Trondheim by Cormac James
Author:Cormac James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bellevue Literary Press
PIERREâS ROOM WAS STILL EMPTY when Lil got back to the ICU. The nurseâs station, too, was unmanned. She stood in the corridor listening for some sign of life in the ward. Next door, Elsaâs father was lying in exactly the same position as always. In the waiting room, amid the wreckage of Kristenâs party, she found Elsa sitting alone. Beside her, a stainless steel cart bore the remains of a huge, penis-shaped pink cake. Half-eaten slabs of it lay in stainless steel kidney trays on the table and chairs. The windowsill was lined with champagne bottles and paper cups, the floor scattered with balled-up wrapping paper. Lil brushed the confetti from a chair and sat down.
âI saw them taking Pierre away,â Elsa said.
âFor tests,â Lil said.
âI thought they did that yesterday.â
âThat was an MRI, to check for bleeding. This is an electroencephalogram.â
Elsa nodded. The long word stirred an old, redundant hope.
âItâs hard to keep track,â Lil said, âbut right now brain activity seems to be their big concern.â The technical terms were a language she did not really want to learn. She could only pretend interest in the minutiae. As far as she was concerned, this whole thing was a test with only two possible grades, fail or pass. âHow is it?â She nodded at the kidney tray on Elsaâs lap, and at that cue Elsaâs phone began to ring. Elsa checked the screen, then handed it to Lil, because the caller was Alba. Lil set it face down amid the debris, then drew the cart closer, took one of the scalpels, and cut herself a big slice. The phone rang on.
âI saw forks somewhere,â Elsa said, vaguely scanning the mess. âYouâre not going to answer it?â
On the coffee table, Lil noticed, there was also a half-empty bottle of Japanese whiskey, a pack of tarot cards, a book of temporary Maori face tattoos. No Pain! No Regrets! the cover said.
âI donât need any more Alba in my life right now,â Lil said when the ringing stopped. âI donât need any more blame, any more explanations, any more plans. All she ever does is tell me what Iâm doing wrong. Itâs my accent. Itâs the way I sleep. Itâs the paint I put on the walls. Iâm sure even all thisââshe stirred the airââis my fault, too, somehow, in her mind.â
âSheâs terrified,â Elsa said generously, âand youâre the person closest to her, so of course you bear the brunt.â She picked up a champagne bottle, lifted it to the light, and shared its last dribble between two paper cups. âThis isnât the first ICU my father has been in. So I know what Iâm talking about,â she said, draining another empty on top of the first. âYou need to remember that one day, one way or another, this thing is going to be over, and youâre going to come out the other side.â
âSheâs waiting for nothing to happen,â Lil explained. âThatâs her plan. If from now on he just stays the way he is, thatâs good enough for her.
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