Page 77 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

She shook her head. Taking a napkin, she cleaned off her face. Leaning against the counter, she fiddled with the carving on her necklace. She wondered if her parents would have had any good dating advice for her.

The door to the back swung and slammed. Donna stood in the dining room, spectacles hanging around her neck. Her eyes were red, and she was wringing her hands.

“Claire,” she said. “You have a phone call. I suggest you take it in my office.”

Her mind jumped to Rachel and she ran into the back. Picking up the receiver, her hand trembled. Was she hurt? Had she run off?

“Hello?” she said.

“Claire? It’s Greg. I’m sorry, Claire, but there’s been a fire.”

* * *

Racing down the hospital halls, Eugene and Jeff thundering behind her. They wouldn’t let her drive herself, and Eugene’s niece had been there when it happened. Clarissa didn’t protest their coming along; that would have only delayed her.

Five-eleven. Room five-eleven. Repeating the number in her head kept her from losing her mind. Turning a corner, she saw a police officer outside a room. That had to be it!

Stopping in the doorway of room five-eleven, she screamed. Greg encased her in his grip.

“Get her out of here!” a nurse yelled.

“Uncle Eugene!” Elizabeth ran to him.

Greg pulled Clarissa into the hallway, the others following.

“It’s smoke damage,” Greg said. “She wasn’t burned, but she inhaled a lot of smoke and lost consciousness.”

“They’re intubating her,” Elizabeth said.

“What happened?” Clarissa demanded.

“She’d gotten agitated,” Elizabeth said. “She started yelling and saying bears were coming for her. She barricaded herself in her bedroom. I was on the phone with Sheriff Greg when I smelled smoke.

“The door to her room was hot. Then flames started from the other end of the house. I did everything I could to get her out myself, but the fire department had to axe down her door.”

Elizabeth broke down in tears. Eugene hugged her, then steered her over to a bench. All the while, he and Jeff reassured her she did everything she could.

“The fire department is still trying to determine what caused it,” Greg said. “Right now, well, it looks like it wasn’t an accident. Also, Clarissa, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing left.”

The room spun as her world crashed down around her and her knees buckled.

* * *

Bracing her head, Clarissa stared at her feet, her white work sneakers were worn and frayed, a small spattering of grease and old coffee covering the bottoms. She was on a bench with Eugene and Jeff. Greg and Elizabeth were deep in conversation with the doctor. She went over to join them.

“Are you feeling better?” Elizabeth smiled at her. “I was just giving the doctor your aunt’s medical history. Specifically, her dementia.”

“It was diagnosed about ten years ago, but she’s always had … issues. Why?” Clarissa asked.

“We did a scan to check for more injuries. Since she was unconscious, we wanted to rule out a closed head injury, so we did a CT. Her scans show no signs of dementia.” The doctor held up a thick black plastic sheet. Clarissa didn’t know anything about brain scans, but it looked like a brain to her. “If her condition is as advanced as you say, she should have shrinkage basically everywhere, but especially here, and here.”

“This doesn’t make sense,” Clarissa said. “Her doctors said she had all the symptoms.”

“At the beginning of her diagnosis it could have been possible, not likely, but possible, she didn’t have visible brain damage. But at this stage, it would be obvious,” the doctor said. “When she wakes up, we can run more tests.”

“Please,” Clarissa said. “Please, I need to know what’s wrong with her. If there’s any possibility I can get her back … But is she okay? I mean from the fire.”

“She’s still unconscious and isn’t breathing well on her own. We’ll be observing her and keeping her here for now. I’m sorry, that’s all I can say until we know more about her condition.” The doctor left.