Dr. Marsteller Chapter 17
17
He nervously paced the living room while Nichola repeatedly asked what happened.
-Honey, stop bothering me, for god’s
sake. I’m trying to think.
-I’m not going to stop bothering
you. Why did you leave Mrs. Viscane’s
house so abruptly today?
Her red face seethed as she gestured
apoplectically and vented all her anger towards him. She’d hated such overt dishonesty or
sequestering of secrets in their marriage.
And he simply paced back and forth, occasionally biting on his
fingernails, completely disregarding her inquiries. Dr. Marsteller didn’t care about her raving;
he was more concerned about the surgery they were going to begin in a week.
Then he
thought of a red herring as she came near to hitting him until he caressed her
and led her to the sofa.
-Honey, she just wanted to go to my lab
immediately to show her some of the latest things we’d done.
-Well, you could have told me that at the
party.
-She wouldn’t allow it. She is completely insane.
-I see, she said. Oh, I’m so sorry honey, I know you’ve been
under a lot of pressure with the television appearances and the research coming
out and now the accident. I know you
want everything to be right and you have her to worry about too.
She massaged his back and his
shoulders. He seemed so tough and
strong. He seemed like he did when they
met, talking about all the wonderful ideas they imagined for
themselves in the future. They talked
about their dreams. Those memories were
like ticklish haze. Any anomaly to the
beauty had lopped off through the years and was replaced with fine smoke. And it was because she loved him. And here the poor man was, finally realizing
his amazing dreams and the stress is overwhelming him. He needs the comfort of a good woman, thought
his wife and pulled his head over to hers by the side of his cheek. She kissed him deeply. Dr. Marsteller’s tired eyes brightened and he
smiled at the corners of his mouth like a tormented cat scratched on the
belly. She held him tighter and they
traipsed back to the bedroom.
This originally appeared in Dr. Marsteller