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Pet Samatary, Part One: The Pet Sematary - Chapter 11

Part One: The Pet Sematary - Chapter 11

ELEVEN

The next morning at breakfast, Ellie saw the new memo on the bulletin board and asked him what it meant.

‘It means he's going to have a very small operation,' Louis said. ‘He'll probably have to stay over at the vet's for one night afterwards. And when he comes home, he'll stay in our yard and not want to roam around so much.'

‘Or cross the road?' Ellie asked.

She may be only five, Louis thought, but she's sure no slouch. ‘Or cross the road,' he agreed.

‘Yay!' Ellie said, and that was the end of the subject.

Louis, who had been prepared for a bitter and perhaps hysterical argument about Church being out of the house for even one night, was mildly stunned by the ease with which she had acquiesced. And he realized how worried she must have been. Perhaps Rachel had not been entirely wrong about the effect the Pet Sematary had had on her, after all.

Rachel herself, who was feeding Gage his breakfast egg, shot him a grateful approving look, and Louis felt something loosen in his chest. The look told him that the chill was over; this particular hatchet had been buried. For ever, he hoped.

Later, after the big yellow schoolbus had gobbled Ellie up for the morning, Rachel came to him, put her arms around his neck and kissed his mouth gently. ‘You were very sweet to do that,' she said, ‘and I'm sorry I was such a bitch.'

Louis returned her kiss, feeling a little uncomfortable nonetheless. It occurred to him that the I'm sorry I was such a bitch statement, while by no means a standard, was not exactly something he'd never heard before, either. It usually came after Rachel had gotten her way.

Gage, meanwhile, had toddled unsteadily over to the front door and was looking out of the lowest pane of glass at the empty road. ‘Bus,' he said, hitching nonchalantly at his sagging diapers. ‘Ellie-bus.'

‘He's growing up fast,' Louis said.

Rachel nodded. ‘Too fast to suit me, I think.'

‘Wait until he's out of diapers,' Louis said. ‘Then he can stop.'

She laughed and it was all right between them again; completely all right. She stood back, made a minute adjustment to his tie, and looked him up and down critically.

‘Do I pass muster, Sarge?' he asked.

‘You look very nice.'

‘Yeah, I know. But do I look like a heart-surgeon? Two hundred thousand dollar a year man?'

‘No, just like old Lou Creed,' she said and giggled. ‘The rock and roll animal.'

Louis glanced at his watch. ‘The rock and roll animal has got to put on his boogie shoes and go,' he said.

‘Are you nervous?'

‘Yeah, a little.'

‘Don't be,' she said. ‘It's sixty-seven thousand dollars a year for putting on Ace bandages, prescribing for the flu and for hangovers, giving girls the pill—'

‘Don't forget the crab-and-louse lotion,' Louis said, smiling again. One of the things that had surprised him on his first tour of the infirmary had been the supplies of Quell, which seemed to him enormous – more fitted to an army base infirmary than to one on a middle-sized University campus.

Miss Charlton, the head nurse, had smiled cynically. ‘Off-campus apartments in the area are pretty tacky. You'll see.'

He supposed he would.

‘Have a good day,' she said, and kissed him again, lingeringly. But when she pulled away she was mock-stern. ‘And for Christ's sake remember that you're an administrator, not an intern or a second-year resident!'

‘Yes, doctor,' Louis said humbly, and they both laughed again. For a moment he thought of asking: Was it Zelda, babe? Is that what's got under your skin? Is that the zone of low pressure? Zelda and how she died? But he wasn't going to ask her that, not now. As a doctor he knew a lot of things, and while the fact that death was just as natural as childbirth might be the greatest of them, the fact that you don't monkey with a wound that has finally started to heal was far from the least of them.

So instead of asking, he only kissed her again and went out.

It was a good start, a good day. Maine was putting on a late summer show, the sky was blue and cloudless, the temperature pegged at an utterly perfect seventy-two degrees. Rolling to the end of the driveway and checking for traffic, Louis mused that so far he hadn't seen so much as a trace of the fall foliage that was supposed to be so spectacular. But he could wait.

He pointed the Honda Civic they had picked up as a second car toward the University and let it roll. Rachel would call the vet this morning, they would get Church fixed, and that would put this whole nonsense of Pet Semataries (it was funny how that misspelling got into your head and began to seem right) and death-fears behind them. There was no need to be thinking about death on a beautiful September morning like this one.

Louis turned on the radio and dialed until he found Huey Lewis and the News belting out ‘Working for a Living'. He turned up the radio and sang along – not well, but with lusty enjoyment.

Part One: The Pet Sematary - Chapter 11 第一部：ペット・セマタリー - 第11章 Deel één: De Pet Sematary - Hoofdstuk 11 Часть первая: "Зверинец" - Глава 11 第 1 部分：宠物坟场 - 第 11 章

ELEVEN

The next morning at breakfast, Ellie saw the new memo on the bulletin board and asked him what it meant. A la mañana siguiente, durante el desayuno, Ellie vio el nuevo memorándum en el tablón de anuncios y le preguntó qué significaba.

