BooksBarbecue
Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I approached the bed. I couldn’t take my eyes off my father. I pulled up a nearby chair and sat down. Once, my father had reminded me of a lion. Strong and healthy and aggressive. He looked like a withered leaf now, as though he could fall apart right there in the bed and a breeze would blow away the pieces. It hit me then that he was going to die, and I wondered why it had taken so long for it to dawn on me that this was real. Maybe I couldn’t face death until it was right there in the room with me.

It made me think of my life. What would be left when my father was gone? I had no other family. In truth, despite everything, it was just me and him in the world. And I’d screwed it up, too, along with everything else. What the hell was I really even doing here? I had no place as a prosecutor. I had no place in River Falls. It had been a subconscious impulse to come back here, just because I didn’t know anywhere else.

I slumped over and put my hand to my head. The headache was back, and I rubbed my temples. I looked at my father’s pale face.

He had his watch on still, and I took it off his wrist and held it in my hand. My mother had bought him this watch and had me give it to him as a Father’s Day gift. I played with it in my hands for a bit and then couldn’t control myself anymore. I wanted to collapse into darkness and not crawl out again. To get away from everything and everyone and disappear.

I put my head on my father’s chest, wrapped my arms around his body, and I wept.

75

75

I woke up in the chair across from my father. The soft hum of his monitor filled the room, followed by an occasional beep. He was awake now and staring at the ceiling, his eyes bloodshot, his lips cracking from how dry they were. I poured some water from the sink into a plastic cup and brought it over to him. He took a few sips, and I put it on the side table and pulled up the chair again.

“Dad?”

He looked to me, his eyes red and wet.

“They, um, they’re going to need to get you into surgery as soon as possible. They need to drain your lungs and cut out as much of the cancerous tissue as they can. I’ve already signed the paperwork since you were unconscious. It’s a done deal, so I don’t want to hear anything about . . .”

His eyes closed again.

“Sorry. I, um, I’m going to be right here when you wake up.”