tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, and we’ll start talking about things. It may take some time. He’ll have nightmares of the shooting, and flashbacks. He’ll deny it happened, then he’ll blame himself for it. He’ll feel isolated, betrayed, bewildered, maybe even depressed. You just never know.”
“How will you treat him?” Dianne asked.
“We have to make him feel safe. You must stay here at all times. Now, you said the father is of no use.”
“Keep him away from Ricky,” Mark said sternly. Dianne nodded.
“Fine. And there are no grandparents or relatives nearby.”
“No.”
“Very well. It’s imperative that both of you stay in this room as much as possible for the next several days. Ricky must feel safe and secure. He’ll need emotional
and physical support from you. He and I will talk several times a day. It will be important for Mark and Ricky to talk about the shooting. They need to share and compare their reactions.”
“When do you think we might go home?” Di-anne asked.
“I don’t know, but as soon as possible. He needs the safety and familiarity of his bedroom and surroundings. Maybe a week. Maybe two. Depends on how quickly he responds.”
Dianne pulled her feet under her. “I, uh, I have a job. I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll have my office contact your employer first ‘thing in the morning.”
“My employer runs a sweatshop. It is not a nice, clean corporation with benefits and sympathy. They will not send flowers. I’m afraid they won’t understand.”
“I’ll do the best I can.”
“What about school?” Mark asked.
“Your mother has given me the name of the principal. I’ll call first thing in the morning and talk to your teachers.”
Dianne was rubbing her temples again. A nurse, not the pretty one, knocked while entering. She handed Dianne two pills and a cup of water.
“It’s Dalmane,” Greenway said. “It should help you rest. If not, call the nurses’ station and they’ll bring something stronger.”
The nurse left and Greenway stood and felt Ricky’s forehead. “See you guys in the morning. Get some sleep.” He smiled for the first time, then closed the door behind him.
They were alone, the tiny Sway family, or what
was left of it. Mark moved closer to his mother and leaned on her shoulder. They looked at the small head on the large pillow less than five feet away.
She patted his arm. “It’ll be all right, Mark. We’ve been through worse.” She held him tight and he closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mom.” His eyes watered, and he was ready for a cry. “I’m so sorry about all this.” She squeezed him, and held him tight. He sobbed quietly with his face buried in her shirt.
She gently lay down with Mark still in her arms, and they curled together on the cheap foam mattress. Ricky’s bed was two feet higher. The window was above them. The lights were low. Mark stopped the crying. It was something he was lousy at anyway.
The Dalmane was working, and she was exhausted. Nine hours of packing plastic lamps into cardboard boxes, five hours of a full-blown crisis, and now the Dalmane. She was ready for a deep sleep.
“Will you get fired, Mom?” Mark asked. He worried about the family finances as much as she did.
“I don’t think so. We’ll worry about it tomorrow.”
“We need to talk, Mom.”
“I know we do. But let’s do it in the morning.”
“Why can’t we talk now?”
She relaxed her grip and breathed deeply, eyes already closed. “I’m very tired and sleepy, Mark. I promise we’ll have a long talk first thing in the morning. You have some questions to answer, don’t you? Now go brush your teeth and let’s try and sleep.”
Mark was suddenly tired too. The hard line of a metal brace protruded through the cheap mattress, and he crept closer to the wall and pulled the lone sheet
over him. His mother rubbed his arm. He stared at the wall, six inches away, and decided he could not sleep like this for a week.
Her breathing was much heavier and she was completely still. He thought of Romey. Where was he now? Where was the chubby little body with the bald head? He remembered the sweat and how it poured from his shiny scalp and ran down in all directions, some dripping from his eyebrows and some soaking his collar. Even his ears were wet. Who would get his car? Who would clean it up and wash the blood off? Who would get the gun? Mark realixed for the first time that