From the Edge of the World. David L. Carter

was a yellow scarf tied around her head and the room was dark behind her.

      “The ambulance is here,” Victor said. “Gum wants you.”

      Shelby pursed her lips and nodded. “All right,” she says. “Is Daddy all ready?”

      “I don’t know,” he looked over his shoulder at the bare closed door to Uncle Buzz’s room.

      “Tell Gum I’ll be there in a minute,” Shelby said, and closed the door abruptly in Victor’s face. Victor hesitated before Uncle Buzz’s door, and then quickly moved away back down the hall, where he stood in the entryway to the living room and watched his grandmother herd the four transport attendants into the kitchen.

      “I don’t know why I can’t just carry him over in the car…” the grandmother was saying. “But I know ya’ll have your rules. As long as the insurance is going to pay their part of it, I ain’t going to complain. Let me go make sure William’s got everything he needs. Do ya’ll want anything to drink?”

      “No ma’am,” said two of the transport attendants. One of them nodded at Victor, who nodded back.

      “’Zat him?” one of the attendant’s said.

      “This is my grandson, Victor,” said the grandmother, aghast. “William is my son. Does this boy look like he has cirrhosis, neuralgia, stomach ulcers and sugar? Victor, did you tell Shelby to get out here?”

      Victor nodded.

      “Well, what in the world is she doing?” the grandmother did not wait for an answer but made her way past Victor and down the hall, muttering.