Brain Child by John Saul Read Free Book Online

charging across the pavement, heading for the ditch and the wall of the ravine beyond.
    Straighten it out!
    He spun the wheel the other way.
    Too far.
    The car burst through the guardrail and hurtled over the edge of the ravine.
    “Lisaaaa …”

CHAPTER THREE
    It was nearly two A.M. when Ellen Lonsdale heard the first faint wailing of a siren. She hadn’t been asleep—indeed she’d been sitting in the living room ever since the Cochrans had left an hour earlier, growing increasingly restless as the minutes ticked by. It wasn’t like Alex to be late, and for the last half-hour she’d been fighting a growing feeling that something had happened to him. The siren grew louder. A few seconds later it was joined by another, then a third. As she listened, the mournful wailings grew into shrill screams that tore the last vestiges of calmness from her mind.
    It was Alex. Deep in her soul, she knew that the sirens were for her son.
    Then, inside the house, the phone began to ring.
    That’s it, she thought. They’re calling to tell me he’s dead. Her feet leaden, she forced herself to go to the phone, hesitated a moment, then picked it up.
    “H-hello?”
    “Ellen?”
    “Yes.”
    “This is Barbara, at the Center?”
    The hesitancy in Barbara Fannon’s voice told Ellen that something had gone wrong. “What is it? What’s happened?”
    Barbara’s voice remained professionally neutral. “May I speak to Dr. Lonsdale please?”
    “What’s happened?” Ellen demanded again. Then, hearing the note of hysteria in her voice, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that Marsh was on call that night. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Just a moment, Barbara.”
    Her hand shaking in spite of herself, she laid the receiver on the table next to the phone and turned toward the hall. Marsh, his eyes still bleary with sleep, stood in the doorway. “What’s happening? Something woke me up.”
    “Sirens,” Ellen breathed. “Something’s happened, and the hospital wants to talk to you.”
    His eyes immediately clearing, Marsh strode into the room and picked up the phone. “This is Dr. Lonsdale.”
    “Marsh? It’s Barbara. I’m in the emergency room. I hate to call you in this late, but there’s been some kind of an accident, and we don’t know how bad it is yet. Since you’re on call …” Her voice trailed off uncertainly.
    “You did right. I’ll be right there. Does anybody have any details at all?”
    “Not really. Apparently at least one car went off the road, and we don’t know how many people were in it—”
    “Maybe I’d better go up there.”
    There was a hesitation; then: “The EMT’s are with the ambulance, Doctor.…”
    Now it was Marsh who hesitated, then grimaced slightly. Even after five years, he found it hard to accept that the emergency medical technicians were, indeed, better trained to handle such situations than he himself was. “I get the picture, Barb. Say no more. See you in a few minutes.” He hung up the phone, thenturned to Ellen, who stood behind a chair, both hands gripping its back.
    “It’s Alex, isn’t it?” she breathed.
    “Alex?” Marsh repeated. What could have put that idea into Ellen’s head? “Why on earth should it have anything to do with Alex?”
    Ellen did her best to steady herself. “I just have a feeling, that’s all. I’ve had it for about half an hour. It
is
Alex, isn’t it?”
    “No one knows who it is yet,” Marsh replied. “It’s an automobile accident, but that doesn’t mean it’s Alex.” His words, though, did nothing to dissipate the fear in her eyes, and despite the tension that still hung between them, he took her in his arms. “Honey, don’t do this to yourself.” When Ellen made no reply, he reluctantly released her and started toward their bedroom, but Ellen held onto his arm, and when she spoke, her eyes, as well as her words, were pleading.
    “If it isn’t Alex, why did they call you? There’s an intern on duty, isn’t