“Dave says there isn’t. He’s seen this before, he says. It’s just a cruel hoax that the doctors and hospitals play on families so they can collect weeks and weeks’ worth of medical insurance.”

“Dave said that? When?” questioned Lucy.

“All the time,” Marge wailed. “He’s been wonderful to me. I don’t know what I would have done without him. He’s spent so much time with me and Barney. But now he says it’s time to say good-bye.”

“He’s going away?” Lucy was puzzled.

“Lucy, I can’t talk about this here.” She indicated the busy lobby. “Let’s talk in the car.”

Back in the car, heading for Tinker’s Cove, Marge sat quietly and chewed her lip. Lucy was determined to get her talking again. She was sure Marge had discovered the key to Barney’s accident.

“Marge, what did Barney do before the accident? Did he call anyone or go anywhere? Do you remember anything that would help?”

“No,” Marge remembered. “It was Christmas. We opened presents, we ate turkey. That’s all. It was just a regular family Christmas.” Marge’s voice began to tremble, so Lucy changed the subject.

“But Dave’s been real helpful?” Lucy looked over her shoulder, checked the mirrors, and accelerated onto the highway.

“He’s been real nice, and I feel like I owe him a lot. Whenever I turn around he’s there, ready to help me. He says he’ll help me do it.”

“Do what?” Lucy asked.

Marge looked around her. She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. “He says that I must summon all my courage and—” She stopped, staring down at her hands in her lap.

“And what?” Lucy asked impatiently.

“And pull the plug,” whispered Marge.

“He wants you to pull the plug on Barney?” Lucy couldn’t believe it. She braked and pulled the car off the road, bouncing on the rough surface. As soon as the car stopped, she turned and faced Marge. “He wants you to pull the plug on Barney?” she demanded.

“He says it’s the only thing to do. That Barney is suffering. That his spirit wants to be free. That people in his condition want to die. They’re not afraid. They see a long dark tunnel with a light at the other end. A warm radiant light of shining peace. Barney wants to get there more than anything, and we’re holding him back. He says I must let him go. I must set him free.”

Marge’s voice droned on. This was a lesson she had heard so often, she knew it by heart. That she didn’t accept it as true was clear from her tone, but she was also obviously afraid of disobeying her teacher.