The Sweet Hereafter
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:55:00
l looked across
and noticed that...

:55:02
she was sweating...
:55:05
and all swollen, and l...
:55:09
l grabbed her...
:55:10
and splashed some water
on her face.

:55:13
-What happened?
-l didn't know.

:55:15
l was in a complete panic.
:55:17
l guess she'd been
bitten by some insect.

:55:20
But there was no doctor.
:55:22
The nearest hospital
was 40 miles away,

:55:25
and she was continuing
to swell up...

:55:30
Clara took her in her arms
and tried to breast-feed her...

:55:33
while l dialed the hospital.
:55:37
l finally got a doctor.
:55:41
He surmised
that there was a nest...

:55:43
of baby black widow spiders
in the mattress.

:55:47
He said they had to be babies,
:55:49
or else, with Zoe's body weight,
she'd be dead.

:55:52
He said l had to rush her
to the hospital.

:55:54
He said, ''Mr. Stephens,
there's a good chance...

:55:56
''that you won't get her here
before her throat closes.

:55:59
''lt's very important
that you keep her calm.''

:56:02
He asked if there was one of us
she was more relaxed with,

:56:06
and l said, ''Yes. Me,''
which was true enough...

:56:09
because at that
particular moment,

:56:11
Clara's eyes were
wild with fear,

:56:15
and fear was contagious.
:56:21
l was a better actor,
that's all.

:56:27
And Zoe...
:56:30
loved us equally then.
:56:36
Just as she hates us
both equally now.

:56:43
Anyway, the doctor said
to hold her on my lap...

:56:47
and let Clara drive
to the hospital.

:56:50
He asked me to bring
a small, sharp knife.

:56:53
lt had to be clean.
:56:55
There was no time
to sterilize properly.


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