Tunnel Vision Read Free Page B

urn of Nick’s ashes. To add insult to injury, the ashes sat on the fireplace mantelpiece at home at Zack’s request.
    “What if this is punishment?” she asked.
    “Punishment for what?”
    “For not believing. What if this is God getting back at us?”
    “My guess is that this was an accident pure and simple,” Kate said. “You’re a dedicated teacher who does volunteer work for abused children. If God’s in a punishing mood, He’s got the wrong person.”

3
     
    Maggie spent the night in a chair beside Zack’s bed. She didn’t sleep much, dozing off and waking in fits. Zack did not move throughout the night—his face remained pale and inert, his eyes sealed shut. His only movement was the rise and fall of his chest to the respirator. The only signs that he was alive were the pulsing and squiggles of the monitors.
    At one point during the night, the resident doctor asked her to step outside while he, a nurse, and an aide examined Zack. When they were finished, the physician spoke to her. “The good news is that he’s still stable and there are no signs of intracranial bleeding.”
    “Thank goodness,” she said. “But when’s he going to wake up?”
    “He’s in an induced coma, so it’s hard to predict. He did sustain a serious concussion so we have to wait until the pressure and swelling come down. Then we’ll back off on the barbiturates and ventilation.”
    The word coma sent a shard of ice through her heart. “But he will come out of it, right?”
    “We certainly hope so.”
    “You mean he could still remain in a real coma?”
    “Well, there’s a slight chance, but we don’t expect that.”
    She studied the doctor’s eyes and thought she saw another hideous possibility. “What about brain damage?”
    “We see no signs at this point, but it’s still hard to tell,” he said. “But we’ll be treating him aggressively.”
    *   *   *
     
    Later that day, the doctors reported that the swelling had gone down in Zack’s brain and that they would reduce the barbiturates. It was the best news so far. At Kate’s insistence, Maggie overnighted in a hotel nearby instead of commuting to Carleton. Meanwhile, Kate drove to Maggie’s place and packed a suitcase of clothes for her.
    Sometime before noon, Damian Santoro called Maggie to ask if he, Anthony Lawrence, and his roommate, Geoff Blessington, could come for a visit. She agreed. They arrived in the early afternoon and sat around the bed, staring in disbelief at Zack, who looked like a battered corpse in the bed. Maggie explained how the accident had happened and summarized what the doctors had said.
    The news was sobering, but they found solace in the fact that Zack had suffered no internal injuries.
    Maggie looked at the three of them. “You’re his best friends,” she said, “and I’d appreciate you being straight with me. I know he gambles more than he should. I also know that he’s fallen into arrears on rent and other matters. I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but does he owe any of you money?”
    They glanced at one another, each hoping another would take the question. Finally Anthony responded, his eyes fluttering. “No, not much.”
    “How much, exactly?”
    “I don’t know … maybe … four hundred dollars.”
    Maggie looked to Geoff. “What about you, Geoff?”
    “Only about three fifty. But it’s not a problem.”
    “Damian?”
    “I think a little over six hundred.”
    Maggie felt a small stab in the chest. “I’ll take care of it.” Then she asked, “Besides borrowing from you all, how does he get by?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Please, this is no time to cover for him. He’s in serious debt.”
    There was hemming and hawing, then Anthony said, “I think he sometimes sells stuff.”
    “Sells stuff? Like what?”
    “Like his books. Sells them back to the bookstore. Clothes. I don’t know for sure.”
    Maggie did her best to contain her shock. She had regularly sent Zack money, and he was