〃The vacuum men；〃 he said。 〃They vacuumed everything。 And they vacuumed up the ghost。〃
From the backseat； Nicole snickered。 〃The ghost 。。。〃
I said； 〃I think you were dreaming； son。〃 Lately Eric had been having vivid nightmares that often woke him in the night。 I was pretty sure it was because Nicole let him watch horror movies with her； knowing they would upset him。 Nicole was at the age where her favorite movies featured masked killers who murdered teenagers after they had had sex。 It was the old formula： you have sex； you die。 But it wasn't appropriate for Eric。 I'd spoken to her many times about letting him see them。
〃No； Dad； it wasn't a dream；〃 Eric said； yawning again。 〃The men were there。 A whole bunch of them。〃
〃Uh…huh。 And what was the ghost？〃
〃He was a ghost。 All silver and shimmery； except he didn't have a face。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃 By now we were pulling up at the school； and Nicole was saying I had to pick her up at 4：15 instead of 3：45 because she had a chorus rehearsal after class； and Eric was saying he wasn't going to his pediatrician appointment if he had to get a shot。 I repeated the timeless mantra of all parents： 〃We'll see。〃
The two kids piled out of the car； dragging their backpacks behind them。 They both had backpacks that weighed about twenty pounds。 I never got used to this。 Kids didn't have huge backpacks when I was their age。 We didn't have backpacks at all。 Now it seemed all the kids had them。 You saw little second…graders bent over like sherpas； dragging themselves through the school doors under the weight of their packs。 Some of the kids had their packs on rollers； hauling them like luggage at the airport。 I didn't understand any of this。 The world was being digital； everything was smaller and lighter。 But kids at school lugged more weight than ever。 A couple of months ago； at a parents' meeting； I'd asked about it。 And the principal said； 〃Yes； it's a big problem。 We're all concerned。〃 And then changed the subject。 I didn't get that； either。 If they were all concerned； why didn't they do something about it？ But of course that's human nature。 Nobody does anything until it's too late。 We put the stoplight at the intersection after the kid is killed。
I drove home again； through sluggish morning traffic。 I was thinking I might get a couple of hours of sleep。 It was the only thing on my mind。
Maria woke me up around eleven； shaking my shoulder insistently。 〃Mr。 Forman。 Mr。 Forman。〃
I was groggy。 〃What is it？〃
〃The baby。〃
I was immediately awake。 〃What about her？〃
〃You see the baby； Mr。 Forman。 She all 。。。〃 She made a gesture； rubbing her shoulder and arm。
〃She's all what？〃
〃You see the baby； Mr。 Forman。〃
I staggered out of bed； and went into the nursery。 Amanda was standing up in her crib； holding on to the railing。 She was bouncing and smiling happily。 Everything seemed normal； except for the fact that her entire body was a uniform purple…blue color。 Like a big bruise。 〃Oh； Jesus；〃 I said。
I couldn't take another episode at the hospital； I couldn't take more white…coated doctors who didn't tell you anything； I couldn't take being scared all over again。 I was still drained from the night before。 The thought that there was something wrong with my daughter wrenched my stomach。 I went over to Amanda； who gurgled with pleasure； smiling up at me。 She stretched one hand toward me； grasping air； her signal for me to pick her up。 So I picked her up。 She seemed fine； immediately grabbing my hair and trying to pull off my glasses； the way she always did。 I felt relieved； even though I could now see her skin better。 It looked bruised…it was the color of a bruise…except it was absolutely uniform everywhere on her body。 Amanda looked like she'd been dipped in dye。 The evenness of the color was alarming。
I decided I had to call the doctor in the emergency room； after all。 I fished in my pocket for his card； while Amanda tried to grab my glasses。 I dialed one…handed。 I could do pretty much everything one…handed。 I got right through； he sounded surprised。 〃Oh；〃 he said。 〃I was just about to call you。 How is your daughter feeling？〃
〃Well； she seems to feel fine；〃 I said； jerking my head back so Amanda couldn't get my glasses。 She was giggling； it was a game； now。 〃She's fine；〃 I said； 〃but the thing is…〃
〃Has she by any chance had bruising？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。 〃As a matter of fact； she has。 That's why I was calling you。〃
〃The bruising is all over her body？ Uniformly？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。 〃Pretty much。 Why do you ask？〃
