Chapter Fifty-Five
I woke several times during the night. I thought someone was in the house at one point. I felt someone there. Nothing I could do about it, though. Then, after fourteen hours of sleep, I woke and found that I was actually feeling better. I could almost think straight again. Exhaustion still had a hold on me, though. All my joints ached. My eyesight was blurry. I could hear music playing softly in the house. Erykah Badu, one of my favorites. There was a knock on the bedroom door and I said, Tm decent. Who goes there?' Jannie pushed open the door. She was holding a red plastic tray with a breakfast of poached eggs, hot cereal, orange juice, and a mug of steaming coffee. She was smiling, obviously proud of herself. I smiled back at her. That's my girl. What a little sweetheart she was when she wanted to be. 'I don't know if you can eat yet. Daddy. I brought you some breakfast. Just in case.' "Thank you, sweetie, I'm feeling a little better,'! said. I was able to push myself up in bed, then prop a few pillows behind me with my good hand. Jannie carried the tray over to the bed and carefully set it on my lap. She leaned in and kissed my fuzzy cheek. 'Somebody needs a shave.' 'You're being so nice,' I said to her. 'I am nice. Daddy,'Jannie answered back.'You feel good enough for
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a little company? We'll just watch you eat - we'll be good. No trouble. Is it okay?' 'Just what I need right now,' I said. Jannie came back with little Alex in her arms and Damon trailing behind, giving me the high sign. They climbed up on my bed and, as promised, they were very good, the best medicine around. 'You just eat your breakfast while it's hot. You're getting too skinny,'Jannie teased. 'Yeah, you are,'Damon agreed.'You're drawn and gaunt.' 'Very good,'I smiled between small bites of eggs and toast, which I hoped I could keep down. I kept running my hand over little Alex's head. 'Did somebody poison you. Daddy?'Jannie wanted to know.'What exactly happened?' I sighed and shook my head. 'I don't know, baby. It's an infection. You can get it from a human bite.' Jannie and Damon grimaced. 'Nana says it's septicemia. They used to call it blood poisoning.' Damon contributed some scholarly research. 'Who am I to argue with Nana,' I said, and left it at that. 'I'm no match for Nana Mama right now.' Or maybe ever. I looked at the puffed-up bandage and gauze covering most of my right shoulder, where I'd been bitten. The skin was a sickly yellow around the bandage. 'Something bad got into my blood. I'm okay now, though. I'm coming back.'But I remembered what Irwin Snyder had said: You're one of us.
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