capsicum

[katrea]

Katie settles in pretty well into the house, and later, when a bed has been obtained, into Lizbeth's room. She wears Lizbeth's hand-me-downs to start, then gets her own clothes; she doesn't have strong opinions about what she should be wearing, but the sizing on Lizbeth's old things isn't really right, and there aren't all that many still lying around anyway.

She has inexplicably tidy handwriting - inexplicably has handwriting at all; inexplicably can spell fifteen words in twenty instead of zero - which she uses, rather a lot. She makes a list of things that are food and magnetizes it to the fridge for reference, adding to it when she locates more things that are food, and when she is trying to tackle complex books she takes notes on who all the characters are so she doesn't have to page backward to remind herself, and she discovers journaling, even though she doesn't have that many events to record.

One day, the event she has to record is: Chris says to morrow she wil go to the DMV and shud not have us ther becas it may take six ours. We wil be baybe sat. If I hav ben baybe sat be for I do not remembre it.

She is curious about the imminent babysitter, and is up bright and early on the day when same may be expected.

Comments

[katrea]

Katie listens to herself.



"I think I broke it," she says.

[more_capable]

"Oh? Let me see," says Virginia, holding out her hand for the stethoscope.

[katrea]

Katie hands it over. "I didn't hear me thumping. Does it not work on yourself?"

[more_capable]

"It works just fine on yourself," says Virginia. "As long as you're listening in the right place."

She listens to herself first, to check, and then tries Katie.

[katrea]

[more_capable]

"...I'm confused," says Virginia. She looks at Katie. Yes, this is definitely a child who appears to be alive. Moving around, talking, sitting up, not obviously sick or in pain in any way.

[katrea]

"It's not broken?"

[more_capable]

"It doesn't seem to be," she says. "It's also not picking up a heartbeat from you."

[katrea]

"I don't go thump?"

[more_capable]

"You do not go thump."

[katrea]

"Is... that okay?" asks Katie, peering at Gina's face.

[more_capable]

"Not usually," she says. "Until today, I thought that the only people who didn't go thump were," she simplifies a little to avoid alarming the three-year-old, "dead. But you're perfectly alive."

[katrea]

"I am alive. Are you sure I don't thump?"

[more_capable]

"Pretty sure. Elizabeth, can I listen to you too?"

Lizbeth nods. Virginia listens to her.

"Yep," she says, "completely regular thumping."

[katrea]

"Gina, if people who don't thump are dead and I am alive and don't thump does that mean I will not ever die?"

[more_capable]

"...Probably not. People who are dead also don't move around or breathe or talk or eat, and you do all of those."

[katrea]

"I want to not ever die, though."

[more_capable]

"Yes," says Virginia, "that would be nice."

[katrea]

"Why don't I thump?"

[more_capable]

"I have no idea."

[katrea]

"Will Chris know?"

[more_capable]

"I hope not," she says before she can stop herself.

[katrea]

"Huh?"

[more_capable]

She shakes her head. "Never mind, sorry. I'm just very confused. And I wouldn't like it if I found out that Chris knew all about this and then didn't tell me."

[katrea]

"Why would she have to tell you that I don't thump if she knew?"