hall, to where Loren stood in Sonia’s office, looking out the window. She started running toward her mom. She was halfway down the hall before Lyle realized she didn’t see the glass wall. He didn’t know how he knew it, he just suddenly knew—it was in the way she ran. Kate ran like you run when you want to run as fast as you can so that nothing can stop you, and that’s how Lyle ran after her.
At first Sonia didn’t realize what he was doing. She thought Lyle had freaked out and tried to grab him, but only managed to rip his shirt. Then she understood what was happening and tried to scream. She could see Loren at the other end of the hall trying to scream, too. But everything was quiet.
When Kate was a few feet from the wall, Lyle sensed that he wouldn’t catch up with her. He hadn’t tackled anyone in five years, but suddenly that’s what he was doing: He dove forward, sailing through the air, his large body surprisingly agile. He remembered it perfectly; he knew just what to do. He grabbed Kate from behind, curled his body around hers, and, shielding both their faces, somersaulted into the glass.
CHAPTER 15
G REGORY FLEW TO L OS Angeles and took a taxi to the hospital. He arrived to find Loren sleeping, watched over by David and Kate.
“Hi,” he said.
David stood up, and they shook hands.
“Hi, Kate,” said Gregory.
“Hi,” said Kate. “I was kidnapped. I didn’t see the glass wall but Lyle saved me, only the wall crashed on Mom. She’s going to have plastic surgery!”
“Wow,” said Gregory.
Kate was glad to see Gregory. She had a lot to talk about, and her dad had been a distracted audience. “Being kidnapped was fun,” she continued. “I went to Disneyland and learned how to swim under water, with a mask. When Mom gets better, we’re going back to Disneyland. Mickey Mouse isn’t really Mickey Mouse. He’s just an actor dressed up as Mickey.”
“Why don’t we go get some lunch, Kate?” David asked.
“We had lunch,” said Kate.
“We’ll have a snack,” said David. “Then I’ll take you to the hotel, and you can show me how you swim.”
“I need a mask,” said Kate.
“Okay. We’ll stop and get one.”
“How is she?” Gregory asked David. He nodded at Loren.
“She’s okay,” said David. “They won’t know how bad the scarring will be till they remove the stitches. She had seventy-four. She lost a lot of blood, but they gave her a transfusion. I don’t know if she’ll wake up. But listen, I’ll leave you alone.”
“Thanks,” said Gregory. “Where are you staying?”
“The Sheraton Townhouse,” said David. “On Wilshire.”
“I’ll give you a call,” said Gregory.
“Let’s go,” David told Kate. “Say good-bye to Gregory.”
“Bye, Gregory,” said Kate.
Gregory leaned over and kissed Kate. “It’s good to see you again,” he said.
They left. Gregory sat by the bed and watched Loren sleep. Actually there wasn’t much to see: Her face was covered in bandages. He felt he should hold her hand or touch her or something, but he was afraid of hurting her. After about an hour a nurse came in and told him he had to leave, but that he could come back at three o’clock.
Gregory went out and had a Caesar Salad because he liked them and he didn’t order them in New York anymore because of the egg disease. On his way back to the hospital he bought a copy of HG. It was an odd choice—Loren wasn’t particularly interested in either houses or gardens, but it was the only happy looking magazine he could find.
Loren was still sleeping. He sat down beside her and waited. Suddenly she said, “I think I’m blind.”
“What?” Gregory asked.
“Gregory?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Oh,” said Loren. “I thought it was David.”
“No,” said Gregory. “It’s me.”
“I think my eye…” She paused while she tried to think of which eye it was. “I think my eye toward you is blind.”
“No,” said Gregory, “it’s just
At first Sonia didn’t realize what he was doing. She thought Lyle had freaked out and tried to grab him, but only managed to rip his shirt. Then she understood what was happening and tried to scream. She could see Loren at the other end of the hall trying to scream, too. But everything was quiet.
When Kate was a few feet from the wall, Lyle sensed that he wouldn’t catch up with her. He hadn’t tackled anyone in five years, but suddenly that’s what he was doing: He dove forward, sailing through the air, his large body surprisingly agile. He remembered it perfectly; he knew just what to do. He grabbed Kate from behind, curled his body around hers, and, shielding both their faces, somersaulted into the glass.
CHAPTER 15
G REGORY FLEW TO L OS Angeles and took a taxi to the hospital. He arrived to find Loren sleeping, watched over by David and Kate.
“Hi,” he said.
David stood up, and they shook hands.
“Hi, Kate,” said Gregory.
“Hi,” said Kate. “I was kidnapped. I didn’t see the glass wall but Lyle saved me, only the wall crashed on Mom. She’s going to have plastic surgery!”
“Wow,” said Gregory.
Kate was glad to see Gregory. She had a lot to talk about, and her dad had been a distracted audience. “Being kidnapped was fun,” she continued. “I went to Disneyland and learned how to swim under water, with a mask. When Mom gets better, we’re going back to Disneyland. Mickey Mouse isn’t really Mickey Mouse. He’s just an actor dressed up as Mickey.”
“Why don’t we go get some lunch, Kate?” David asked.
“We had lunch,” said Kate.
“We’ll have a snack,” said David. “Then I’ll take you to the hotel, and you can show me how you swim.”
“I need a mask,” said Kate.
“Okay. We’ll stop and get one.”
“How is she?” Gregory asked David. He nodded at Loren.
“She’s okay,” said David. “They won’t know how bad the scarring will be till they remove the stitches. She had seventy-four. She lost a lot of blood, but they gave her a transfusion. I don’t know if she’ll wake up. But listen, I’ll leave you alone.”
“Thanks,” said Gregory. “Where are you staying?”
“The Sheraton Townhouse,” said David. “On Wilshire.”
“I’ll give you a call,” said Gregory.
“Let’s go,” David told Kate. “Say good-bye to Gregory.”
“Bye, Gregory,” said Kate.
Gregory leaned over and kissed Kate. “It’s good to see you again,” he said.
They left. Gregory sat by the bed and watched Loren sleep. Actually there wasn’t much to see: Her face was covered in bandages. He felt he should hold her hand or touch her or something, but he was afraid of hurting her. After about an hour a nurse came in and told him he had to leave, but that he could come back at three o’clock.
Gregory went out and had a Caesar Salad because he liked them and he didn’t order them in New York anymore because of the egg disease. On his way back to the hospital he bought a copy of HG. It was an odd choice—Loren wasn’t particularly interested in either houses or gardens, but it was the only happy looking magazine he could find.
Loren was still sleeping. He sat down beside her and waited. Suddenly she said, “I think I’m blind.”
“What?” Gregory asked.
“Gregory?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Oh,” said Loren. “I thought it was David.”
“No,” said Gregory. “It’s me.”
“I think my eye…” She paused while she tried to think of which eye it was. “I think my eye toward you is blind.”
“No,” said Gregory, “it’s just
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