sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第45部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


eing　nor　hearing　the　stir　of　activity　around　her。　Her　mind　was　focused　on　only　one　thing：　Toby　had　to　get　well。　Toby　was　her　sun；　and　if　the　sun　went　out；　the　shadow　would　die。　She　could　not　allow　that　to　happen。　It　was　five　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　Doctor　Duclos；　the　chief　of　staff；　entered　the　private　room　Jill　had　taken　so　she　could　be　near　Toby。　
　〃Mrs。　Temple　…　I　am　afraid　there　is　no　point　in　trying　to　soften　the　blow。　Your　husband　has　suffered　a　massive　stroke。　In　all　probability；　he　will　never　be　able　to　walk　or　speak　again。〃
　When　they　finally　allowed　Jill　into　Toby's　hospital　room　in　Paris；　she　was　shocked　by　his　appearance。　Overnight；　Toby　had　bee　old　and　desiccated；　as　if　all　his　vital　fluids　had　drained　out　of　him。　He　had　lost　partial　use　of　both　arms；　and　legs；　and　though　he　was　able　to　make　grunting　animal　noises；　he　could　not　speak。　
　It　was　six　weeks　before　the　doctors　would　permit　Toby　to　be　moved。　When　Toby　and　Jill　arrived　back　in　California；　they　were　mobbed　at　the　airport　by　the　press　and　television　media　and　hundreds　of　well…wishers。　Toby　Temple's　illness　had　caused　a　major　sensation。　There　were　constant　phone　calls　from　friends　inquiring　about　Toby's　health　and　progress。　Television　crews　tried　to　get　into　the　house　to　take　pictures　of　him。　There　were　messages　from　the　President　and　senators；　and　thousands　of　letters　and　postcards　from　fans　who　loved　Toby　Temple　and　were　praying　for　him。　But　the　invitations　had　stopped。　No　one　was　calling　to　find　out　how　Jill　felt；　or　whether　she　would　like　to　attend　a　quiet　dinner　or　take　a　drive　or　see　a　movie。　Nobody　in　Hollywood　cared　a　damn　about　Jill。　
　She　had　brought　in　Toby's　personal　physician；　Dr。　Eli　Kaplan；　and　he　had　summoned　two　top　neurologists；　one　from　UCLA　Medical　Centre　and　the　other　from　Johns　Hopkins。　Their　diagnosis　was　exactly　the　same　as　that　of　Dr。　Duclos；　in　Paris。　
　〃It's　important　to　understand；〃　Dr。　Kaplan　told　Jill；　〃that　Toby's　mind　is　not　impaired　in　any　way。　He　can　hear　and　understand　everything　you　say；　but　his　speech　and　motor　functions　are　affected。　He　can't　respond。〃　
　〃Is　　is　he　always　going　to　be　like　this？〃　
　Dr。　Kaplan　hesitated。　〃It's　impossible　to　be　absolutely　certain；　of　course；　but　in　our　opinion；　his　nervous　system　has　been　too　badly　damaged　for　therapy　to　have　any　appreciable　effect。〃　
　〃But　you　don't　know　for　sure。〃　
　〃No。。。〃　
　But　Jill　knew。　
　
　In　addition　to　the　three　nurses　who　tended　Toby　round　the　clock；　Jill　arranged　for　a　physiotherapist　to　e　to　the　house　every　morning　to　work　with　Toby。　The　therapist　carried　Toby　into　the　pool　and　held　him　in　his　arms；　gently　stretching　the　muscles　and　tendons；　while　Toby　feebly　tried　to　kick　his　legs　and　move　his　arms　about　in　the　warm　water。　There　was　no　progress。　On　the　fourth　week；　a　speech　therapist　was　brought　in。　She　spent　one　hour　every　afternoon　trying　to　help　Toby　learn　to　speak　again；　to　form　the　sounds　of　words。　After　two　months；　Jill　could　see　no　change。　None　at　all。　She　sent　for　Dr。　Kaplan。　
　〃You've　got　to　do　something　to　help　him；〃　she　demanded。　〃You　can't　leave　him　like　this。〃　
　He　looked　at　her　helplessly。　〃I'm　sorry；　Jill。　I　tried　to　tell　you。。。。〃　
　Jill　sat　in　the　library；　alone；　long　after　Dr。　Kaplan　had　gone。　She　could　feel　one　of　the　bad　headaches　beginning；　but　there　was　no　time　to　think　of　herself　now。　She　went　upstairs。　Toby　was　propped　up　in　bed；　staring　at　nothingness。　As　Jill　walked　up　to　him；　Toby's　deep　blue　eyes　lit　up。　They　followed　Jill；　bright　and　alive；　as　she　approached　his　bed　and　looked　down　at　him。　His　lips　moved　and　some　unintelligible　sound　came　out。　Tears　of　frustration　began　to　fill　his　eyes。　Jill　remembered　Dr。　Kaplan's　words。　It's　important　to　understand。　
　〃You　are　going　to　walk　and　you're　going　to　talk。〃　
　The　tears　were　running　down　the　sides　of　his　cheeks　now。　
　〃You're　going　to　do　it；〃　Jill　said。　〃You're　going　to　do　it　for　me。〃　
　The　following　morning；　Jill　fired　the　nurses；　the　physiotherapist　and　the　speech　therapist。　As　soon　as　he　heard　the　news。　Dr。　Eli　Kaplan　hurried　over　to　see　Jill。　
