Enemies and Playmates (46 page)

She had been mulling this over for days. People could walk backward. Dogs and cats could as well. Not that they seemed to enjoy it. But the ability was there, if needed. So could geese fly backward? If they flew into a narrow cave with no rear exit, would they be able to back out?

She raised her eyes to meet Dr. Endicott’s. His were a pale blue that looked to her as if their color had been bleached out. He was still watching her with that patient gaze. She concentrated hard because she had to or she’d forget again.

Corinne sucked in her bottom lip. The wallpaper behind Dr. Endicott’s head had little pastel flowers scattered about. She’d had flowers in her garden once. Now just weeds grew there. She’d been telling Ian that they needed to pull out those weeds and buy new plants. Hadn’t she told him that?

“Is there some reason you’ve been wondering about this?” Dr. Endicott asked.

Corinne’s eyes darted back to his face. Always clean-shaven, as if he had an electric razor in his desk drawer. Maybe he did. But wouldn’t that be a bit compulsive?

She remembered reading that some men had very little facial hair. He could be one of those men. Of course she couldn’t ask. That would be rude.

“Corinne?”

“Reason?” Corinne felt her eyes squinting. She was aware of doing this when trying to regain her focus. Silly habit. Squinting couldn’t help her focus inside her mind.

“About the geese?”

“Oh. I suppose not.”

She thought she glimpsed a bit of frustration behind Dr. Endicott’s Ph.D. mask. But it was gone so quickly that she wasn’t really sure.

“Okay then,” Dr. Endicott said as he stood. “Our time is up for today. Ian will be bringing you by again next week, if that’s okay with you.”

Corinne rose, smoothed her skirt with the palm of her hand. “No one honestly cares if it’s okay with me.”

She was right, which was why Dr. Endicott didn’t reply. He opened the door for her and stepped aside. Ian was waiting in the next room. In one of those chairs purchased by the dozens at Doctors R Us.

Ian’s shiny blond hair was shorter now. Had he been to get it cut while she’d been with Dr. Endicott? Or had she somehow confused time again?

Ian stood, shook Dr. Endicott’s hand. Ian was taller by at least three inches. For some reason this fact made Corinne feel better.

The two men spoke, their voices taking on that hushed cadence people often reserved for hospitals. Maybe everyone used it with doctors, no matter where they were. Their words didn’t register in her mind. Their meaning didn’t matter to her. Just words, pouring over her skin but not finding their way inside. The world was like that sometimes.

Outside, Ian opened the car door for her. She smiled at him. The inside of the car smelled like fried chicken. She noticed the take-out boxes on the backseat. She’d wanted fried chicken and it made her happy that Ian remembered. But by the time he made it around to the other side and slid into the driver’s seat, she’d already forgotten to thank him.

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