The First Ghost Read Free Page B

smile grew. “You can call me for any old reason.” I gave him my number.
    * * * *
    Dr. Wonderful was absolutely right about the timeliness of my release. I spent the better part of the next day being poked and prodded and annoyed by a rainbow of lab techs and nurses and doctors wearing colorful scrubs.
    By two o’clock that afternoon I was pissed off and ready to check out of the hospital. I sat in my wheelchair like an invalid in the U-shaped drive-through waiting to be picked up like luggage, watching cars cycle through and wondering where the heck my brother was. Harry is rarely on time, but you’d think he could manage to pick up his only sister from the hospital after he had promised me faithfully that he would. I wrapped the hospital blanket tighter around me. Much more of this and I would have to go back inside. My toes already felt numb even though I’d put my boots and wooly socks back on.
    “Are you sure someone’s coming to pick you up?”
    I recognized the morose voice without turning my head. “I wondered when you’d be back, Corinne.”
    “I was so depressed, I needed to find chocolate.”
    “You can eat?” That was interesting.
    “No.” Corinne sounded even sadder.
    “All the more reason to cross over.”
    “No.”
    I sighed and glanced around to make sure no one was measuring me for a straitjacket. Thank God that in the wireless age people can seem to be talking to the thin air. No one was paying me any mind.
    “I’ve been thinking, Corinne. I’ll call your aunt for you and give her whatever message you want, even if the hospital already did. And I’ll check on the dog. I’ll make sure he’s got a good home. How’s that?”
    “Really? You’ll do that?”
    “Miss?” An orderly gave me a puzzled look. I looked at him like he was daft and tapped my ear like I had an earpiece in it. He nodded and wandered off. I was going to have to buy a wireless set for real and wear it before I got carted off to the funny farm.
    “Yes, I’ll do it. But you have to promise to let Hephzibah take you across, okay? Deal?” She was silent for long enough to make me look over at her. “Hello? Earth to Corinne?”
    “What are you doing?” Harry stood there holding open the door to a gray Honda Civic.
    “I didn’t recognize the car. Where’s your Chevy?”
    “It’s a rental. The Nova’s getting a new suspension and Mother has the van. Are you getting in?”
    I scowled back. “Took you long enough to get here. I’m frigging cold.”
    “So get in the car.”
    A gentleman would have offered to help me, but this was no gentleman. This was my twin brother. I had to schlep my belongings into the car myself. “Thanks for the lift.”
    “Yeah, Mother said I had to. How’s your head?”
    “It hurts. How’s Jennifer?”
    “We broke up.” He pulled forward slowly, trying to avoid the wheelchair orderlies, but as soon as he cleared the patient-zoned horseshoe he stomped the gas. The rental lingered for a moment and then leapt forward, mashing me back against the seat. I closed my eyes. Harry’s driving is enough to scare anyone half to death and if I looked up and saw Hephzibah riding shotgun with us, I’d probably start screaming.
    “Sorry about Jennifer.”
    “Why? You hated her.”
    I winced at the squealing of brakes. Honking and swearing told me we were merging onto the turnpike.
    “She was silly and shallow,” I said. “You can do better.”
    “She had big boobs.”
    “On second thought, maybe you two deserved one another.”
    He swore and the car swerved to the left. I braced myself against the dash, still refusing to open my eyes.
    “I’m not exactly a hot commodity on the dating circuit, Portia.”
    “I was just kidding, Harry. You’re a catch.”
    More swerving and swearing. “Yeah, right. I live at home.”
    “And whose fault is that? Move out, deadbeat. You’ve got a job.”
    “I work at a funeral home. Women think it’s creepy.”
    I think it’s creepy and I grew up