〃Well；〃 the doctor said； 〃all her lab work has e back； and it's all normal。 pletely normal。 Healthy child。 The only thing we're still waiting on is the MRI report； but the MRI's broken down。 They say it'll be a few days。〃
I couldn't keep ducking and weaving； I put Amanda back in her crib while I talked。 She didn't like that； of course； and scrunched up her face； preparing to cry。 I gave her her Cookie Monster toy； and she sat down and played with that。 I knew Cookie Monster was good for about five minutes。
〃Anyway；〃 the doctor was saying； 〃I'm glad to hear she's doing well。〃
I said that I was glad； too。
There was a pause。 The doctor coughed。
〃Mr。 Forman； I noticed on your hospital admissions form you said your occupation was software engineer。〃
〃That's right。〃
〃Does that mean you are involved with manufacturing？〃
〃No。 I do program development。〃
〃And where do you do that work？〃
〃In the Valley。〃
〃You don't work in a factory； for example？〃
〃No。 I work in an office。〃
〃I see。〃 A pause。 〃May I ask where？〃
〃Actually； at the moment； I'm unemployed。〃
〃I see。 All right。 How long has that been？〃
〃Six months。〃
〃I see。〃 A short pause。 〃Well； okay； I just wanted to clear that up。〃
I said； 〃Why？〃
〃I'm sorry？〃
〃Why are you asking me those questions？〃
〃Oh。 They're on the form。〃
〃What form？〃 I said。 〃I filled out all the forms at the hospital。〃
〃This is another form；〃 he said。 〃It's an OHS inquiry。 Office of Health and Safety。〃
I said； 〃What's this all about？〃
〃There's been another case reported；〃 he said； 〃that's very similar to your daughter's。〃
〃Where？〃
〃Sacramento General。〃
〃When？〃
〃Five days ago。 But it's a pletely different situation。 This case involved a forty…two…year…old naturalist sleeping out in the Sierras； some wildflower expert。 There was a particular kind of flower or something。 Anyway； he was hospitalized in Sacramento。 And he had the same clinical course as your daughter…sudden unexplained onset； no fever； painful erythematous reaction。〃
〃And an MRI stopped it？〃
〃I don't know if he had an MRI；〃 he said。 〃But apparently this syndrome…whatever it is…is self…limited。 Very sudden onset； and very abrupt termination。〃
〃He's okay now？ The naturalist？〃
〃He's fine。 A couple of days of bruising； and nothing more。〃
〃Good；〃 I said。 〃I'm glad to hear it。〃
〃I thought you'd want to know；〃 he said。 Then he said he might be calling me again； with some more questions； and would that be all right？ I said he could call whenever he wanted。 He asked me to call if there was any change in Amanda； and I said I would； and I hung up。
* * *
Amanda had abandoned Cookie Monster； and was standing in the crib； holding on to the railing with one hand and reaching for me with the other； her little fingers clutching air。 I picked her up…and in an instant she had my glasses off。 I grabbed for them as she squealed with pleasure。 〃Amanda 。。。〃 But too late； she threw them on the floor。 I blinked。
I don't see well without my glasses。 These were wire…frames； hard to see now。 I got down on my hands and knees； still holding the baby； and swept my hand across the floor in circles； hoping to touch glass。 I didn't。 I squinted； edged forward； swept my hand again。 Still nothing。 Then I saw a glint of light underneath the crib。 I set the baby down and crawled under the crib； retrieved the glasses； and put them on。 In the process I banged my head on the crib； dropped down low again。
And I found myself staring at the electrical outlet on the wall underneath the crib。 A small plastic box was plugged into the outlet。 I pulled it out and looked at it。 It was a two…inch cube； a surge suppressor by the look of it； an ordinary mercial product； made in Thailand。 The input/output voltages were molded into the plastic。 A white label ran across the bottom； reading PROP。 SSVT； with a bar code。 It was one of those stickers that panies put on their inventory。 I turned the cube over in my hand。 Where had this e from？ I'd been in charge of the house for the last six months。 I knew what was where。 And certainly Amanda didn't need a surge suppressor in her room。 You only needed that for sensitive electronic equipment； like puters。
I got to my feet； and looked around the room to see what else was different。 To my surprise； I realized that everything was different…but just slightly different。 Amanda's night…light had Winnie…the…Pooh characters printed on the shade。 I always kept Tigger facing toward her crib； because Tigger was her favorite。 Now； Eeyore faced the crib。 Amanda's changing pad was stained in one corner； I always kept the stain bottom left。 Now it was top right。 I kept her diaper…rash ointments on th