Cherry Two

Part 20

Chapter 18

When he returned home about mid-afternoon, James carried something slung over his shoulder. Peter rushed up and tugged at it, ever curious.

"Careful, Peter, that's not mine."

Kate took his raincoat and the mysterious bag that seemed heavier than it looked.

Before she could ask, James volunteered. "It's Wallace's camera. Kate, the man is very ill. I was shocked. He's deteriorating fast."

Despite not liking Ward so much her face turned compassionate. "It's an awful illness, and he's so young," she said while hanging both items in the closet. "Why did he give you the camera?"

James took off his shoes and gingerly navigated the toy-strewn living room carpet. "We'll talk in here. Peter, take these things upstairs, there's a good boy. I need to talk to Mummy."

"Ohh."

"Come on, Peter, you can play just as well upstairs," Kate enforced.

"Can I see the camera?"

"Okay, later. Now move it." James shook his head at Kate. "Weather has been so rotten he hardly gets to play outside."

With Peter banished, the only extraneous sound emanated from the kitchen as Pancake pushed his food bowl around the tiled floor with his face.

James eased back into the reclining chair. "It's not hard to guess why he wanted me to have his camera, Kate. Wallace doesn't think he's going to make it. He asked me to take his photo in the hospital—complicated thing, that camera. I let him set it up. God knows what the nurses must have thought. Now I'm supposed to look at the shots on my computer screen and let him know what I see. With Calley away you might have to help me there."

Kate stared at him. "Is he saying you'll get the same weird results he does? Oh, Jim, that's too creepy. Don't do it!"

"He's scared. Can you blame him?"

"Well if it looks all messed up like Tom's photo are you going to say anything?"

James pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes tight. "I don't know any more. I just wish... I just wish this whole damn thing would go away and Calley would come home."

***

After a few minutes of fumbling around with connectors and cables, the data in Ward's camera seemed to flow to the computer drive as it should. Kate leaned over James's shoulder. "Now click on that folder," she pointed.

James complied, only to see a couple of strange icons with numbers underneath.

"Can I see, Daddy?"

Kate swiveled her head. "No, Peter, go back to Calley's room, please."

"This one? Do I click this file?"

Her attention returned. "Are you sure you want to?"

"No, but I said I would."

"Then I guess you must."

The color image flooded the screen. Both Kate and James saw Wallace Ward sitting on the edge of an institutional bed in a hospital gown with both hands raised as if conducting an orchestra. His mouth was open, presumably issuing instructions. Kate glanced at her husband. "He doesn't look as bad as I thought."

"Hmm, photo's don't always tell the whole story."

She bit down on her lip. "Well... is it, you know... spoiled in some way?"