dk.watchers-第79部分

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　The　next　day；　Friday；　December　3；　Jim　Keene's　assistant　was　still　too　sick　to　e　to　work；　so　Nora　and　Travis　helped　out　again。
　By　lunchtime；　Einstein's　fever　had　not　fallen。　His　eyes　and　nose　continued　to　ooze　a　clear　though　yellowish　fluid。　His　breathing　was　slightly　less　labored；　but　in　her　despair　Nora　wondered　if　the　dog's　respiration　only　sounded　easier　because　he　was　not　making　as　great　an　effort　to　breathe　and　was；　in　fact；　beginning　to　give　up。
　She　could　not　eat　even　a　bite　of　lunch。　She　washed　and　ironed　both　Travis's
　clothes　and　her　own；　while　they　sat　around　in　two　of　Jim　Keene's　spare　bathrobes；　which　were　too　big　for　them。
　That　afternoon；　the　office　was　busy　again。　Nora　and　Travis　were　kept　in　constant　motion；　and　Nora　was　glad　to　be　overworked。
　At　four…forty；　a　time　that　she　would　never　forget　for　as　long　as　she　lived；　just　after　they　finished　helping　Jim　deal　with　a　difficult　Irish　setter；　Einstein　yipped　twice　from　his　bed　in　the　corner。　Nora　and　Travis　turned；　both　gasping；　both　expecting　the　worst；　for　this　was　the　first　sound　other　than　whimpers　that　Einstein　had　made　since　his　arrival　at　the　surgery。　But　the　retriever　had　lifted　his　head…the　first　time　he'd　had　the　strength　to　lift　it…　and　was　blinking　at　them；　he　looked　around　curiously；　as　if　to　ask　where　on　earth　he　was。
　Jim　knelt　beside　the　dog　and；　while　Travis　and　Nora　crouched　expectantly　behind　him；　he　thoroughly　examined　Einstein。　〃Look　at　his　eyes。　They're　slightly　milky　but　not　at　all　like　they　were；　and　they've　stopped　actively　leaking。〃　With　a　damp　cloth；　he　cleaned　the　crusted　fur　beneath　Einstein's　eyes　and　wiped　off　his　nose；　the　nostrils　no　longer　bubbled　with　fresh　excretions。　With　a　rectal　thermometer　he　took　Einstein's　temperature　and；　reading　it；　said；　〃Falling。　Down　two　full　degrees。〃
　〃Thank　God；〃　Travis　said。
　And　Nora　discovered　that　her　eyes　were　filling　with　tears　again。
　Jim　said；　〃He's　not　out　of　the　woods　yet。　His　heartbeat　is　more　regular；　less　accelerated；　though　still　not　good。　Nora；　get　one　of　those　dishes　over　there　and　fill　it　with　some　water。〃
　Nora　returned　from　the　sink　a　moment　later　and　put　the　dish　down　on　the　floor；　at　the　vet's　side。
　Jim　pushed　it　close　to　Einstein。　〃What　do　you　think；　fella？〃
　Einstein　raised　his　head　off　the　mattress　again　and　stared　at　the　dish。　His　lolling　tongue　looked　dry　and　was　coated　with　a　gummy　substance。　He　whined　and　licked　his　chops。
　〃Maybe；〃　Travis　said；　〃if　we　help　him…〃
　〃No；〃　Jim　Keene　said。　〃Let　him　consider　it。　He'll　know　if　he　feels　up　to　it。　We　don't　want　to　force　water　that's　going　to　make　him　vomit　again。　He'll　know　by　instinct　if　the　time　is　right。〃
　With　some　groaning　and　wheezing；　Einstein　shifted　on　the　foam　mattress；　rolling　off　his　side；　half　onto　his　belly。　He　put　his　nose　to　the　dish；　sniffed　the　water；　put　his　tongue　to　it　tentatively；　liked　the　first　taste；　had　another；　and　drank　a　third　of　it　before　sighing　and　lying　down　again。
　Stroking　the　retriever；　Jim　Keene　said；　〃I'd　be　very　surprised　if　he　doesn't　recover；　fully　recover；　in　time。〃
　　
　　
　In　time。
　That　phrase　bothered　Travis。
　How　much　time　would　Einstein　require　for　a　full　recovery？　When　The
　Outsider　finally　arrived；　they　would　all　be　better　off　if　Einstein　was　healthy　and　if　all　of　his　senses　were　functioning　sharply。　The　infrared　alarms　notwithstanding；　Einstein　was　their　primary　early…warning　system。
