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Micki breathed deeply； unconsciously pausing。 She always did at this point； her awareness teetering as if at the tip of the continental shelf。 She was up at the invisible line of demarcation that marked the darker side of her soul。
It was time to go over the edge。
and it was the seed that lay dormant inside her dormant but waiting buried but never forgotten no way to forget the black undying gem nestled in her belly like a watermelon seed a hard flat cutting wedge held at bay by therapy and sheerest force of will driving it back refusing it purchase pressing its essence in self…defense no possible promise with the killing thing that knows no bounds no possible deal with the one life form that knows not how to coexist corrupting health debasing shape overwhelming and devouring the garden no deal with the cancer that poisons the well no path but resistance containment benign transmutation eternal vigilance unshakeable love affirmation of life plete and mitted to healing no other choice but death and worse no other choice at all
The double doors whammed open； slapping Micki out of her trance。 She looked up； stunned； at the entourage。
As they hustled the blue…faced woman in。
She was on a gurney； moving fast； and the orderly that pushed it looked utterly wired。 He had the kind of face that looked like it didn't wire easy； and that just made it worse。
But not as bad as the man beside them： the wet…faced； dead…eyed； blubbering man that kept pace with the gurney。 He was； Micki guessed； the woman's husband； and he looked like he'd just been served up a plate of his own intestines。
Because the woman on the gurney was death…rattling foam； glazed eyes sightless in her cyanotic face。 She twitched once； twice as she passed before Micki。 Involuntary spasms。
And her belly was huge。
〃Oh； God；〃 Micki whispered as they rumbled past； near…colliding with Melissa at the nurse's station。 〃Oh； God；〃 as a pair of nurses…now wired as well…led the charge to the nearest room。 〃Please don't let Gwen hear about this。〃
As the door slammed shut behind them。
The woman's name was Pat Holtzaple。 She was thirty…two years old。 Her due date was the same as her birthday： November 25th。 The day after tomorrow。
The first contraction had hit not more than three minutes into the Eagles game。 Tim had invited a bunch of the guys over。 Lucky； lucky。 Instant baby…sitters； for the price of a case of Old Milwaukee and a couple of pepperoni pizzas。 As with her last four deliveries； the contractions came on sudden and straight to the point。 They were of to the hospital at once。
It was warm outside； and Pat needed the air； so she cracked her window and moaned into the slipstream。 Tim was doing sixty in a residential zone。
They were on Rathton Road； less than an eighth of a mile from Labor Hall； when the wasp blew in the window crack and stung her in the shoulder。
Admissions had been insane。 A lot of people were there with bizarro plaints： their bushes attacked them； or their three…headed cat。 Pat's condition； on the other hand； was clear。 Even though she was utterly； uncharacteristically spaced； that could have been explained any number of ways。
And she swore up and down she wasn't allergic to wasps。
Anaphylactic shock didn't strike until they were in the elevator。 Her skin went red and itchy and hot in the space of a single contraction。 By the time the doors opened on Four； she was violently coughing； her heart rate going triple…time。
By the time they hit Maternity； she was barely breathing at all。
The RN's went into Code Blue at once： calling her doctor while they jammed tubes up her nose and injected her with atropine。 No go。 Her final contraction had far less to do with birth than death。
Tim had to leave the room when they cut her open to rescue the baby。 He didn't miss much。 Just a little more heartbreak。
The baby was also blue。
〃Goddamm it！〃 Micki spat； slamming the receiver down。 For the eighty…seventh time； the 'PAL line was busy。 The little she knew about Pat Holtzaple was enough to make her nerves tripwire。
Relax； Bob…Ramtha said。
〃Yeah； right；〃 she hissed。 〃Relax； my ass。〃
The situation is not yours to control。
〃And that's supposed to make me feel better？ Christ； Bobba 。。。 ！〃
Wait； he said； and turned her around。 Melissa motioned her hither； from Gwen's doorway。 The nurse's face was calculatedly neutral。
The clock said ten after two。
Twenty…Nine
The Mt。 Rose Amoco Shop 'N' Go got its first real whiff of hell at eleven after two。
It came in the form of a tan Arrow van； with a bumper sticker that read CAUTION： IN CASE OF RAPTURE； THIS VEHICLE WILL VACATE WITHOUT WARNING。 Jennie Quirez wouldn't even have noticed it pulling into the lot； were it not for the way it wavered on its way to the gas island： wobbly as a newborn colt； unsteady on its balding whitewall tires。
Drunk driver was her first guess； though the bumper sticker would have seemed to belie that charge。 （Like you couldn't be a drunk who believed in the Rapture。 Like； for example； her papa had been。） Her second guess was senior citizen。 Neither one was on the mark。
Sunday afternoons at the Shop 'N' Go were notoriously slow； low…key affairs； but today was a notable exception。 A near…continuous dribble of customers had graced her presence all day long； and she'd had to face the fact that； barring a surprise visit from Mr。 Truck； they'd be out of the eighty…seven octane within the hour。
In fact； she was just writing up the little OUT OF SERVICE signs when the van pulled up at the number two pump； lurched abruptly to a halt。 Its cargo area was packed to overflowing； as if it had been packed for an extremely long vacation。 If so； it was certainly off to a wonderful start。
From her seat at the register； Jennie had an unobstructed view of the screaming family within： three little towheads； crying in the back； pretty young Mom in the shotgun seat； clutching a baby…sized bundle to her breast and crying； too。
Last； of course； was dear old Dad： huge； stoop…shouldered and hollering from his place behind the wheel。 The sight pushed all of her damaged； dysfunctional family buttons at once。 The contents of his dissertation were hidden； but the dynamics were unmistakable。 What an asshole； she thought； her contempt instantaneous。
Then he threw open the door； staggered rapidly for the pump。
And her first impression radically changed。
Jesus God。 Suddenly alarmed。 What happened to you？ Even from fifteen yards away； the unhealthy sheen of his overwhite plexion was impossible to miss。 He moved painfully； like he might keel over at any second； from the hurried； hitching gait of his bearlike body to the unnatural pallor of his face； everything about him looked terribly wrong。
He wasn't even dressed like a man on vacation。 He was dressed like a guy who'd been puttering around the house： dirty jeans； an oil…stained work shirt。 His pants were soggy and stained； as if he'd fallen into something vile。
Jennie thought instantly of calling 911； mentally calculated how long it might take an ambulance