。　Johnnie　started　to　bend　over　for　it　and　she　said；　'You　can　get　your　souvenir　later；　handsome。　For　now　just　hold　him。'
　　She　went　to　work　packing　gauze　into　the　mess　she'd　made。
　　Johnnie　lifted　up　the　dishtowel　and　peeked　underneath　it。　'Not　a　minute　too　soon；'　he　told　her　with　a　grin。　'Old　Red　Hamilton　has　turned　a　wee　bit　blue。'
　　Outside；　a　car　pulled　into　the　driveway。　It　could　have　been　the　cops；　for　all　we　knew；　but　there　wasn't　nothing　we　could　do　about　it　then。
　　'Pinch　this　shut；'　she　told　me；　and　pointed　at　the　hole　with　the　gauze　in　it。　'I　ain't　much　of　a　seamstress；　but　I　guess　I　can　put　in　half　a　dozen。'
　　I　didn't　want　to　get　my　hands　anywhere　near　that　hole；　but　I　wasn't　going　to　tell　her　no。　I　pinched　it　shut；　and　more　watery　pus　ran　out　when　I　did。　My　midsection　clenched　up　and　I　started　making　this　gurk…gurk　noise。　I　couldn't　help　it。
　　'e　on；'　she　says；　kind　of　smiling。　'If　you're　man　enough　to　pull　the　trigger；　you're　man　enough　to　deal　with　a　hole。'　Then　she　sewed　him　up　with　these　big；　looping　overhand　strokes…really　punching　the　needle　in。　After　the　first　two；　I　couldn't　look。
　　'Thank　you；'　Johnnie　told　her　when　it　was　done。　'I　want　you　to　know　I'm　going　to　take　care　of　you　for　this。'
　　'Don't　go　getting　your　hopes　up；'　she　says。　'I　wouldn't　give　him　one　chance　in　twenty。'
　　'He'll　pull　through　now；'　Johnnie　says。
　　Then　Dock　and　Volney　rushed　back　in。　Behind　them　was　another　member　of　the　gang…Buster　Daggs　or　Draggs；　I　can't　remember　which。　Anyway；　he'd　been　down　to　the　phone　they　used　at　the　Cities　Service　station　in　town；　and　he　said　the　Gees　had　been　busy　back　in　Chicago；　arresting　anyone　and　everyone　they　thought　might　be　connected　to　the　Bremer　kidnapping；　which　had　been　the　Barker　Gang's　last　big　job。　One　of　the　fellas　they　took　was　John　J。　（Boss）　McLaughlin；　a　high　mucky…muck　in　the　Chicago　political　machine。　Another　was　Dr。　Joseph　Moran；　also　known　as　the　Crybaby。
　　'Moran'll　give　this　place　up；　just　as　sure　as　shit　sticks　to　a　blanket；'　Volney　says。
　　'Maybe　it's　not　even　true；'　Johnnie　says。　Jack　was　unconscious　now。　His　red　hair　lay　on　the　pillow　like　little　pieces　of　wire。　'Maybe　it's　just　a　rumor。'
　　'You　better　not　believe　that；'　Buster　says。　'I　got　it　from　Timmy　O'Shea。'
　　'Who's　Timmy　O'Shea？　The　Pope's　butt…wiper？'　Johnnie　says。
　　'He's　Moran's　nephew；'　Dock　says；　and　that　kind　of　sealed　the　deal。
　　'I　know　what　you're　thinking；　handsome；'　Rabbits　says　to　John…nie；　'and　you　can　stop　thinking　it　right　now。　You　put　this　fella　in　a　car　and　go　bumping　him　over　those　back　roads　between　here　and　St。　Paul；　he'll　be　dead　by　morning。'
　　'You　could　leave　him；'　Volney　says。　'The　cops　show　up；　they'll　have　to　take　care　of　him。'
　　Johnnie　sat　there；　sweat　running　down　his　face　in　streams。　He　looked　tired；　but　he　was　smiling。　Johnnie　was　always　able　to　find　a　smile。　'They'd　take　care　of　him；　all　right；'　he　says；　'but　they　wouldn't　take　him　to　any　hospital。　Stick　a　pillow　over　his　face　and　sit　down　on　it；　most　likely。'　Which　gave　me　a　start；　as　I'm　sure　you'll　understand。
　　'Well；　you　better　decide；'　Buster　says；　'because　they'll　have　this　joint　surrounded　by　dawn。　I'm　getting　the　hell　out。'
　　'You　all　go；'　Johnnie　says。　'You；　too；　Homer。　I'll　stay　here　with　Jack。'
　　'Well；　what　the　hell；'　Dock　says。　'I'll　stay；　too。'
　　'Why　not？'　Volney　Davis　says。
　　Buster　Daggs　or　Draggs　looked　at　them　like　they　was　crazy；　but　you　know　what？　I　wasn't　surprised　a　bit。　That's　just　the　effect　Johnnie　had　on　people。
　　'I'll　stay；　too；'　I　says。
　　'Well；　I'm　getting　out；'　Buster　says。
　　'Fine；'　Dock　says。　'Take　Rabbits　with　you。'
　　'The　hell　you　say；'　Rabbits　pipes　up。　'I　feel　like　cooking。'
　　'Have　you　gone　cuckoo？'　Dock　asks　her。　'It's　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　you're　in　blood　right　up　to　the　elbows。'
　　'I　don't　care　what　time　it　is；　and　blood　washes　of