"Uncle Edwin."

"Mmph."

"Uncle Edwin."

"Wha…Bebe…sumthin' the matter?"

"No."

"Why'd you wake me up?"

"I wanted to tell you something."

"What?"

"I watched you while you were sleeping."

"Hunh. Damn it, something bit me."

"You want some pink itch cream?"

"No, that's okay."

"Uncle Edwin why do you sleep on the sofa with your shoes on?"

"Oh…when I get home from work I'm so tired, sometimes I fall asleep before I can get up and put on my pajamas."

"You shouldn't do that. It gets the sofa dirty. You know Mommy doesn't like it when the sofa is dirty. It's bad. Daddy used to sleep on the sofa with his shoes on. He had to go away."

"I don't think that was why Daddy left."

"Yes. Yes it was. Daddy was bad and Mommy said he had to go. I helped him go away. I made sure he wouldn't…come…BACK.  SO NO SHOES ON THE SOFA!"

"All right. I'll remember next time. Uh, what do you mean you made sure he wouldn't come--"

"Good. You know, you sleep with your mouth open. There were spit bubbles on your lips. I put my finger almost all the way inside your mouth. I even touched your tongue. Blech. Uncle Edwin somebody coulda just sawed your tongue right off."

"Bebe--"

"I was real quiet Uncle Edwin. I sat on the coffee table for a while. Then I got up so I could get close to your face.  Like…this…"

"Got it. Now back up."

"You look funny when I get close to you. You squint up your eyes like I'm going to hit you or something. Daddy used to squint up like that too when I wanted to tell him I loved him. He was so funny. Even when he had to go. He put his hands up and cried. I never hit him. I wouldn't hit you, Uncle Edwin. You believe me don't you?"

"Of course I--"

"Okay, so I got hungry.  I made a peanut butter sandwich, and I sat on the coffee table and watched you some more. Your face is interesting. Your nose looks like a tiny map of Iceland."

"Bebe where's Nora?"

"Gone."

"When's she coming home?"

". . ."

" Don't just stare, answer me."

". . ."

" Shrugging's not an answer either. Why would your mother go out and not say something to me? She knows I don't like being alone with—"

"Uncle Edwin, I liked watching you sleep. "

"Okay good, Bebe. Go watch TV or something."

"Watching you is better."

"But I'm not asleep now."

"Unh-hunh…when I was watching you, I could see your pulse…on your neck. It made your skin move up and down like there was a worm under there trying to escape. "

"Bebe when you talk like…"

"Uncle Edwin."

"What?"

"When I talk like what?"

"Hunh?"

"You said, ‘Bebe when you talk like,' and then you stopped. You stared into space. I spelled Mississippi twice."

"You did? I feel…"

"Uncle Edwin, your face is going pink."

"…like I'm slowing down."

"You want some tea? I can make it for you."

"Tea. Yeah. Good. Tea is good. I probably need to move around. Shake this off. I'll make it myself. "

"Okay."

"Damn it, my arms and legs feel like they weigh a ton."

"Get up."

"It's too difficult."

"Try."

"I…can't."

"Try harder."

"Bebe…help me up."

"You're a grown up, do it yourself."

"Bebe…don't stand over there. Come help me."

"It's getting dark. I'm getting hungry again. You want a peanut butter sandwich?"

"Jesus. I can't…

"Mommy tried really hard to get off the bed."

"You…you said she was gone."

"She asked me to help her up, but I told her she was a grown up and to do it herself. She flopped around for a while then she stopped. Her eyes got real big and she stared at me for a long time until tears rolled into her ears but I won that contest. I watched the side of her neck like I watched yours, Uncle Edwin.  It thumped for a little while then it stopped. Mommy was very quiet after that."

"Bebe, what happened?"

"Know what? I'll make your tea."

"Damn it Bebe…what happened!"

"I don't know."

"Yes...you do. Tell me."

"Well…"

"TELL ME!"

"You're mad at me!"

"No…Bebe…come back. Please. I'm not mad…please. I just don't feel well."

"Yesterday morning after you fell asleep on the sofa, I went in your room and looked in your medical bag."

"I have told you…your mother has told you…never, ever go into my bag. Wait…my…bag was locked, and in my closet safe."

"It wasn't hard to figure out the combination. Grandma's birthday? Anyway I got the medical bag key out of your jacket pocket. There were so many interesting things to look at. Like the scalpels, the stethoscope, this little bottle of medicine…it's in my pocket…here, look."

"Oh no…"

"When I grow up I want to cut people open so I can look at their insides. What's it called?"

"Autopsies."

"Autopsies. That's what I want to do. So…I figured I would start to practice now, and I gave Mommy a shot."

"You…what?"

"I wanted to trick Mommy like the doctor tricks me. I practiced filling the needles from the little bottle early this morning in my room."

"Needles…?"

"Hey, you're sweating. Anyway, this morning Mommy was sitting on the bed, on the phone. When I went into her room, I hid her shot behind my back. After she hung up I pretended I wanted to hug her, and I stuck the needle into the side of her neck."

"You..."

"Oh, Uncle Edwin I was very careful. I took her organs out one at a time and made sure Mommy was good and healthy."

"No. God, no. This isn't a bug bite, is it?"

"Nope. I gave you your shot riiight there…"

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