治愈者(8)

I want you to come to the jail, I said, and give her a little relief.
The ice girl looked over at me. Who are you? she asked.
I was annoyed. I’m in your science class, I said, Lisa.
She gave a nod. Oh right, she said. You sit in the middle.
I looked at the man in the hospital bed, the bliss on his face, the gloom on hers.
This can’t be too fun for you, I said.
She didn’t answer. Come to the jail, I said, please, she’s so unhappy, maybe you can help.

The ice girl checked the watch on her flesh hand. The man beneath her made something close to a purring sound. If you come back in an hour, she said at last, I’ll go for a little bit.
Thank you, I said, this is another good deed.
She raised her slim eyebrows. I have enough good deeds, she said. It’s just that I’ve never seen the jail.
I returned in exactly an hour, and we went over together.
The guard at the jail beamed at the ice girl. My wife had cancer, he said, and you fixed her up just fine. The ice girl smiled. Her smile was small. I asked where the fire girl was and the guard pointed. Careful, he said, she’s nutso. He coughed and crossed his legs. We turned to his point, and I led the way down.