This morning they’ve already had to go to church and now Chrissy is waiting in the car with her mother and siblings for the Doctor to finish his rounds at Providence, the second hospital of the morning.
Chrissy watches the clouds, wondering how her life will change when she’s no longer the youngest. There are pros and cons. She’ll be able to dress the baby, but the baby will probably cry a lot. The baby might be stinky, and Chrissy has a very sensitive nose.
Chrissy tries to amuse herself by nibbling off the offending edge of her left thumbnail.
“You know what’s going to happen?” Ann asks quietly.
“Happen with what?” Chrissy asks as she tears off a satisfying piece of nail with her teeth.
“The fibers of your fingernails are going to form a big ball in your stomach and the ball will stay there until you die.”
The piece of nail lodges in her throat. She has absolutely no doubt that what Ann says is true. There are consequences for her actions, usually unpleasant ones for anything actually fun. But what else was she supposed to do with the chewed bits? If she spit them out, her mother would not be happy. Chrissy wonders how large the ball is already. As big as a gumball? An egg? The nerves of the situation keep her chewing.
The Doctor’s Wife works the crossword in the newspaper in the front seat. Bob leafs through a comic book. Ann is reading too, looking disgustingly smug. Chrissy tries to wrestle the book out of Ann’s hands. Ann screams.
“I’ll give a quarter to the child who stays quietest the longest,” the Doctor’s Wife says briskly.
Chrissy returns to her nails. That is at least a quiet activity and she could use a quarter. Chrissy feels Ann’s finger jab her right ribs.
“She’s touching me!” Chrissy shrieks, bucking back into Bob.
“Knock it off,” he says, pushing her the other way.
Ann smiles at her, remaining silent. She’s won the quarter, the beast. She won’t even buy candy like anybody sensible would. She’ll just squirrel it away and lord it over Chrissy.
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a flash as the glass door to the parking lot catches the sun.
“You took forever,” Chrissy says when the Doctor lets himself into the car.
“Let me smell your breath,” the Doctor’s Wife says. “Just as I suspected. Having coffee with the doctors again!”
“And probably the nurses too!” Chrissy says.
“Yes, probably,” the Doctor’s Wife says, swatting the Doctor’s bottom as he sits.
How unappealing!