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She went on about her business, heading toward the kitchen to return the insulin Themy head down between my knees They say it’s i this, but I’ve etically She was , as usual, to concede that anybodynot to hyperventilate The creeping darkness receded I sat up and fannedI did every day

"I don’t feel good," she said She scratched at her aritated What a pair we ain and I was going to have to make a medical evaluation I sent her a wan s to perplexity She heezing now, a littlefrom her throat as she clawed at her arnified the fear in her eyes

"Oh Lord," she rasped "It couldn’t…" Her face was ashen, swelling visibly, hot pink welts for?" Her distress was accelerating so quickly I couldn’t take it in I crossed to the bed and then yelled toward the kitchen "Ann, could you coht there," she called I could tell froency "Ann! For God’s sake, get in here!" Suddenly I knehere I’d seen this before When I was eight and went to Donnie Dixon’s birthday party next door He was stung by a yellow jacket and was dead before his mother reached the backyard

Ori’s hands went to her throat, her eyes rolling wildly, sweat popping out It was clear she wasn’t getting air I tried to help, but there was nothing I could do She grabbed forht she’d tear off a hunk of flesh

"Nohat?" Ann said

She appeared in the doorearing an expression that was a ence and irritation at heras she tried to assiht before her "What in the world? Mother, what’s wrong? Oh my God!"

I don’t think an Ori was convulsing, and I could see a flood of urine spread along the bedding under her The sounds she

Ann’s panic was a singing note that rose fro in her haste By the ti as if so electric shock treatments

It was clear the 911 dispatcher had picked up the call I could hear a tiny female voice buzz across the room like a fly Ann tried to respond, but the words turned into a screaht of herCPR techniques, but I knew there wasn’t any point

Ori was still, her eyes wide and blank She was already beyond medical help I looked at the clock automatically for time of death It was 9:06 I took the phone out of Ann’s hand and asked for the police

About 20 percent of all people die under circumstances that would warrant an official inquiry into the cause of death The burden of deter cause and manner of death usually falls to the first police officer to appear on the scene In this case, Quintana must have been alerted to the call because within thirtyquarters had been taken over by sheriff’s department personnel: Detective Quintana and his partner, whose narapher, two evidence techs, a fingerprint tech, three deputies securing the area, and an a patiently until the body could be re to be subject to official scrutiny Ann and I had been separated shortly after the first county sheriff’s car arrived Clearly, no one wanted us to confer They were taking no chances For all they knee’d just conspired in the h to kill her, you’d think we’d also have been sht before we called the cops Maybe it was only a question ofsure we didn’t contaminate each other’s account of events

Ann, wan and shaken, sat in the dining room She had wept briefly and without conviction while the coroner went through thefor Ori’s heart Now she was subdued, answering in low tones as Quintana questioned her She seemed numbed by circumstance I’d seen the reaction countless ti to those most affected by it Later, when the finality of the event sinks in, grief breaks through in a noisy torrent of rage and tears