Page 55 of You'll Be the Death of Me

Dr. Albright cleared her throat. “I’d like to order a psych evaluation.”

“How? She can’t talk,” Patricia protested.

“I understand that, but we have doctors on staff who have methods that don’t require verbal communication.”

Her parents looked at the doctor skeptically, and Dell too wondered what kinds of methods could be used on someone in a coma.

Eventually, her father sighed. “Whatever it takes. We just want to know what happened to our girl.” He looked down at Dell witha heartbreaking sadness. It made Dell have to look away. She busied herself examining another vase of flowers, these ones orange roses and pink lilies, a burst of vibrant color among the otherwise somber ones, and noted the tag said they were from the staff at Pergo.

She wondered fleetingly if news of her condition had made the wait for a table even longer.

“I’ll be back when I have more news,” Dr. Albright said.

“Thank you, Doctor,” her father said with a nod.

Dr. Albright left, and Dell’s father pulled her mother into a hug.

“Billy, what are we going to do?” Patricia said in a wobbly voice to his chest.

“She’ll pull through, Patty. She always does,” he assured her, and stroked her back.

Patricia turned to look at him with weepy wet eyes like she knew he was right but wasn’t so sure this time.

“What if... What if we pushed her too hard?” her mother weepily asked.

“How do you mean?” her dad said.

“I don’t know. Not intentionally, of course, but our children are high achievers, if you haven’t noticed.”

William chuckled a small laugh. “Of their own accord.”

Patricia grimaced. “Not really, Billy. I mean, the boys are running themselves ragged following in your footsteps, and Dell has her hands in so many pots to keep up, I can’t say I’m surprised she crashed.”

Both her parents looked at Dell’s still body with remorse.

“And I don’t think she even loves Tommy,” her mother said.

Dell reeled in surprise to hear her say such a thing.

“Can’t say I love him either...” her father muttered.

Patricia shot him a look. She picked up Dell’s limp hand again and stroked it. “I worry she’s going to marry him because she feels she has to, not because she wants to.”

Again, Dell was shocked.Am I that obvious?

“What makes you say that?” her father asked.

Patricia lovingly looked down at Dell and stroked her cheek. “A mother knows these things. I’ve just never said anything because she seemed happier to be busy. Even as a little girl she could never sit still.”

“She’s still now,” William said. “And not in a good way.”

“Well, when she wakes up, we’ll make sure she knows how proud of her we are and her happiness is all that really matters,” her mother said.

Her father pulled her into another hug.

“Your parents are lovely,” Cole said from the corner where he’d stood out of the way.

Dell turned to see him bordered by trees as if he were standing in a forest, and got the sudden sense she’d seen the view before. She blinked several times and felt it dissolve.