　After　the　last　patient　left　at　five…thirty；　Jim　Keene　slipped　out　for　half　an　hour　on　a　mysterious　errand；　and　when　he　returned　he　had　a　bottle　of　champagne。　〃I'm　not　much　of　a　drinking　man；　but　certain　occasions　demand　a　nip　or　two。〃
　Nora　had　pledged　to　drink　nothing　during　her　pregnancy；　but　even　the　most　solemn　pledge　could　be　stretched　under　these　circumstances。
　They　got　glasses　and　drank　in　the　surgery；　toasting　Einstein；　who　watched　them　for　a　few　minutes　but；　exhausted；　soon　fell　asleep。
　〃But　a　natural　sleep；〃　Jim　noted。　〃Not　induced　with　sedatives。〃
　Travis　said；　〃How　long　will　he　need　to　recover？〃
　〃To　shake　off　distemper…a　few　more　days；　a　week。　I'd　like　to　keep　him　here　two　more　days；　anyway。　You　could　go　home　now；　if　you　want；　but　you're　also　wele　to　stay。　You've　been　quite　a　help。〃
　〃We'll　stay；〃　Nora　said　at　once。
　〃But　after　the　distemper　is　beaten；〃　Travis　said；　〃he's　going　to　be　weak；　isn't　he？〃
　〃At　first；　very　weak；〃　Jim　said。　〃But　gradually　he'll　get　most　if　not　all　of　his　old　strength　back。　I'm　sure　now　that　he　never　went　into　second…stage　distemper；　in　spite　of　the　convulsions。　So　perhaps　by　the　first　of　the　year　he'll　be　his　old　self；　and　there　should　be　no　lasting　infirmities；　no　palsied　shaking　or　anything　like　that。〃
　The　first　of　the　year。
　Travis　hoped　that　would　be　soon　enough。
　　
　　
　Again；　Nora　and　Travis　split　the　night　into　two　shifts。　Travis　took　the　first　watch；　and　she　relieved　him　in　the　surgery　at　three　o'clock　in　the　morning。
　Fog　had　seethed　into　Carmel。　It　roiled　at　the　windows；　softly　insistent。
　Einstein　was　sleeping　when　Nora　arrived；　and　she　said；　〃Has　he　been　awake　much？〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Travis　said。　〃Now　and　then。〃
　〃Have　you　。　。　。　talked　to　him？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃Well？〃
　Travis's　face　was　lined；　haggard；　and　his　expression　was　grave。　〃I've　asked　him　questions　that　can　be　answered　with　a　yes　or　no。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃He　doesn't　answer　them。　He　just　blinks　at　me；　or　yawns；　or　he　goes　back　to　sleep。〃
　〃He's　very　tired　yet；〃　she　said；　desperately　hoping　that　was　the　explanation　for　the　retriever's　unmunicative　behavior。　〃He　doesn't　have　the　strength　even　for　questions　and　answers。〃
　Pale　and　obviously　depressed；　Travis　said；　〃Maybe。　I　don't　know　。　。　。　but　I　think　。　。　。　he　seems　。　。　。　confused。〃
　〃He　hasn't　shaken　the　disease　yet；〃　she　said。　〃He's　still　in　the　grip　of　it；　beating　the　damn　stuff；　but　still　in　its　grip。　He's　bound　to　be　a　little　muddleheaded　for　a　while　yet。〃
　〃Confused；〃　Travis　repeated。
　〃It'll　pass。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　he　said。　〃Yeah；　it'll　pass。〃
　But　he　sounded　as　if　he　believed　that　Einstein　would　never　be　the　same　again。
　Nora　knew　what　Travis　must　be　thinking：　it　was　the　Cornell　Curse　again；　which　he　professed　not　to　believe　in　but　which　he　still　feared　in　his　heart　of　hearts。　Everyone　he　loved　was　doomed　to　suffer　and　die　young。　Everyone　he　cared　about　was　torn　from　him。
　That　was　all　nonsense；　of　course；　and　Nora　did　not　believe　in　it　for　a　moment。　But　she　knew　how　hard　it　was　to　shake　off　the　past；　to　face　only　toward　the　future；　and　she　sympathized　with　his　inability　to　be　optimistic　just　now。　She　also　knew　there　was　nothing　she　could　do　for　him　to　haul　him　out　of　that　pit　of　private　anguish…nothing　except　kiss　him；　hold　him　for　a　moment；　then　send　him　off　to　bed　to　get　some　sleep。
