A Swing in the Park

13. The Glass Jar

"She's comatose," the doctor said. I could clearly see him with my eyes. He was standing over me, talking with my mother. I tried to move my head so I could see her, but I could not do it. It was stuck.

"She's obviously very traumatized," the doctor said. "It must have been a terrible ordeal for a child. Exactly what happened?"

"There was a girl playing nearby," my mother said. "She saw them go into the bushes. Then she heard my daughter's screams and crawled in and saw everything. He was ... I'm sorry, I can't say it."

"That's okay," the doctor said. "Then what happened?"

"The girl ran to her parents screaming," she said. "Then I heard it and came running to where the sound was coming from. The girl who had seen everything took me inside the bush and I found them there. Katie was already on the ground, not moving."

"And the man?"

"The girl's father grabbed him and pulled him out and held him down on the ground until the police came," she said. "Then they took him away. Then the ambulance came and they carried her out."

"Mrs. Desoto," the doctor said, "in a case like this she may not move at all for a while."

"How long?" My mother said.

"Days, weeks perhaps, he said. "We need to run routine tests of course, but it seems she's not been physically harmed. As for the emotional damage..."

"Animal!" My mother screamed. "You destroyed the only good thing I had!" Then she burst out crying.

"I will give you a moment," the doctor said and his face moved away. Then my mother was standing over me. She was crying.

Why are you crying? I wanted to say. What has happened? Has something happened to you? To dad? But I couldn't.

"I told you not to do it," my mother said between sobs. I saw a drop fall from her nose and felt it hit my cheek. It tickled.

"I told you a thousand times," she said." I guess all mothers do. Was I such a bad mother that you did not listen to me, Katie? Was it my fault?"

Of course not, silly, I wanted to say. I don't know what it is that you're so upset over. Did anything happen to Fred? But I couldn't.

"Honey? Sweetheart?" I saw the face of my father. "I came as soon as I heard," he said. "Did they get the sonofabitch?"

"Yes," my mother said. "The police know who it is. He's been sighted in other parks in the city. He's going to jail for a long time. They said he has a record."

"Good," my father said. "Are you in there, honey? Can you see me?"

I wanted to reach out and wrap my arms around his neck and pull him close and smell his shaving lotion and bury my face in his neck. But I couldn't.

"I can't tell her now, "my father said to my mother. "I just can't."

"You mean Florida?" My mother said.

He nodded. I saw sadness play over my mother's face. I saw it on my father's too.

I wanted to say: mom, make your mother's chicken pot pie. Put on your red dress and wear a flower in your hair. And wear his favorite perfume on your neck, the one he says smells like roses. I will be out at the movies with Elsa. But I couldn't.

"She is not moving her eyes," my father said.

"But she sees us," my mother says. "She can't turn her head or her eyes, but she can see what's in front of her. And she can hear."