Passage

“Are they frightening?” Kit asked. “Uncle Pat has hallucinations sometimes. He sees people standing at the foot of his bed or in the door.”

In the door. Joanna would have to tell Richard that. Alzheimer’s was caused by a malfunctioning of neurochemicals. Maybe there was a connection.

“…and sometimes the things he’s saying seem to indicate he’s reliving past events,” Kit was saying.

L+R, Joanna thought. “Most people who’ve had near-death experiences report feeling warm and safe and loved,” she said reassuringly. “Dr. Wright’s found evidence of elevated endorphin levels, which supports that.”

“Good,” Kit said and then shook her head. “Uncle Pat’s are almost always upsetting or frightening things. It’s like he can’t forget them and can’t remember them at the same time, and he goes over and over them. It’s like he’s trying to make sense of them, even though his memory of them is gone.” She put her hands over her face for a moment. “The books say not to confront him or contradict him, but not to go along with the hallucination either, which is hard.”

“It sounds like it’s all hard,” Joanna said.

Kit smiled wryly. “I thought a sudden death was the worst thing that could possibly happen, and now it’s obvious it’s not.” She sat up. “I’m sorry, you don’t want to hear all this. I didn’t mean to go on like that. It’s just that I hardly ever get to talk to anybody about this, and when I do, I — ” She made a face. “I obviously need to get out more.”

“You should come to Dish Night tomorrow night,” Joanna said impulsively.

“Dish Night?”

“Yes. It’s not an organized event or anything, just a casual get-together. Dr. Wright comes, and my friend Vielle — you’d love her. We get together and watch movies on video and eat and talk. Mostly talk. We use it as a safety valve, and it sounds like you could use one, too. Do you like movies?”

“Yes. I haven’t seen one in a long time. Uncle Pat confuses what’s happening on the screen with reality. That’s a common occurrence with Alzheimer’s patients, too. It would be wonderful to watch a movie, but…” She shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m afraid I can’t.”

“Is it because you don’t have anyone to stay with him?”

“Oh, no, my mother comes over when I have to go to the grocery store, but — ” She was looking at the pan cupboard, and Joanna could guess what she was thinking. If Mr. Briarley took all the pans out again, her mother would use it as ammunition for putting Mr. Briarley in a care facility.

“Have you ever used Eldercare?” Joanna asked. “Mercy General has a program where the caregivers come to your home. They’re very good. I know one of the people who works with the program. I’d be glad to call her.”

“But if Dish Night is tomorrow night?”

“They have a twelve-hour emergency program,” Joanna said. “They know the people who call them are usually at the end of their rope. They have caregivers specifically trained in Alzheimer’s,” she said, but Kit was already shaking her head.

“They sound wonderful, but I’m always afraid something will happen while I’m gone, and if I call home to check, that can upset him,” she said. “So thank you for inviting me, but I’d better not.”

“You should get a pager,” Joanna said, pulling hers out of her pocket to show her. “Or a cell phone. That way they could reach you wherever you are.” Unless she left it in the car while she ran into the grocery store, like Greg Menotti’s girlfriend.

“A cell phone,” Kit said. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll have to see… you think they could come by tomorrow night?”

Joanna nodded. “If you want to come, I could pick you up.”

“I don’t know… can I call you tomorrow and let you know?”

“Sure,” Joanna said.

“Or sooner, if I find the book. If Uncle Pat stays asleep for a while, I’ll go down to the basement and start in on those books—”

“Oh, you made cookies,” Mr. Briarley said, coming into the kitchen.

“I thought you were lying down, Uncle Pat,” Kit said.

“I was, but I heard voices, and I thought Kevin was here. Oh, hello,” he said to Joanna.

“Hello, Mr. Briarley,” she said.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” Kit asked, reaching for a china cup and saucer.

“No, I’m rather tired. I think I’ll go lie down. It was nice meeting you,” he said to Joanna, and started down the hall.

“Be right back,” Kit said and darted after him.

Joanna could hear them starting up the stairs, and then Mr. Briarley’s voice saying, “They know it when they see it. It is the very mirror image.”

I’d better think about getting back, Joanna thought, and looked at her watch. It said twelve-thirty. “Oh, my gosh,” she said and started putting on her coat. She went out to the foot of the stairs. “Kit,” she called up the narrow wooden stairs, her hand on the railing. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you tomorrow about Dish Night.”

Kit appeared at the head of the stairs. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll call you if I find the book.”

Joanna opened the front door. As she let herself out, she heard Mr. Briarley say, “Aren’t you going to go say good-bye to Kevin?”