51
This time when I emerge from the machine, my legs feel wobbly and useless. Daniel releases all the straps, and then he isn’t so much hugging me this time as he is holding me up.
“What’s wrong?” he asks. “What’s happened?”
“Just help me sit down for a second.”
I sink to the floor. I don’t really feel like taking the long walk to the next room. I feel weak and starving and used up. I try not to let Daniel see me shake, but I’m not doing a very good job.
“You’re freezing,” he says. He runs back into Dr. Venn’s office and brings me back his coat and a blanket he found somewhere. He also brings a big warm dog, and Red does his job of sitting as close to me as possible and laying his head on my lap and sharing some of his heat.
“Audie, look at me. Let me see your eyes.”
I do my best to