‘It means he's going to have a very small operation,' Louis said. "Significa que va a tener una operación muy pequeña", dijo Louis. ‘He'll probably have to stay over at the vet's for one night afterwards. 'Probablemente tendrá que quedarse en el veterinario una noche después. And when he comes home, he'll stay in our yard and not want to roam around so much.' Y cuando vuelva a casa, se quedará en nuestro jardín y no querrá andar tanto por ahí.

‘Or cross the road?' Ellie asked. ¿O cruzar la calle? preguntó Ellie.

She may be only five, Louis thought, but she's sure no slouch. Puede que solo tenga cinco años, pensó Louis, pero seguro que no se queda atrás. ‘Or cross the road,' he agreed. —O cruzar la calle —asintió—.

‘Yay!' Ellie said, and that was the end of the subject. '¡Hurra!' Ellie dijo, y ese fue el final del tema.

Louis, who had been prepared for a bitter and perhaps hysterical argument about Church being out of the house for even one night, was mildly stunned by the ease with which she had acquiesced. Louis, que había estado preparado para una amarga y tal vez histérica discusión acerca de que Church estaba fuera de la casa aunque fuera una sola noche, quedó ligeramente atónito por la facilidad con la que ella había accedido. And he realized how worried she must have been. Y se dio cuenta de lo preocupada que debía estar. Perhaps Rachel had not been entirely wrong about the effect the Pet Sematary had had on her, after all. Después de todo, tal vez Rachel no estaba del todo equivocada sobre el efecto que el Pet Sematary había tenido en ella.

Rachel herself, who was feeding Gage his breakfast egg, shot him a grateful approving look, and Louis felt something loosen in his chest. La propia Rachel, que le estaba dando a Gage su huevo del desayuno, le lanzó una mirada de aprobación agradecida, y Louis sintió que algo se aflojaba en su pecho. The look told him that the chill was over; this particular hatchet had been buried. La mirada le dijo que el frío había pasado; este hacha en particular había sido enterrada. For ever, he hoped. Para siempre, esperaba.

Later, after the big yellow schoolbus had gobbled Ellie up for the morning, Rachel came to him, put her arms around his neck and kissed his mouth gently. Más tarde, después de que el gran autobús escolar amarillo se hubiera tragado a Ellie por la mañana, Rachel se acercó a él, le rodeó el cuello con los brazos y lo besó en la boca suavemente. ‘You were very sweet to do that,' she said, ‘and I'm sorry I was such a bitch.' "Fuiste muy dulce al hacer eso", dijo, "y lamento haber sido una perra".

Louis returned her kiss, feeling a little uncomfortable nonetheless. Louis le devolvió el beso, sintiéndose un poco incómodo, no obstante. It occurred to him that the I'm sorry I was such a bitch statement, while by no means a standard, was not exactly something he'd never heard before, either. Se le ocurrió que la declaración de "Lo siento, fui una perra", aunque de ninguna manera era un estándar, tampoco era exactamente algo que nunca había escuchado antes. It usually came after Rachel had gotten her way. Por lo general, venía después de que Rachel se saliera con la suya.

Gage, meanwhile, had toddled unsteadily over to the front door and was looking out of the lowest pane of glass at the empty road. Gage, mientras tanto, se había acercado tambaleándose tambaleándose a la puerta principal y estaba mirando a través del panel de vidrio más bajo hacia la carretera vacía. ‘Bus,' he said, hitching nonchalantly at his sagging diapers. —Autobús —dijo, tirando despreocupadamente de sus pañales caídos. ‘Ellie-bus.' 'Ellie-autobús'.

‘He's growing up fast,' Louis said. "Está creciendo rápido", dijo Louis.

Rachel nodded. Raquel asintió. ‘Too fast to suit me, I think.' Demasiado rápido para mí, creo.

‘Wait until he's out of diapers,' Louis said. 'Espera hasta que se le acaben los pañales', dijo Louis. ‘Then he can stop.' 'Entonces él puede parar.'

She laughed and it was all right between them again; completely all right. Ella se rió y todo volvió a estar bien entre ellos; completamente bien. She stood back, made a minute adjustment to his tie, and looked him up and down critically. Ella dio un paso atrás, hizo un pequeño ajuste a su corbata y lo miró de arriba abajo con expresión crítica.

‘Do I pass muster, Sarge?' he asked. ¿Paso el examen, sargento? preguntó.

‘You look very nice.' 'Te ves muy bien.'

‘Yeah, I know. 'Si lo se. But do I look like a heart-surgeon? ¿Pero parezco un cirujano del corazón? Two hundred thousand dollar a year man?' ¿Doscientos mil dólares al año, tío?

‘No, just like old Lou Creed,' she said and giggled. "No, como el viejo Lou Creed", dijo y se rió. ‘The rock and roll animal.' 'El animal del rock and roll.'

