Gingerbread Man

time. But I keep them. I guess it's a security issue. Just knowing they're there, you know? I was looking for something for Mom. Gave her a Valium, but it didn't touch her. To be honest, I damn near took something myself." Her lips twisted.
    "But you didn't."
    She lifted her eyes. "No, I didn't need them." She smiled a little weakly, but, still, it was something. "I guess I learned something about myself today. I mean, it can't get much worse than this, can it?"
    It could, and he was afraid it would, but he wasn't going to tell her that.
    "And I didn't need them. Maybe I can throw them out at last."
    "Maybe that would be a good idea."
    She tilted her head. "You were worried about me, weren't you?"
    He averted his eyes.
    She frowned. "You walked in and saw the pills and— Vince, did you really think I'd swallowed a bunch of them, or something?"
    He shrugged. "I don't know what I thought."
    Moving closer, Holly grabbed his arm, studied his face. "Even at my worst, I never contemplated suicide." She paused. He knew there was more, and he just waited. She eased her grip on his arm. "That's a lie. I... I did think about it. But I couldn't do it. I was the only daughter my mother had left. I couldn't take that away from her."
    "For the record, Red, I'm damned glad to hear it." He looked past her, back inside the house. Doc had Doris on the couch now, had his stethoscope out. "Let's go see how your mother is doing, huh?"
    "I'm going to survive this."
    "I know you are, Red. Most people would be in a rubber room, drooling, at this point. But you're out here in the sunshine, sewing Halloween costumes for a little girl." He ran a hand through her hair. "You're incredibly strong. And I know it. Now, can we go check on your mother?"
    She nodded. "All right"
    He opened the glass doors, stepped through them. Doc looked at him, and his face was stern. "What did you give her, Holly?"
    She sighed, turned, walked down the hall, vanishing into her bedroom. A few moments later she came out with a pill bottle, and put it on the coffee table. "One of these," she said. "She slept for maybe an hour."
    Graycloud looked at the label, then his brows raised in question, he looked at Holly again.
    "No, I didn't take any. You can take it—and the rest of them—away with you. I don't need them anymore."
    He smiled just a little, nodded once. "And about time. Good girl."
    "What about Mom?"
    Graycloud stepped away from the sofa, and Holly's aunt Jen took his place there, leaning over, holding Doris's hand, speaking softly to her. Doc huddled with Vince and Holly on the far side of the living room. "Her blood pressure is up, and her heartbeats are irregular. I don't like it. I could probably stabilize her here at home, but I think it's a bad idea. She's around all these things, and if anything more happens, I'm just not sure how she might react."
    Holly bit her lip. "Are you saying you want to put her in the hospital?"
    "Yeah. Just for a day or two. Let me get her on some meds, get her stable, monitor her heart."
    "She'll be out of harm's way, Holly," Vince said. "We can have a police guard on her door." He didn't say it aloud, but he thought it was the best answer for Holly as well. She wouldn't need to be in constant fear for her mother's safety, much less subjected to this kind of morbid behavior. "I think it's for the best, really."
    "I'll go too," Jen offered. "I'll stay with her the whole time."
    "Oh, Aunt Jen, that's too much to ask."
    "I don't mind. Marty's away; what else do I have to do?" She smiled, patted Doris's hand. "I'll bring my knitting, some books. We'll spend some quality time. We're past due, you know."
    Sighing, Holly went to her mother, looked at her, and knew she was not really there. She was lost in a sea of emotions she didn't know how to deal with. Holly knew because she'd spent a lot of time in the same place. "Mom, you're gonna go with Dr. Graycloud now, okay?"
    Her mother smiled, and nodded.
    "And I'm coming, too," Jen told her. "I'll be along just a few minutes behind you." She glanced over her shoulder at Holly. "I'll pick up this mess, and throw a few things in a bag for her before I go."
    "Aunt Jen, I can—"
    "You shouldn't even be here, Holly. This is ..." She looked around, shook her head sadly. She was battling tears herself, Holly realized. She had loved Ivy, too. They all had. "This is too much," Jen said softly. "Go, go with Vince."
    Doc was easing Doris to her feet, leading her to the door.
    "Have Bill go