For a moment Edward did not move. He looked down on her with a blank expression.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am to see your face,” Kim said, leaning back so she could look into his dark eye sockets. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Edward did not respond.
“Edward?” Kim asked, moving her head to try to see him better. “Are you all right?”
Edward exhaled noisily. “I’m fine,” he said at last. He was angry. “No thanks to you. What in the hell are you doing out here in the shed in the middle of the night, dressed in your robe, scaring me half out of my wits?”
Kim apologized effusively, stumbling over her words as she realized how much she must have frightened him. She explained what had happened. By the time she was finished, she could see that Edward was smiling.
“It’s not funny,” she added. But now that she was safe, she smiled too.
“I can’t believe you’d risk life and limb for that lazy old cat,” he said. “Come on! Let’s get in out of this rain.”
Kim went back into the shed and with the aid of the flashlight located Sheba. The cat was hiding in the far corner behind a row of yard tools. Kim enticed her into the open and picked her up. Then she and Edward went into the house.
“I’m freezing,” she said. “I need something hot like herbal tea. Would you like some?”
“I’ll sit with you for a moment,” Edward said.
While Kim put the water on to boil, Edward explained his side of the story. “I had intended to work all night,” he said. “But by one-thirty I had to admit it was impossible: My body is so accustomed to going to sleep around one, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. It was all I could do to walk from the lab to the cottage without lying down in the grass. When I got to the house I opened the door and then remembered I was carrying a bag full of the remains of our pizza dinner which I was supposed to put in the Dumpster at the lab. So I went around back to put it into our trash. I guess I left the door open, which I shouldn’t have done if only because of mosquitoes. Anyway, I couldn’t get the goddamn covers off the trash containers, and the harder I tried the more frustrated I became. I even hit them a couple of times.”
“They’re new,” Kim explained.
“Well, I hope they came with directions,” Edward said.
“It’s easy in the light,” Kim said.
“I finally gave up,” Edward said. “When I came back around the house, the door was closed. I also thought I smelled your cologne. Since I’ve been taking Ultra, my sense of smell has improved remarkably. I followed the scent around the house and eventually to the shed.”
Kim poured herself a mug of the hot tea. “Are you sure you don’t want any?” she asked.
“I couldn’t,” Edward said. “Just sitting here is a strain. I’ve got to go to sleep. It’s as if my body weighs five tons, including my eyelids.” Edward slipped off the stool and staggered. Kim reached out and steadied him.
“I’m okay,” he said. “When I’m this tired it takes me a second to get my bearings.”
Kim listened to him struggle up the stairs while she put away the tea and the honey. Picking up her mug, she followed him. At the head of the stairs she looked into his room. He was on his bed asleep with his clothes half off.
Kim went into the room, and with a great deal of difficulty got his pants and shirt all the way off and put him under the covers. She turned out his light. She felt jealous how easily he could fall asleep. It was such a contrast with herself. 18
Sunday,October 2, 1994
In the misty predawn light Edward and the researchers met halfway between the cottage and the castle and trooped silently through the wet grass to the lab. They were all in a somber mood. Inside, they poured themselves cups of morning coffee.