Louis glanced at his watch. Luis miró su reloj. ‘The rock and roll animal has got to put on his boogie shoes and go,' he said. "El animal del rock and roll tiene que ponerse sus zapatos de boogie e irse", dijo.

‘Are you nervous?' '¿Estás nervioso?'

‘Yeah, a little.' 'Sí un poco.'

‘Don't be,' she said. 'No lo estés', dijo ella. ‘It's sixty-seven thousand dollars a year for putting on Ace bandages, prescribing for the flu and for hangovers, giving girls the pill—' Son sesenta y siete mil dólares al año por poner vendajes Ace, prescribir para la gripe y la resaca, darles la píldora a las chicas...

‘Don't forget the crab-and-louse lotion,' Louis said, smiling again. —No te olvides de la loción para cangrejos y piojos —dijo Louis, sonriendo de nuevo—. One of the things that had surprised him on his first tour of the infirmary had been the supplies of Quell, which seemed to him enormous – more fitted to an army base infirmary than to one on a middle-sized University campus. Una de las cosas que lo habían sorprendido en su primer recorrido por la enfermería habían sido los suministros de Quell, que le parecían enormes, más apropiados para una enfermería de base militar que para una en un campus universitario de tamaño medio.

Miss Charlton, the head nurse, had smiled cynically. La señorita Charlton, la jefa de enfermeras, sonrió con cinismo. ‘Off-campus apartments in the area are pretty tacky. Los apartamentos fuera del campus en la zona son bastante horteras. You'll see.' Verás.'

He supposed he would. Supuso que lo haría.

‘Have a good day,' she said, and kissed him again, lingeringly. —Que tengas un buen día —dijo ella, y lo besó de nuevo, largamente. But when she pulled away she was mock-stern. Pero cuando se alejó, estaba fingidamente severa. ‘And for Christ's sake remember that you're an administrator, not an intern or a second-year resident!' ¡Y por el amor de Dios, recuerda que eres un administrador, no un interno o un residente de segundo año!

‘Yes, doctor,' Louis said humbly, and they both laughed again. —Sí, doctor —dijo Louis con humildad, y ambos se rieron de nuevo. For a moment he thought of asking: Was it Zelda, babe? Por un momento pensó en preguntar: ¿Fue Zelda, nena? Is that what's got under your skin? ¿Es eso lo que tienes bajo tu piel? Is that the zone of low pressure? ¿Es esa la zona de baja presión? Zelda and how she died? ¿Zelda y cómo murió? But he wasn't going to ask her that, not now. Pero él no iba a preguntarle eso, no ahora. As a doctor he knew a lot of things, and while the fact that death was just as natural as childbirth might be the greatest of them, the fact that you don't monkey with a wound that has finally started to heal was far from the least of them. Como médico, sabía muchas cosas, y si bien el hecho de que la muerte fuera tan natural como el parto podría ser la mejor de ellas, el hecho de que no te hagas el tonto con una herida que finalmente ha comenzado a sanar estaba lejos de ser la mejor. menos de ellos.

So instead of asking, he only kissed her again and went out. Entonces, en lugar de preguntar, solo la besó nuevamente y salió.

It was a good start, a good day. Fue un buen comienzo, un buen día. Maine was putting on a late summer show, the sky was blue and cloudless, the temperature pegged at an utterly perfect seventy-two degrees. Maine estaba dando un espectáculo de finales de verano, el cielo estaba azul y sin nubes, la temperatura fijada en setenta y dos grados absolutamente perfectos. Rolling to the end of the driveway and checking for traffic, Louis mused that so far he hadn't seen so much as a trace of the fall foliage that was supposed to be so spectacular. Rodando hasta el final del camino de entrada y comprobando el tráfico, Louis reflexionó que hasta ahora no había visto ni rastro del follaje de otoño que se suponía que era tan espectacular. But he could wait. Pero podía esperar.

He pointed the Honda Civic they had picked up as a second car toward the University and let it roll. Apuntó el Honda Civic que habían recogido como segundo coche hacia la Universidad y lo dejó rodar. Rachel would call the vet this morning, they would get Church fixed, and that would put this whole nonsense of Pet Semataries (it was funny how that misspelling got into your head and began to seem right) and death-fears behind them. Rachel llamaría al veterinario esta mañana, arreglarían Church, y eso pondría fin a toda esta tontería de Pet Semataries (fue divertido cómo ese error ortográfico se metió en tu cabeza y comenzó a parecer correcto) y los miedos a la muerte detrás de ellos. There was no need to be thinking about death on a beautiful September morning like this one. No había necesidad de estar pensando en la muerte en una hermosa mañana de septiembre como esta.

Louis turned on the radio and dialed until he found Huey Lewis and the News belting out ‘Working for a Living'. Louis encendió la radio y marcó hasta que encontró a Huey Lewis y el News cantando a todo pulmón 'Working for a Living'. He turned up the radio and sang along – not well, but with lusty enjoyment. Subió el volumen de la radio y cantó, no muy bien, pero con lujurioso disfrute.