"Mommy?" Albert sat up.

Marie turned.

"Are you mad at me?" He ran his thin fingers over Marie's hand. Marie sighed, patted his hand.

"No, baby."

"Mommy, when I get home, I'm goin' to clean up my room. Stony's side too. And I'm not goin' to watch cartoons for forty-six days."

"Albert, when you were in bed, what did Doctor Harris talk to you about?"

"He gave me forty-nine comic books. All Supermans except for one Jimmy Olsen. I got them in my bag in the trunk." Albert picked on the edge of his seat. "Do you want to read some when we get home, Mommy?"

"Did he say anything to you? Did he ask you any questions?"

"He asked me to tell him about Superman."

"What?"

"I told him I got Superman pajamas at home, but I don't got a cape and I told him I had a dream that I was Jimmy Olsen and Superman saved me from a monster in the water, and then he asked me what the monster looked like, but I didn't remember."

Marie frowned. "Albert, I want to ask you something and I want you to answer me honestly. I promise I won't get mad. When you were in bed, did Doctor Harris ever play with your pee-pee?"

"What the hell kinda question is that?" Tommy yelled. Marie ignored him.

"Did he ever touch your pee-pee?"

Albert looked puzzled, then laughed in a high-pitched giggle, covering his mouth. "Ooh, Mommy, you said a bad word."

"Answer me, Albert." Marie fought down the impulse to slap him.

"No-o," Albert pshawed.

"Did he ever make you touch—"

"Hey, cut it out!" Tommy swung Marie around. "What the hell's a matter with you! What kinda—"

"I don't know what kinda doctor he is! What kinda doctor thinks an eight-year-old kid needs a shrink! What kinda doctor walks around with a beard like that!" Marie screamed into Tommy's ear. She started crying, her voice cracked and ugly through the sobs. Albert sank back into the rear seat. The three traveled in silence until they got home. As they waited for the elevator, Marie fished in her pocketbook for a plastic amber prescription bottle with Albert's name and dosage directions typed on the label. It was filled with 5 mg Valiums. She rattled them in front of Tommy's face. "I'm gonna give these to Schindler. I'm gonna have 'im analyze 'em. I don't know what the hell's in these and I don't trust that goddamn doctor!"

Annoyed, Tommy brushed her hand from his face. "Do what the hell you want."

10

AFTER A WEEKEND in which Albert was taken to a Mets game, the zoo, three movies and Adventurers' Inn for hot dogs and ketchup, the De Cocos settled down for a Monday night's TV. Marie and Tommy in the living room, Stony and Albert in their bedroom. The phone rang, and the two divisions played chicken to see who was going to pick it up. After four rings, Tommy cracked.