　〃I　agree　with　you　about　the　physiotherapist；　Jillbut　the　nurses　Toby　has　to　have　someone　with　him　twenty…four　hours　a　〃　
　〃I'll　be　with　him。〃　
　He　shook　his　head。　〃You　have　no　idea　what　you're　letting　yourself　in　for。　One　person　can't　〃　
　〃I'll　call　you　if　I　need　you。〃　She　sent　him　away。　
　
　The　ordeal　began。　Jill　was　going　to　attempt　to　do　what　the　doctors　had　assured　her　could　not　be　done。　The　first　time　she　picked　Toby　up　and　put　him　into　his　wheelchair；　it　frightened　her　to　feel　how　weightless　he　was。　She　took　him　downstairs　in　the　elevator　that　had　been　installed　and　began　to　work　with　him　in　the　swimming　pool；　as　she　had　seen　the　physiotherapist　do。　But　what　happened　now　was　different。　Where　the　therapist　had　been　gentle　and　coaxing；　Jill　was　stern　and　unrelenting。　When　Toby　tried　to　speak；　signifying　that　he　was　tired　and　could　not　bear　any　more；　Jill　said；　
　〃You're　not　through。　One　more　time。　For　me；　Toby。〃　
　And　she　would　force　him　to　do　it　one　more　time。　And　yet　again；　until　he　sat　mutely　crying　with　exhaustion。　In　the　afternoon；　Jill　set　to　work　to　teach　Toby　to　speak　again。　
　〃Ooh。。。　ooooooooh。〃　〃Ahaaahh。。。　aaaaaaaaaagh　。。。〃　
　〃No！　Oooooooooh。　Round　your　lips；　Toby。　Make　them　obey　you。　Ooooooooh。〃　
　〃Aaaaaaaaaagh。。。〃　
　〃No；　goddamn　you！　You're　going　to　speak！　Now；　say　it　Oooooooooooh！〃　
　And　he　would　try　again。　Jill　would　feed　him　each　night；　and　then　lie　in　his　bed；　holding　him　in　her　aims。　She　drew　his　useless　hands　slowly　up　and　down　her　body；　across　her　breasts　and　down　the　soft　cleft　between　her　legs。　
　〃Feel　that；　Toby；〃　she　whispered。　〃That's　all　yours；　darling。　It　belongs　to　you。　I　want　you。　I　want　you　to　get　well　so　we　can　make　love　again。　I　want　you　to　fuck　me；　Toby。〃　
　He　looked　at　her　with　those　alive；　bright　eyes　and　made　incoherent；　whimpering　sounds。　
　〃Soon；　Toby；　soon。〃　
　Jill　was　tireless。　She　discharged　the　servants　because　she　did　not　want　anyone　around。　After　that；　she　did　all　the　cooking　herself。　She　ordered　her　groceries　by　phone　and　never　left　the　house。　In　the　beginning；　Jill　had　been　kept　busy　answering　the　telephones；　but　the　calls　had　soon　dwindled　to　a　trickle；　then　ceased。　Newscasters　had　stopped　giving　bulletins　on　Toby　Temple's　condition。　The　world　knew　that　he　was　dying。　It　was　just　a　question　of　time。　But　Jill　was　not　going　to　let　Toby　die。　If　he　died；　she　would　die　with　him。　
　The　days　blended　into　one　long；　endless　round　of　drudgery。　Jill　was　up　at　six　o'clock　in　the　morning。　First；　she　would　clean　Toby。　He　was　totally　incontinent。　Even　though　he　wore　a　catheter　and　a　diaper；　he　would　befoul　himself　during　the　night　and　the　bedclothes　would　sometimes　have　to　be　changed；　as　well　as　Toby's　pajamas。　The　stench　in　the　bedroom　was　almost　unbearable。　Jill　filled　a　basin　with　warm　water；　took　a　sponge　and　soft　cloth　and　cleaned　the　feces　and　urine　from　Toby's　body。　When　he　was　clean；　she　dried　him　off　and　powdered　him；　then　shaved　him　and　bed　his　hair。　
　〃There。　You　look　beautiful；　Toby。　Your　fans　should　see　you　now。　But　they'll　see　you　soon。　They'll　fight　to　get　in　to　see　you。　The　President　will　be　there　　everybody　will　be　there　to　see　Toby　Temple。〃　
　Then　Jill　prepared　Toby's　breakfast。　She　made　oatmeal　or　cream　of　wheat　or　scrambled　eggs；　food　she　could　spoon　into　his　mouth。　She　fed　him　as　though　he　were　a　baby；　talking　to　him　all　the　time；　promising　that　he　was　going　to　get　well。　
　〃You're　Toby　Temple；〃　she　intoned。　〃Everybody　loves　you；　everybody　wants　you　back。　Your　fans　out　there　are　waiting　for　you；　Toby。　You've　got　to　get　well　for　them。〃　
　And　another　long；　punishing　day　would　begin。　
　She　wheeled　his　useless；　crippled　body　down　to　the　pool　for　his　exercises。　After　that；　she　massaged　him　and　worked　on　his　speech　therapy。　Then　it　was　time　for　her　to　prepare　his　lunch；　and　after　lunch　it　would　begin　all　over　again。　Through　it　all；　Jill　kept　telling　Toby　how　wonderful　he　was；　how　much　he　was　loved。　He　was　Toby　Temple；　and　the　world　was　waiting　for　him　to　e　back　to　it。　At　night　she　would　take　out　one　of　his　scrapbooks　and　hold　it　up　so　he　could　see　it。　
　〃There　we　are　with　the　Queen。　Do　you　remember；　how　they　all　che