"Water," she murmured. "Water. Drink. Water." She touched his mouth and tilted the glass.

Suddenly he realized what it was. Eagerly he sipped. She tilted further, spilling some, but he managed to drink most of it. She had been right!

"More?" she asked, still holding his head and feeling very maternal. "More water?"

His hand came up, questing for something. He seemed to have more strength than before, but that wasn't saying much.

She sec aside the empty glass and caught his hand with her free one. His fingers were cold. She squeezed them with her warm ones. His squeezed back.

She was thrilled again. Communication!

Then she decided that she had better get away from him before he recovered too much. She had already taken a phe -- nomenal chance; it was time to stop pushing her luck to the brink.

"More water," she said firmly, and pulled herself away. She set his head back on the ground, scrambled up, got the glass, and hurried back to the house.

When she returned with the next glassful of water, the man was struggling to his hands and knees. He was definitely gaining strength. It would be absolutely crazy to get near him again.

Anything could happen.

She brought the glass to him. But he had now recovered to the point where he might walk, and he was trying to get to his feet. He was a good deal larger than she was, and surely stronger, which meant yet again that it was time for her to get away from him. So she dropped the glass and stepped in and helped him stand.

She put her arms around his body and heaved, and he

lurched to his feet. They staggered toward her house.

At which point Colene thought things through just a bit further. It didn't matter whether she was being sensible or foolish -- as if there were any question! -- because once the man got to her house, and her parents came home, the game would be over. They would call the police, and the police would take the man away, and both parents would bawl her out for her stupidity before settling into their usual pursuits for the evening. Her father would head off for his date with his cur -- rent liaison, and her mother would settle down to serious drinking. Things would be back to normal.