Authors: Jean Bedford
‘
I’v
e
cu
t
th
e
drinkin
g
righ
t
dow
n,’
sh
e
tol
d
m
e.
Sh
e
spok
e
deferentiall
y
t
o
m
e,
th
e
officia
l
.
‘
I’
m
o
n
a
tranquillise
r.
I’
m
muc
h
bette
r
no
w.I
loo
k
afte
r
th
e
kid
s
bette
r.I
don’
t
ge
t
s
o
angr
y
...
’
Sh
e
wa
s
terrifie
d,
o
f
cours
e,
a
s
s
o
sh
e
shoul
d
hav
e
bee
n
.
I
checke
d
th
e
medicatio
n,
anothe
r
tic
k
i
n
a
bo
x—
Proza
c,
naturall
y,
they’r
e
alway
s
s
o
unimaginativ
e
a
t
tha
t
centr
e.
I
t
wa
s
probabl
y
makin
g
he
r
agoraphobi
a
wors
e.I
gav
e
he
r
th
e
littl
e
bottl
e
I
ha
d
com
e
wit
h
an
d
tol
d
he
r
sh
e
ha
d
t
o
tak
e
tw
o
tablet
s
befor
e
be
d,
startin
g
tha
t
nigh
t.
Sh
e
promise
d
sh
e
woul
d,
an
d
pu
t
th
e
bottl
e
besid
e
th
e
sin
k.
Sh
e
ha
d
on
e
o
f
thos
e‘
magic
’
erase
r
pad
s
tha
t
childre
n
pla
y
wit
h,
an
d
sh
e
too
k
i
t
dow
n
an
d
wrot
e‘
Tw
o
tablet
s
befor
e
bed
’
i
n
a
larg
e
backhan
d
scrip
t,
unde
r
a
messag
e
whic
h
rea
d
:
‘
Brin
g
washin
g
in
’
.
Sh
e
explaine
d
tha
t
he
r
counsello
r
ha
d
he
r
makin
g
list
s
o
f
al
l
sort
s,
t
o
tr
y
t
o
achiev
e
som
e
routin
e.
Sh
e
rathe
r
proudl
y
showe
d
m
e
th
e
calenda
r
wit
h
it
s
patheti
c
entrie
s
.
‘
D
o
washing
’
,
‘
D
o
ironing
’
,
‘
Mak
e
shoppin
g
list
’,
et
c.I
wondere
d
wh
o
he
r
counsello
r
wa
s—
i
t
wa
s
th
e
mos
t
sensibl
e
suggestio
n
I’
d
know
n
an
y
o
f
the
m
t
o
mak
e—
bu
t
I
didn’
t
as
k.I
le
t
he
r
assum
e
I
kne
w
al
l
abou
t
i
t
.
Whe
n
I
lef
t,I
reminde
d
he
r
agai
n
t
o
tak
e
th
e
tablet
s
an
d
agai
n
sh
e
promise
d.I
returne
d
t
o
m
y
othe
r
lif
e
fo
r
th
e
res
t
o
f
th
e
da
y
.
Tha
t
nigh
t—
th
e
nex
t
mornin
g
reall
y,
abou
t
2.
3
0—I
parke
d
severa
l
block
s
awa
y
an
d
crep
t
throug
h
th
e
dar
k
street
s
wit
h
m
y
loc
k
pick
s
i
n
on
e
pocke
t
an
d
th
e
rin
g
o
f
skeleto
n
key
s
i
n
th
e
othe
r,
muffle
d
b
y
sock
s
s
o
the
y
wouldn’
t
rattl
e.I
wor
e
blac
k
jean
s
an
d
T-
shir
t
unde
r
m
y
blac
k
jacke
t,
an
d
thi
n
medica
l
glove
s.I
wa
s
buzzin
g
wit
h
adrenali
n
an
d
th
e
spee
d
I
ha
d
take
n
t
o
kee
p
m
e
awak
e
. A
sI
sai
d,I
wa
s
hardl
y
sleepin
g,
an
d
I
wa
s
tire
d
al
l
th
e
tim
e
.
Th
e
windo
w
wa
s
stil
l
unlocke
d,
bu
t
i
t
starte
d
t
o
crea
k
whe
n
I
lifte
d
i
t,
s
o
l
close
d
i
t
agai
n
an
d
wen
t
roun
d
t
o
th
e
bac
k
doo
r.
Ther
e
wa
s
n
o
ke
y
i
n
th
e
likel
y
place
s.I
trie
d
th
e
hous
e-
breakin
g
implement
s
firs
t,
an
d
th
e
flims
y
ro
d
i
n
th
e
chea
p
loc
k
turne
d
easil
y.I
wasn’
t
worrie
d
abou
t
anyon
e
noticin
g
th
e
scratche
s—
unles
s
somethin
g
wen
t
terribl
y
wron
g
ther
e
woul
d
b
e
n
o
rea
l
investigatio
n
.