Chapter 35
West Bumfuck, AR
THEY LANDED IN Arkansas and rented a car; then they drove to Chris’ hometown where they located, and checked into the motel Mickey had found online. By the time they arrived in the hospital parking lot, it was after five. The volunteer at the reception desk directed them to the appropriate room and pointed them in the direction of the elevators.
The hospital room contained four beds, three of which were occupied, so Chris surveyed the room and quickly located his mother’s bed. Never a big woman, his mother had lost so much weight she almost disappeared in the bed. He stood looking at her for a moment, then her eyes fluttered open and she spotted him standing there.
“Chris,” she said in a voice that sounded horribly strange.
What’s wrong with her voice, he t
