So it had been off to Denny’s where they ate and went back home, where he’d been told someone had pooped in the pool. They’d gone to bed, had some more fun, and Jessie went to sleep. He didn’t; she was a lot sicker than he thought. He wondered if the psychiatrist knew more than he’d shared. Jessie’s comment about semen slurping almost pushed him over the edge. Edge of what he didn’t know; at the moment he was ready to just walk out but what really scared him had been her emotional disappearance. He went downstairs and looked stuff up on the Internet. He read about something called Catatonia and it scared him. Was that what he saw? He needed to see Dr. Korlov again, and alone. He knew he had to wait until Monday, but he was determined to find out all he could.
The next morning Jessie slept in. The girls were the happiest he’d seen them. There’d been no poop in the pool, it was a joke they played on dad. By noon the girls were frolicking in the pool with their boyfriends.
It was a little after 1:00 when everything went awry... again. Jessie had been fiddling around in the den, he supposed she was looking over her options when she came out and she was loaded for bear. “Gary,” she yelled, “I’ve been checking your finances. I thought you were worth something,” Her voice went up an octave, “You’re not worth jack shit!”
Surprised he replied, “What?”
She was armed for war, “Don’t what me! I’ve been looking over your bank account and your so-called investments. You haven’t got squat. How can I quit the firm and start my own business without as least a little something from you?”
Gary stood there, numb.
She got even worse! “Got nothing to say? Didn’t think so. Jesus fucking H. Christ this god damned divorce is going forward. You’re a mother fucking worthless piece of dog shit! Speaking of dog shit; take Daisy with you this time. I hate the bitch!”
At that precise moment they both heard Dorothy and Melanie screaming out by the pool. They weren’t fun screams.
Gary ran to the back door, “What’s wrong?”
Dorothy looked terrified, “Katy’s drowning!”
Melanie was crying and wringing her hands, “Daddy, daddy, she’s in the water!”
With no time to think! Gary ran for the pool. Horror! It was Katy! Listless! At the bottom of the pool! He jumped in and waded, then dove to the where she was. He yanked her by the hair and pulled her up. Coughing and gasping himself he got to the side and threw her to the concrete, scraping her knees. Now what? In one leap out of the pool, and he was at her mouth. Talking to himself, “OK, think fast! Do something! All right, calm down. Clear the airways, mouth to mouth, massage her chest, mouth to mouth again. Oh God come on!”
More mouth to mouth. A cough, and then another. A gasp! Vomit! She opened her eyes! Gary yelled, “Someone call 911!”
He looked down at his youngest angel, “You all right honey?”
More coughing, “Daddy, Jimmy...”
Melanie broke in, “We weren’t paying attention. Her boyfriend Jimmy kept pushing her away from the side. He wouldn’t let her out.”
Gary looked and saw the boy, “You should go home son.” That was one boy he never wanted to see again.
Dorothy was beside her father, hugging him, “Oh daddy.”
Melanie was crying too, “I got 911. They’re on the way.” She sniffed, “Daddy you saved Katy’s life.” Melanie skinned her knees as she dropped to the pavement and hugged her dad’s other side. She kept crying, she couldn’t stop, “Daddy I love you so much.”
Katy was on an elbow, “What happened? I almost drowned?”
Recovering, Dorothy said, “Our dad just saved your life.”
Daisy had awakened and had come over by then. Katy gave her an affectionate scuff on the ears; then a look at her dad followed by two arms around his waist and another cough, “Daddy, my very own daddy.”
Gary glanced over and caught Jessie in the corner of his eye. She’d followed him out. Tears were on her cheeks, and she’d stained her shorts. He said, “You better get cleaned up honey.”
Jessie looked down at her pants; she’d peed herself. She nodded and whispered, “Yes.” She turned and ran back in the house.
They spent the better part of the rest of the day at the hospital. The E.M.T. complimented Gary on his quick work, but when Gary told them he was a teacher their compliments drifted into knowing nods. One remarked, “One thing the county got right.” He was referring to the requirement that all teachers be given instruction in C.P.R. At the hospital Gary handled all the inquiries and paperwork. Jessie sat mutely in chair and watched.
~~~V~~~
The next several days were quiet in the McGowan household. Gary continued his normal chores, cutting grass, weeding, doing the laundry, cooking and cleaning. Dorothy and Melanie did their Walmart thing. Katy was swamped with phone calls; girlfriends calling in their affection while boys, new boys, offered their services, anything from beating the pulp out of Jimmy to what sounded like proposals of marriage. Every one of them had to meet her dad; some were loquacious talking up their own youthful heroics, others just shook his hand and stared. Katy enjoyed her new celebrity. Jessie went back to work, usually getting home before 3:00, and keeping a very low profile. It took her nearly a week to work up the courage to talk to her husband.
One afternoon after the girls were gone Jessie found Gary. Her demeanor had changed. She asked, “Have you thought about what you’re going to do?”
Stumped, he asked, “About what?”
“About Snyder,” she said.
“Oh, that,” he said, “You really want me to do something?”
She looked impatient, “Yes, of course.”
“You want me to beat him up?”
“That could work,” she said.
“What if he beats me?”
She smiled, “He wouldn’t if you tried hard enough.”
“Jessie,” he said, “Fighting doesn’t work that way. Usually there’s one guy who’s bigger, stronger, faster, with a longer reach, and most of the time he wins.”
She said, “You’re afraid aren’t you?”
“It’s not that,” he said, “It’s a lot of things.”
“No, you’re afraid,” she said.