　When　Travis　was　gone；　Nora　sat　on　the　floor　beside　Einstein　and　said；　〃There're　some　things　I　have　to　tell　you；　fur　face。　I　guess　you're　asleep　and　can't　hear　me；　and　maybe　even　if　you　were　awake　you　wouldn't　understand　what　I'm　saying。　Maybe　you'll　never　again　understand；　which　is　why　I　want　to　say　these　things　now；　while　there's　at　least　still　hope　that　your　mind's　intact。〃
　She　paused　and　took　a　deep　breath　and　looked　around　at　the　still　surgery；　where　the　dim　lights　gleamed　in　the　stainless…steel　fixtures　and　in　the　glass　of　the　enameled　cabinets。　It　was　a　lonely　place　at　three…thirty　in　the　morning。
　Einstein's　breath　came　and　went　with　a　soft　hiss；　an　occasional　rattle。　He　didn't　stir。　Not　even　his　tail　moved。
　〃I　thought　of　you　as　my　guardian；　Einstein。　That's　what　I　called　you　once；　when　you　saved　me　from　Arthur　Streck。　My　guardian。　You　not　only　rescued　me　from　that　awful　man…you　also　saved　me　from　loneliness　and　terrible　despair。　And　you　saved　Travis　from　the　darkness　within　him；　brought　us　together；　and　in　a　hundred　other　ways　you　were　as　perfect　as　any　guardian　angel　might　hope　to　be。　In　that　good；　pure　heart　of　yours；　you　never　asked　for　or　wanted　anything　in　return　for　all　you　did。　Some　Milk…Bones　once　in　a　while；　a　bit　of　chocolate　now　and　then。　But　you'd　have　done　it　all　even　if　you'd　been　fed　nothing　but　Dog　Chow。　You　did　it　because　you　love；　and　being　loved　in　return　was　reward　enough。　And　by　just　being　what　you　are；　fur　face；　you　taught　me　a　great　lesson；　a　lesson　I　can't　easily　put　into　words　。　。
　For　a　while；　silent　and　unable　to　speak；　she　sat　in　the　shadows　beside　her　friend；　her　child；　her　teacher；　her　guardian。
　〃But　damn　it；〃　she　said　at　last；　〃I've　got　to　find　words　because　maybe　this
　is　the　last　time　I　can　even　pretend　you're　able　to　understand　them。　It's　like　this　。　。　。　you　taught　me　that　I'm　your　guardian；　too；　that　I'm　Travis's　guardian；　and　that　he　is　my　guardian　and　yours。　We　have　a　responsibility　to　stand　watch　over　one　another；　we　are　watchers；　all　of　us；　watchers；　guarding　against　the　darkness。　You've　taught　me　that　we're　all　needed；　even　those　who　sometimes　think　we're　worthless；　plain；　and　dull。　If　we　love　and　allow　ourselves　to　be　loved　。　。　。　well；　a　person　who　loves　is　the　most　precious　thing　in　the　world；　worth　all　the　fortunes　that　ever　were。　That's　what　you've　taught　me；　fur　face；　and　because　of　you　I'll　never　be　the　same。〃
　The　rest　of　the　long　night；　Einstein　lay　motionless；　lost　in　a　deep　sleep。
　　
　　
　Saturday；　Jim　Keene　kept　hours　only　in　the　morning。　At　noon　he　locked　the　office　entrance　at　the　side　of　his　big；　cozy　house。
　During　the　morning；　Einstein　had　exhibited　encouraging　signs　of　recovery。　He　drank　more　water　and　spent　some　time　on　his　belly　instead　of　lying　limply　on　his　side。　Head　raised；　he　looked　around　with　interest　at　the　activity　in　the　vet's　surgery。　He　even　slurped　up　a　raw…egg…and…gravy　mixture　that　Jim　put　in　front　of　him；　downing　half　the　contents　of　the　dish；　and　he　did　not　regurgitate　what　he　had　eaten。　He　was　now　entirely　off　intravenous　fluids。
　But　he　still　dozed　a　lot。　And　his　responses　to　Travis　and　Nora　were　only　those　of　an　ordinary　dog。
　After　lunch；　as　they　were　sitting　with　Jim　at　the　kitchen　table；　having　a　final　cup　of　coffee；　the　vet　sighed　and　said；　〃Well；　I　don't　see　how　this　can　be　put　off　any　longer。〃　From　an　inner　pocket　of　his　old；　well…worn　corduroy　jacket；　he　withdrew　a　folded　sheet　of　paper　and　put　it　on　the　table　in　front　of　Travis。
　For　a　moment；　Nora　t