第45部分(第2/7 頁)

Sam　was　right　behind　Billy；　pushing　his　chair　through　the　door。　His　normal

posure　was　absent　from

his　agonized　face。

〃I'm　so　sorry；〃　I　whispered。

Billy　nodded。　〃It's　gonna　be　hard　all　around。〃

〃Where's　Charlie？〃

〃Your　dad　is　still　at　the　hospital　with　Sue。　There　are　a　lot　of　arrangements

to　be　made。〃

I　swallowed　hard。

〃I'd　better　get　back　there；〃　Sam　mumbled；　and　he　ducked　hastily　out　the　door。

Billy　pulled　his　hand　away　from　Jacob；　and　then　he　rolled　himself　through　the

kitchen　toward　his　room。

Jake　stared　after　him　for　a　minute；　then　came　to　sit　on　the　floor　beside　me

again。　He　put　his　face　in　his

hands。　I　rubbed　his　shoulder；　wishing　I　could　think　of　anything　to　say。

After　a　long　moment；　Jacob　caught　my　hand　and　held　it　to　his　face。

〃How　are　you　feeling？　Are　you　okay？　I　probably　should　have　taken　you　to　a

doctor　or　something。〃　He

sighed。

〃Don't　worry　about　me；〃　I　croaked。

He　twisted　his　head　to　look　at　me。　His　eyes　were　rimmed　in　red。　〃You　don't

look　so　good。〃

〃I　don't　feel　so　good；　either；　I　guess。〃

〃I'll　go　get　your　truck　and　then　take　you　home—you　probably　ought　to　be　there

when　Charlie　gets　back。〃

〃Right。〃

I　lay　listlessly　on　the　sofa　while　I　waited　for　him。　Billy　was　silent　in　the

other　room。　I　felt　like　a　peeping

torn；　peering　through　the　cracks　at　a　private　sorrow　that　wasn't　mine。

It　didn't　take　Jake　long。　The　roar　of　my　truck's　engine　broke　the　silence

before　I　expected　it。　He　helped

me　up　from　the　couch　without　speaking；　keeping　his　arm　around　my　shoulder　when

the　cold　air　outside

made　me　shiver。　He　took　the　driver's　seat　without